Its festive season in Kerala. Brands vie with one another to catch attention and the moolah. A visit to the Mall with a visiting niece the other day was interesting. The Wrangler Showroom had a Buy One Get ONe FREE offer. In we walked. The trim niece started to try out a few outfits. A particular one was a bit oversize for her. The outfit was a perfect piece. I gave in to temptation of trying it on. For people who don't know me, let be give a brief description of self.
Almost forty, Greying hair left unkempt, getting into classic pear shape, a very rotund face , a bit shy of 5'6"', mostly clad in baggy salwars to hide unpleasant curves.
But human....so gave in to temptation
The layout of the store was longish with the trial rooms wedged into a corner. A mirror was kept outside the rooms too.
I tried it on, rather pushed myself in, took one look at the mirror. A nice little pillow stared back at me. Displeased, dejected, I took it off. When I opened the door, the niece saw me in the baggy salwar suit.
"Didn't you try it on? Doesn't it fit?"
Miffed, I replied, " It fits but looks odd on a pair of salwars. Let's get a pair of Jeans to go with that"
I gesture to the attendant," Can you get me the largest pair of Jeans"
He hands me a pair of tight fit white jeans size 34 and has a devil's smirk
I choose not to notice. I walk back in, try to pull up the horrible pair, but can’t get even beyond the knee. Sad, I get back into the salwars, with the nice chequered top on and peep out. My niece has a peculiar look much like a rotten tomato. I scamper back into the comfort of trial room.
After this exercise, we choose another top for her, pay for one and get out and move to the music cum books store where hubby and sons are whiling the time away. I tell them about the offer and soon the whole bandwagon makes a beeline to the store. Now hubby dear is pot bellied 6’ foot guy who has this habit of asking for T shirts with pocket at the most trendiest of stores. He started with that and as usual got a negative for an answer.
Son and Hubby tried on different shirts. One of those had one button blue and rest red. I remarked, “Wrangler tailor made a mistake”. The attendant who might have surmised that we were a band of illiterate lots filled in with passion.
“Wrangler means a Cowboy”
“Yeah much like our Lord Krishna, the Gwala,” I filled in jokingly.
The attendant looked hurt.
Now, that’s Brand Identity.
Almost forty, Greying hair left unkempt, getting into classic pear shape, a very rotund face , a bit shy of 5'6"', mostly clad in baggy salwars to hide unpleasant curves.
But human....so gave in to temptation
The layout of the store was longish with the trial rooms wedged into a corner. A mirror was kept outside the rooms too.
I tried it on, rather pushed myself in, took one look at the mirror. A nice little pillow stared back at me. Displeased, dejected, I took it off. When I opened the door, the niece saw me in the baggy salwar suit.
"Didn't you try it on? Doesn't it fit?"
Miffed, I replied, " It fits but looks odd on a pair of salwars. Let's get a pair of Jeans to go with that"
I gesture to the attendant," Can you get me the largest pair of Jeans"
He hands me a pair of tight fit white jeans size 34 and has a devil's smirk
I choose not to notice. I walk back in, try to pull up the horrible pair, but can’t get even beyond the knee. Sad, I get back into the salwars, with the nice chequered top on and peep out. My niece has a peculiar look much like a rotten tomato. I scamper back into the comfort of trial room.
After this exercise, we choose another top for her, pay for one and get out and move to the music cum books store where hubby and sons are whiling the time away. I tell them about the offer and soon the whole bandwagon makes a beeline to the store. Now hubby dear is pot bellied 6’ foot guy who has this habit of asking for T shirts with pocket at the most trendiest of stores. He started with that and as usual got a negative for an answer.
Son and Hubby tried on different shirts. One of those had one button blue and rest red. I remarked, “Wrangler tailor made a mistake”. The attendant who might have surmised that we were a band of illiterate lots filled in with passion.
“Wrangler means a Cowboy”
“Yeah much like our Lord Krishna, the Gwala,” I filled in jokingly.
