Why is lingerie shopping so difficult in Pakistan

Lingerie, bras, ladies underwear, ladies panties, ladies undergarments, these are all considered taboo in a society like Pakistan. This is not actually fair, because this is not a popular sentiment regarding men’s undergarments. There are no advertisements on lingerie and customers and brands would rather stay hush on the topic than bring it up in the mainstream media. 

Nobody asks young girls what they want

Young girls begin their journey of shopping for lingerie with their mothers who just get them a local product that they and even their mothers have always worn. Mothers don’t teach girls how to measure their size. They also don’t tell them about so many different bra types that exist. 

“It is impossible to run without being conscious of my body. I didn’t even know that there was something called a sports bra and I could get it to feel better and more confident,” A., 18 year old, confided, adding that her mother had never told her about a sports bra. Surprisingly, even her mom did not know about it. c

For her, buying a sports bra would mean a visit to a bra shop with her daughter and possible interaction with male staff. 

“Even the thought of this is preposterous,” her mom adds. 

Men are everywhere

Why do we need men in a lingerie shop? The answer to this question has evaded me for years. What is the purpose of men? I mean how will they know what a woman wants? And what is with these stores who keep women in the lingerie section but then have a man at the checkout counter. What is this tomfoolery? Why can’t the lingerie section lady receive cash for the product?

The top reason why shopping for lingerie is such a pain is that men are everywhere. There is no privacy. And then there is the constant fear of a prying spy camera. Yes, this threat is real. Many times, the news is filled with instances of shopkeepers filming women in the dressing/changing rooms. How can one ever be safe in such an environment?

Lingerie companies do not advertise

We don’t know who is responsible for this but lingerie companies don’t advertise their products on television or youtube. Why is that? I understand that these ads can’t be bold but isn’t there anyone out there who is creative enough to make ads on this subject without being obscene? This is a huge market, women make up more than 50 percent of the country but nobody has ever thought about it? Clearly this area is also male-dominated and someone is not making the right decisions. 

But thankfully, some brands such as Girl Nine, are disrupting this scene. Girl Nine is a premium woman-owned, women-run brand that wants to reclaim the shopping space for women. From lingerie to footwear, as well as bags, the brand is home to great products that women want at prices we love. They offer free delivery all over the country, which is great! And they have well-trained all-women staff that is ready to answer all queries regarding any of their products. The exchange policy is also flexible and very accommodating. My interaction with them has been great!

We hope that looking at how difficult it is for women to shop, brands like Girl Nine continue to cater to women’s needs so that they can shop in peace.