Shop Special

Winter clothes

Although the memorable and intense cold that gripped the entire country a couple of years back never showed up even at half its strength in the subsequent years, the chilling effect of this year's winter would definitely make any person put on some warm clothes. Its not that we like to play Eskimo the moment the weather gets a bit chilly, but the fact is that it's not possible to be all macho when the breeze will make you itch to dive under a blanket, safely tucked in from any adverse conditions. And for moments like this, it's essential that you have some warm clothes to protect you from the immediate chill that you might feel, or the cold that you might get later.

So far, as long as the intensity of the cold is concerned, the less affluent people of the society, better known as the lower class, can breathe a sigh of relief on the feeble reception that this year's cold has given. While that definitely puts them on the upper hand and the people selling winter clothes on the lower end of the bargaining spectrum, the prices are still a wee bit high than that of last years, but then again, with the inflation and everything that we have seen till now, its hard to blame the rising prices or the people charging it.

In the Baitul Mukarram vicinity, many shopkeepers sell Bangladeshi made sweaters from about Tk300 to Tk500, as opposed to last years prices, which ranged from Tk250-350. These cardigans are either half-sleeved or full-sleeved and are available in round collars or v-neck. They come in different colours and designs for all types of tastes, so don't be too surprised if you come across an embroidered male vest in light pink! Most of these sweaters, a mixture of acrylic and wool, are bought in wholesale from garments in different parts of the district. A few of these sellers buy their stock with the help of banks and return the closing stock to the respective garments at the end of the season.

There are also Chinese and Indian sweaters available in
the markets such as Baitul Mukarram, Bongo Bazaar, New market etc. Made from wool or acrylic-wool these have better colour combinations, in checks, stripes and geometric prints. The prices of these start from Tk500 and go up to Tk800. Compared to the Bangladeshi counterparts; these are definitely more comfortable and warmer as well.

Gloves are available in the price range not exceeding Tk100. If it is that you already bought a pair for more than Tk100, consider the rest as being charity given this year. Leather, woollen, nylon or mixed material ones are the most common in the market. Though most of these gloves look a little 'out of fashion', there are a few good ones that one can come across. As for the monkey caps and related products, they cost about Tk60 to Tk1500. Made from wool or 'blazer' cloth, monkey caps have been one of the least selling products.

At the Gulistan Hawkers Market, you can find mufflers, worth about Tk150, which seem to epitomise the peak of 'cheap' winter fashion (couldn't help getting a little sarcastic). These scarf-like woollen or acrylic-woollen items haven't been selling that much over the past years as the intensity of cold has decreased.

Jackets are always the 'in-thing' during the winter season. A good jacket always gives a different look and also keeps the body warm. Jackets, unlike their counterparts, are available in much better designs and with good-looking colour combinations. There is an array of materials to choose from: parachute, velvet, wool, 'micro' and jersey materials. These are available between Tk450 to Tk800. But leather and denim jackets are the most sought after in the market. However, these cost a little higher than the regular ones.

So far the prices of winter clothing this year has been quite low compared to the rising prices of other items, since the intensity of the winter chill has been low. Prices will definitely increase when the demand goes up. So, if you are looking for a good bargain and the best items before the market is cleared out by a sudden flurry of customers induced by a sudden chill factor of near zero, now would be a good time to go to the markets. The best places to get all these items would be New Market, Bongo Bazaar, Gulistan Market, the market opposite of New Market and all the regular places that you hear your friends and foes going to get their share of winter clothes. And before I finish off this article, a word of advice from someone who respects money and its usage; if you think that you are better off buying winter clothes from the more established establishments, then at least go visit the markets I mentioned before deciding where you are going to be buying your winter clothes. Because it's a common practice that the Tk350 jacket that you can get in New Market will be invariably sold with a price tag of Tk1500 in any clothes store in the posh areas of our city. So a little research before buying wouldn't be too bad a idea.

By Asifur Rahman Khan
Photo: Amirul Rajiv
Model: Safi

Badminton…commercially exposed

Sports have always been a part of a teenager's life, and under no circumstances can playing on the computer qualify as a sport. Sarcastically speaking, maybe playing on the computer can qualify as a sport in which the winner can be adjudged on the basis of who wasted the most time, but this article is for the normal people with their normal views towards sports. During the winter, a lot of people normally come out in the open to play a lot of different sports, mainly to stay warm, and plus, winter is the best time to play the sweaty sports. So for those people, here is a short description of where to get what…

Badminton rackets
Rackets can be found at any sports outlet at any part of the city, but then again, not all outlets sell good quality rackets. For quality, you need to visit the best known places for sports equipments, like Gulshan 1 and 2 markets, Stadium or the other solitary places like Body Sports etc. The thing is, if you visit the Stadium market to buy the racket, you get a pretty good deal. Of course, the quality of the rackets that Body Sports and its compatriots sell are of higher quality, but then again, you have to pay higher prices for them. But you have to keep one thing in mind; I have never seen anyone being content with one racket, no matter what the quality is. The end result is that they end up buying a new racket at the start of every badminton season. The prices of the rackets start from Tk350 and go all the way Tk2500.

Badminton corks
There is a catch here; a plastic cork worth between Tk80-200 can last quite a few games, which is economically better than using a feathered cork for every game. But then again, a feathered cork will perform much better in different shots rather than the plastic shots. Simply put, the aerodynamics of a feathered cork operate much better than a plastic cork. A feathered cork costs below Tk25, and can be found at any stationary shop and of course, the sports outlets.

Badminton miscellaneous
Of course, you need a lot more to play badminton other than rackets and corks. You need a net, which can be priced between Tk500 to its upper limit of Tk3000, depending on the quality of the material of the net, and also the place you are buying it from. Grips, or the material that you wrap around the racket handle for a better grip, costs around Tk100-500, which aid a player specially during smashing the cork down on the other side for the winning point. Other things that you might need are the sweat bands for the occasional removal of sweat pouring down from every side of your face and blurring your vision. The sweat bands costs around Tk60-300. All the miscellaneous accessories that I mentioned can be found at the sports outlets, and with some reasonable bargaining, I am sure you can redefine the lower end of the price spectrum.

By Asifur Rahman Khan