The attendant looked hurt.
Now, that’s Brand Identity.
hehe as funny as always. Glad to be reading you once again.
ReplyDeleteYou post reminds me of me...and the agony of trying clothes in front of people. I love to go shopping along..it is much easier to deal with the pain of not fitting in to clothes ;)
And the worse part is that the mirror in front of the trial reflects you to any soul in the whole shop. It is such placed. IMy reflection was chequered top and green salwars.EEEK
DeleteGwala.....hhahahahah.. I cant stop laughing... :D
ReplyDeleteYou got it right. Full Marks
DeleteWhat is brnad and who creates it?I always get a feel that branded goods be it in textiles,leather or jewelry is somewhat like medicines from top pharma companies serving the same purpose of an equally effective generic medicine but at much stiffer prices.There is ofcourse the counterfiet satisfaction that you wear a branded jeans instead of a nameless but more comfortable one from a makeshift stall.
ReplyDeleteI always like your racy style of writing
AAmir effect?
Deletehaha Enjoyed reading your shopping escapade. I am partial to certain brands of clothing especially Jeans because there really are some that fit well. My mantra is if I find a good brand, I stick with it.
ReplyDeleteThis shop attendant just didn't want me to wear a Wrangler. I have one bought from another store and they had a bigger size too!
DeletePersonally,I am not brand concious.
ReplyDeleteWhat I miss is the DARZEE we used to have.
With women, it is worse. You can't get a good darzee for a blouse. Every tailor just wants to stitch Salwar kameez as it is easier and more money.
DeleteCrisp post. Liked the relation ship between Denim Wrangler and Krishna.
ReplyDeleteBut I missed it with the attendant.
DeleteYou and your endless adventures never fail to tickle me. And now, don't paint yourself like some 40-something 'aunty'. Doing so, you are actually fishing for compliments ;)
ReplyDeleteDidn't get the 'Gwala' connection (entha ath?). Please shed some light.
Gwala is one who tends cows, Lord Krishna being one and the others our American Wranglers
Delete:) gone are the days when i use to look for brands, its been so long now that I dont understand the fuss behind .. with my body and stomach specially having their own mind, I have to chose what fits me , rather then what brand ..
ReplyDeletechoices have changed :)
Bikram's
But it gets worse when a brand has something that fits you, but the shop attendant gives the skin hugging tight types:(
DeleteHahaha that's a classic comeback! loved it.
ReplyDeleteand wish you a very happy Onam :)
To you too dear.
Deletelol!! T-shirt with a pocket!! I can sort of identify with that, but alas gone are those days. Trying on jeans in a mall is a dreaded experience, I feel guilty of being inside when there are scores of well maintained beauties waiting outside the trail room with loads of stuff in their hands.. An I, inside with a solitary piece just struggling, struggling and struggling :(
ReplyDeleteHow funny! Shop attendants must be the same all over the world. Usually young and haughty, they get a little bit of training and suddenly believe they're experts in tailoring and customer service. Regarding the attendant's explanation of the buttons: Is the button mismatch meant to imply that cowboys are independent thinkers (don't care about fashion sense), that they're careless, or that they're simply color-blind? In any case, what does that imply about people who buy into identifying with cowboys by purchasing the Wrangler stuff? The whole marketing concept there is a little confusing to me.
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ReplyDeleteA person essentially help to make seriously articles I might state. That is the very first time I frequented your web page and to this point? I surprised with the research you made to make this actual publish amazing. Fantastic job!
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ReplyDeleteLovely read. Brand identity is so about being different, in some ways that is.
ReplyDeleteAh...The classic Rajni-ishtyle post one can bank on for laughs! And, I'm not too surprised about that attendant not getting the Gwala association with Wrangler :P
ReplyDeleteGreat post!! Brand identity play most important role In the business.
ReplyDeletenice post, thanks for sharing the valuable information.
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