Spotlight

Lingering on Lingerie

It's hard for women around the city to buy lingerie. After all most shops keep a limited assortment among other things like it was an after thought. It's also quite embarrassing to ponder on fabric, size and other pertinent factors when there's a salesman handing you the stuff and then waiting for you to make a decision.

Now however you can linger on lingerie because specialised lingerie shops are coming up around the city to cater to women's needs. There are several, so take your pick.

Secrets: This shop has three branches: one at UAE Moitry Shopping Complex in Kemal Ataturk Avenue; one at the Mascot Plaza in Uttara; and the third at the Metro Shopping Mall in Dhanmondi. This shop offers a wide range of nightwear, swimsuits, and personal accessories for women only and the products are imported from Thailand and India. The sales personnel are all women and there are also provisions for trying out the products. Prices vary with fabric, designs and embellishment but are within the range of a wide variety of clientele.

Miss Pretty: This lingerie shop is situated at Anam Rangs Plaza in Saat Masjid Road, Dhanmondi. Miss Pretty specialises lingerie made of different materials suited for different occasions. A designer who graduated from the UK Central St. Martine School of Art & Design designs the products. And the products are dermatological tested and certified by AZO to conform to health and hygiene concerns. The nightwear products range from Taka 130 to Taka 1500 and the lingerie products range from Tk.150 to Tk.5000. The sales staff is friendly and there are trial rooms for the benefit of customers.

Sweet Dreams: Situated near Wimpy on Road 7, Dhanmondi, Sweet Dreams is another shop that specialises in lingerie. This shop also has a wide assortment of undergarments and lingerie. The shop's location makes it easier and more pleasant to shop in this quite neighborhood. The all female shop staff is friendly and helpful. Prices vary with the type of lingerie or undergarments but are nonetheless quite affordable.

Doja Market: Situated opposite Dhaka College, the back rows of Doja sport lingerie shops. While the sales people are still men, if you want to go easy over the wallet, this is a good place to shop for lingerie. But don't expect anything Victoria's Secret quality because the products sold here are mostly factory rejects and thus do the job for temporary periods of time. Bargaining is a must if you don't want to be robbed blind. So check it out.

So what are you waiting for ladies? With so many options you will probably have a difficult time deciding where to go first. But do visit them all. Happy shopping!

By Tahiat-E-Mahboob

Shop talk

Eye-grabbing Kota Sarees
Kota sarees are breathtaking, especially the exclusive hand-painted ones. If you want to purchase some really fashionable kota sarees, painted by skilled artists of Bangladesh on backdrop of pastel shades like light green, yellow, blue and white, then do pay a visit to the branches of Kay Kraft. Scenes from nature have been depicted wonderfully on every saree, giving each piece of this traditional attire a pictorial view. Kota sarees are soft and allow ample air through its fine weave. At Kay Kraft, kota sarees are available within tk.650 to tk.1150. Kay Kraft also has a fine collection of Tangail sarees priced within tk.380 to tk.4000.

Silk sarees at Mayasir
If you want to be the centre of attention at the next social gathering you attend, then stop by at Mayasir and browse their collection of silk sarees. These silk sarees are simply splendid. Excellent hand embroidery has been done neatly on each of these sarees by adept craftswomen of Bangladesh. If you wear one of these sarees to your next party, be sure that people around you will turn their heads to watch you…over and over again. At Mayasir, each of these fashionable sarees will generally cost you tk.4400 and higher.

Traditional Jamdani sarees
Jamdani sarees have won Bangladeshi women's heart since time immemorial. They still pride on the collection of Jamdani sarees that their mothers had. If you are an avid admirer of Jamdani sarees, then do pay a visit to the branches of Mayasir. Mayasir has a splendid collection of Jamdani sarees. Mostly created on backdrops of delicate colours, these sarees are worth becoming a part of your wardrobe. But mind you that these sarees are quite expensive. The lowest price isn't that low, the price starts from tk.3000 and rise as high as tk.12000.

Hand-painted comfy cotton sarees
Artists are choosing cotton textiles as horizons to prove their artistry. There are gorgeous cotton sarees painted by hands of proficient artists available in Altamira (located at Kemal Ataturk Avenue, Banani). These cotton sarees are available in a wide variety of colours with objects like flowers, trees, vases and other intricate artwork portrayed awesomely. Each saree is unique in its own beauty and there is no duplication of design. These hand-painted cotton sarees are available within tk.950 to tk.1150. In this scorching season, resort to these comfy cotton sarees to attend your workplace or daytime parties.

Beads and sequins
You can always add a little glitter and glamour to one of those mundane sarees you have by sewing a handful of sequins and beads on them. Sequins are quite affordable; each yard will cost you about tk.10 to tk.12. At Gausia, Chadni Chawk or New Market, within a very reasonable amount of money you can buy enough sequins, beads, stones or kundons to embellish your saree. There are even some sequins and stones, which you can attach to your fabric by simply ironing on them. There are actually a lot of varieties to choose from, so just visit the stores there and start browsing the shelves.

By Wara Karim

 

 

Essentials Special

Rain, rain…….
….go to Spain. Unfortunately it is here to stay and in our country it pretty much equals to waterlogged streets after a simple shower. A few days back almost half of Dhaka went under water leaving tons of cars stranded in the street. This happens because of water getting into the fuel management system. Carburetors or EFI units get choked. The only way to prevent this is to drive slowly over deep water to prevent it from splashing upwards and into the engine. It particularly affects older cars with carbureted engines.

Drive cool
Overheating can also be a problem resulting from driving in muddy water. The tiny slots in the radiator become clogged with the dirt and sediment from the water and as a result the engine slowly overheats. This can lead to cracks in the radiator and serious engine damage. After driving for a while in deep dirty water it is best to go to a service station and have them use high pressured water to clean out the mess. You could try it out at your home as well.

Save the paint
The car gets wet and you are constantly wiping it off. New cars with new paint will slowly become dull. Regular polishing with a good quality non abrasive wax polish helps to keep the car shining. It also leaves a slippery layer over the paint work that prevents water from accumulating. During rainy season it is advisable to apply a light coat of polish once a week.

Visibility
A good set of wipers will not leave a single drop of water after one wipe. Replace your wipers immediately if your blades leave all the water behind. These do not cost much (around 400 taka a pair) except for particular models for new vans and SUVs that can go up to a maximum of 3000 taka. Bad wipers will also leave ugly scratches on your windshield.

Be seen
People in our country have a habit of coming from the wrong way. Turn on your lights when driving in the rain so that you can be seen by others. This rule applies even in daylight. Silver and grey cars blend in when there is a heavy downpour.

By Ehsanur Raza Ronny