Exercise for Your Eyes: Sarojini Nagar

by Molona Wati Longchar

This is one of the things that I love about Delhi. Sure, you’ll still have to deal with the heat, dust, crowd and unfamiliar smells but it’s all worth it. Because if you love fashion, shopping and bargains, then this is the place for you. Welcome to the wonderful world of Sarojini Nagar Market. Famous for getting branded clothes at throwaway prices, Sarojini is a shopper's paradise. That‘s because most of the clothes are export surplus and rejected export garments. Right from GAP to H&M, Top Shop to MNG, Billabong to Miss Selfridge: all sort of designer wear is available at Sarojini. I even found a Michael Kors sample dress once, but it was four sizes too big. What a tragedy!

When I mean throwaway prices I mean it. There are numerous stalls and each of them is filled with piles of clothes, and you definitely need patience and a good eye to spot your goods. You can get t-shirts from Rs. 80-150 and dresses from Rs. 100-200. But you also need to know how to bargain because these shopkeepers are very intuitive and well-informed. They know which brands are popular and what kind of fashion is in style. They learn fast and will surprise you by proposing that you get an expensive dress because it's "very cute, very trendy madam". They can have the upper hand and make you pay more than you need to. So, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

First, the usual rates are between Rs. 80-250. If you are lucky then you can even get away with lower rates like Rs 10.

Second, (very important!) what you need to do is keep a poker face. Don’t get too excited when you see something you like because the shopkeepers will use this to their advantage and then trying to haggle the price down will be quite difficult.

Third, remember that your starting price should be lower than your real offer price. If you want to pay Rs 150 for a dress, then you should first offer to pay Rs 100. That allows you to even the playing field.

Fourth, don’t get too discouraged or angry if a shopkeeper refuses to sell you a garment. You can still bargain if you remain positive and friendly.

Fifth, fittings are quite problematic since they are mostly export surplus or rejects. A size ‘S’ could be a size ‘M’. So, you will have to approximate the size.

Last but not least, try and shop in the mornings around 10:30 am. Not only will you avoid the crowd but you can also get lots of ‘boni’ bargains. Shopkeepers believe that their first sale is lucky so if you are one of the early customers then getting your price will be much easier.

It takes time to adjust to Sarojini, but once you do you will be rewarded with great and exciting fittings and labels.

Disclaimer: The India Tube declines any responsibility in case you should develop a strong addiction to Sarojini.