Most foreigners are surprised to hear that there is no lack of western clothes in Saudi Arabia. Indeed, you can buy just about anything you want here. It seems that Mango, Benetton, Zara, Desigual, TopShop, Etam, Lindex etc. have shops in just about every shopping mall. Debenhams department stores are all over the place and if in need, you will be able to buy Gucci, Prada and LV bags and shoes here as well. A lot of westerners have difficulties imagining why Saudi ladies would want to buy western clothes since in public they need to wear abayas to cover them anyways. Yes, true that in public they need to cover but at home they don’t need to. Among relatives they are free to dress as they please.
Although most things are available in Saudi, a lot of expats prefer to go to Dubai or back to their home countries for shopping because let’s face it, it’s just easier when you can try the things on in the shop without buying them first. As mentioned before in an earlier post, here you need to buy the things first, then go to the ladies bathroom to try them on, then return the items if you want to get another size, take it to the bathroom again and so and so forth.
But lo and behold, one day we went shopping in the evening and what did we see in the department store?
Yes, a fitting room for men. We were left wondering what would happen if a woman just went in and started trying on clothes. The world would probably not come to an end?
Although most things are available in Saudi, a lot of expats prefer to go to Dubai or back to their home countries for shopping because let’s face it, it’s just easier when you can try the things on in the shop without buying them first. As mentioned before in an earlier post, here you need to buy the things first, then go to the ladies bathroom to try them on, then return the items if you want to get another size, take it to the bathroom again and so and so forth.
But lo and behold, one day we went shopping in the evening and what did we see in the department store?
Yes, a fitting room for men. We were left wondering what would happen if a woman just went in and started trying on clothes. The world would probably not come to an end?
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