Going Undercover

Remember the time when brassiere was a word uttered only in private and innerwear meant plain white? All that has changed now and when in Chandigarh, do remember to say it with satin

The lady who wore birthday party caps. It was a rude way to put it but that8217;s exactly how one of my buddies referred to her not-so friendly neighbour8217;s mother. It didn8217;t take long or hard to see why. The lady8217;s choice of innerwear or 8220;under garments8221; as they so matronly refer to lingerie as if it was just that. Stiff, pokey, and in your face no, not in a Pamela Anderson sort of way but more like her bosom stepped in the room much before she did. It was clear this lady didn8217;t have access to the bras of today. To borrow from Thai singer Tata Young incidentally her country ranks high in the exports of lingerie, the lady hadn8217;t slipped into the 8220;sexy, naughty, bitchy8221; albeit comfy kind of stuff. And though Aunty, and the likes of her, might have gone 8220;haw-haw8221; on this kind of merchandise a while back, today it8217;s a different story.

Need proof? Just step into one of the many exclusive lingerie stores that have mushroomed in Chandigarh and you8217;ll know why chances of bumping into someone like Aunty aren8217;t just remote, but almost impossible. At Chandigarh8217;s psychedelic-lit and invitingly named lingerie store Attractions in Sector 16, where I park myself for a day of splurging, it8217;s tough to make up your mind. While I am deciding between a bubblegum pink Wonderbra the season8217;s latest arrival and a lacy, powder blue strapless that promises not to let me down sic, the middle-aged lady beside me has her cute, little pink basket brimming with international brand Enamor8217;s latest collection of underwired lingerie sets, each frillier than the other, costlier than the other. As I contemplate spending a thousand rupees on the minimals, a group of teenagers 8212; first year students from a local girls8217; college 8212; are expressing their glee at having found a pair of polka-dotted thongs. The girls zero in on their colours 8220;red, pink and yellow8221; and tell me that the little pieces of garments are in fact not as uncomfortable as they look. 8220;Actually, G-strings are the done thing. They are also the current best sellers across most age groups,8221; joins in store8217;s owner Dolly Singh.

One of the first to introduce a one-stop and swanky shop for lingerie, Singh has actually seen the transformation among Punjabi women. 8220;Initially, the perception was that all the fancy wear looked good only in pictures. I would often be disappointed when customers, mostly married women, opted for a plain white bra over something with lace and satin,8221; Singh remembers. Today, everyone from teenagers who bring in their mothers, newly-weds who bring in their mother in laws, want the 8220;fancy variety8221;.

The variety that they can lay their hands on translates into doll sets miniscule, strappy, lacy wear to wired, padded, pushed-up, low-cut, strapless, cross-backs versions, all displayed on easy-to-browse wall panels. Prices pegged anywhere between Rs 100 to Rs 3,000. 8220;Another latest are silicon pads that work as well as they sound. And yes the maximiser and minimiser bras are finally here,8221; Singh offers. So if you aren8217;t well-endowed, a minimser could not only bring in desired results but leave you feeling lighter by at least a thousand rupees.

When it comes to brands, choices are unlimited. Wonderbra, Triumph, Enamor, Lovable, Vanity Fair, Marks and Spencer 8211; it8217;s all on the shelves.

8220;Price is no longer a deterrent. Wonderbra pegged at Rs 1,000 is already selling like hot cakes,8221; shares Anil Dewan who runs another exclusive lingerie store in Chandigarh, quite aptly called Inner Secrets. Even on a mundane Friday morning, the huge plush store has ladies, their hands holding on to strappy wear, zooming in and out of the trial rooms.

8220;There8217;s no pattern of buying. Most of them don8217;t even look at the price tag. It should fit well and look real good,8221; says Dewan who though runs a successful garments store in Sector 17, is more excited at the way the lingerie business has 8220;shaped8221; up. 8220;I don8217;t know why it was so untapped. Everyone wears a 8220;B8221;, so why can8217;t they choose it at ease and wear it in style,8221; he says rushing off to the billing counter. And yes, the once popular Thailand imports stay tucked away in inside counters. 8220;Those are for the college crowd. The ladies like to sport their brands, it8217;s not an inner secret,8221; winks Dewan who also mentions fabrics like denim and lycra, prints like zebra stripes and Hawaiian holidays as popular choices.

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Yes, the market is plump; in fact in terms of size, it8217;s a perfect D.

According to a survey by Technopak, the organized intimate wear retail market in India is pegged at a whopping Rs 2,200 crore and is expected to grow at 70 percent per year till 2009. Precisely why at the Oswal Group decided it was time for STRAPS, their multi-brand retail platform offering an exhaustive range of intimate wear for the ladies needed to spread its wings. 8220;We identified a need gap in the retail market for intimate apparel in terms of the retail format, shopping environment, brand experience, the range of offerings and untrained staff. While our first multi-brand retail initiative in the category was launched in 2004, in Punjab too we noticed that the product was being marketed more like a commodity rather than a comfort or a luxury,8221; Adish Oswal, Managing Director, Oswal Retail Pvt Ltd, tells us. In fact at their all-new 8220;specialised store8221; that opened shop in Ludhiana8217;s Elite Mall last month six more are in the pipeline for Punjab by 2007-08, the term luxuriant takes new meaning.

For Simran Gill, a Ludhiana-based designer and a very curvaceous mother of two, who stepped in with us for a recce, dishing out as much as Rs 6,000 for a Parah set for the uninitiated, Parah is a premium Italian brand acclaimed for its bold and trendy designs doesn8217;t pinch at all. 8220;Till now my mother8217;s sister who lives in the US has been magnanimous in sending me St Michael8217;s or a Marks and Spencer. It just makes more sense to pick something equally good closer home,8221; says Gill as she makes her way to try on a pair. The uniformed staff gives her a special paper covering so that she can try the underwear as well. 8220;All trial garments are sent for dry-cleaning,8221; the attendant adds. As Gill takes her time, a kitty almost of ladies, dressed in their Sunday best, saunter in. 8220;Sirf satin wihao show only satin,8221; says the lady with the plum hair colour as she rejects cotton counterparts. After endless touchy-feely sessions and trials, the ladies select their pick of pushups and balconettes. 8220;Didn8217;t they ever wear anything,8221; Gill smirks as the ladies pile on the selected merchandise, prices not asked, not offered.

So what8217;s on average budget on intimate wear. 8220;There8217;s no budget. I buy what I like even though I might not need it,8221; settles the lady. And that, it seems, is the norm for most Punjabi women, who not only are well-endowed but well-padded in a wallet kind of way!

WHO BUYS WHAT

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8226; The Girl Who Goes to College: Low-rise briefs, G-strings, thongs, halterbras, transparent straps

8226; The Lady Who Stays At Home But Attends Weekly Kitty: Satin is her pick. So are the doll sets with trimmings such as faux fur, lace, sequins

8226; The Lady Who Goes To Work: Wonderbra along with T-shirt bras, underwired versions