Foundation Garments

Note to Readers: This next post is for adults only!!!

On the off chance that you, dear reader, are a woman who will perhaps be coming to this city to do some shopping, and that you might be interested in obtaining for yourself some foundation garments (known as bras and panties in other parts of the world), this post is for you. It could also be for the prurient reader who wants to know about bras and panties, or for that portion of the readership that just wants to know something about everything.

Let me recount my experience. While hotel living can be a real luxury, long term residence in a hotel room is difficult to manage on a limited wardrobe. I have purchased a Tide soap bar, and have learnt to wash my clothing in the bathroom sink, a partial remedy for the lack of clothing. On his previous trip here, C. noticed some undergarments stores on a very popular shopping street - they are glitzy and large, and hard to miss. So I decided to go and look for some new undergarments at this particular place. The walk to this store rendered me sweaty and glad for the respite in the air conditioned store. I milled around the store a bit and happened to look at one particular bra a little too closely and perhaps a little too long. As a result, a salesperson quickly pounced on me and started to show me all kinds of choices. I tried to communicate that I was looking for a particular color, with no success. I decided to try one anyways and was quickly hustled to a change room. Now I use this term lightly; it was a booth with a curtain and a mirror. The sales person followed me into the "room" with the bra that I chose and a couple more (can you say "up-sell"?) Now.... I expected that she would leave the garments behind and then wait for me on the other side of the curtain. No such luck. She stayed. Not only did she stay, but she "helped me." This is truly a full service country- she stayed, helping me with the straps and the cups. At one point, she reached into the cups and repositioned me!!!! for better fit (I'm sure that's what she was saying!) I was stunned and although I was facing the mirror, I don't recall if my mouth dropped. In any case, I've often followed the adage "when in Rome..." so I just let her help me. Which she did repeatedly until I finally picked one ( NOT the color that I went in for) and prepared myself to pay for it.

Since I also wanted bottoms, and wondered whether they would help with that, I waited until I was ready to leave before mentioning that request. I managed to find the kind I wanted. Unbeknownst to me, those very garments were in the department of another clerk, and a small skirmish ensued. My original saleslady took my arm, brought me back to her corner and showed me some panties in her department, and encouraged me to buy some of those (which I did) while I also bought from the other lady. Now in this city, when you buy something from a large store, the clerk writes up a sales slip, which you then take to the cash register to pay. Once you have paid, you go back to the original sales clerk, show the bill and collect your product. Long and convoluted.

There is more: Since I am a sucker for punishment, and I saw a product in another store which was much less costly, I thought that I would try again. The sales clerk in this department was on the phone. I patiently waited for her to finish her call before I asked her to unlock the change room (real door this time). When she was done, I pointed to the bra, and then to the change room. She waved her hand to say "no". "No?" I repeated with a really puzzled look on my face. She pointed to the bras on one side of the wall and said yes, and then pointed to the bras on the other side and said no. I was not able to get a more detailed answer due to my lack of vocabulary. However, I do have the ability to do a little analysis. Here are the facts: the bras on the "yes" wall were on average 190 RMB, and the ones on the "no" wall (yep, the one that I wanted), were on average 28 RMB. Conclusion: you can't try out cheap bras. Not sure about the logic in this story. I left the bra there on principle- I know that it was cheap (about 4.00 USD) and I probably could have taken the chance, but frankly I was so stunned that there is a price cut off for trying on clothes. How did she know that I would not buy 8 of them- thus reaching the price of one of the "yes" bras??

Post script: One of my language school classmates just went foundation garment shopping on the weekend and related to me the very same experience. I now know that it is very possible that this happens to everyone and not just me.

Post post script: Definitely no pictures for this post- go look at Victoria's Secret if you want to see bras.