Eid shopping picks pace amid hype around ‘Kashmiri’ bangles, flowing kaftans in Karachi

2026-03-16 - 06:14

KARACHI: With fashion trends it is never very clear in our part of the world why or who started them. When every other shopper is demanding it, you just need to fulfil the demands. Just like last year when the Farshi shalwar was most in demand around Eid, this year there are the Kashmiri bangles which are all the rage. Every lady just has to have them to complete the Eid look. About these Kashmiri bangles, which are metallic mostly in golden or silver with little bells on them to add to the jingle jangle, it was shared by a salesman at Jama Cloth Market that they have nothing to do with Kashmir as they originate from Nepal. “These things spread through social media now. India copied the bangles style from Nepal and we brought it here and named it ‘Kashmiri’,” the salesman shrugged. The bangles paired with multicolour glass bangles are available also at the Gulf Shopping Mall near Teen Talwar in Clifton and at Tariq Road though the prices are pretty much the same, if not more. Along with the bangles, there are also other trends such as the Kashmiri kaftan and cut-dana embroidery in which beads are used in delicate embroidery around the neckline or in the border laces of shirt hems, sleeves and dupatta. Still, the bangles are more affordable than the kaftans and embroidery work. Of course, at Rs800 to a thousand rupees for a set of dozen bangles, they can’t be called cheap in any way. Kashmiri bangles are the most expensive bangles these days but they are far lower in price than the dresses which range from Rs5,000 for just a shirt mind you to Rs12,000 or more. Roadside stalls in various markets offer smart bargains (From left) Eid shoppers throng a footwear stall; men shop for shalwar kameez for Eid prayers at the Saddar Cooperative Market; and, the craze for ‘Kashmiri’ bangles raises the demand at bangle shops at Jama Cloth Market. — Fahim Siddiqi / White Star And with the strain on pockets quite obvious on the shoppers’ faces most were not going for the latter, at least not in boutiques. Copies at roadside stalls were very much welcome, except that they were not there. Alternatives appeared in the form of cotton suits with matching pants, pajamas or shalwar, even better if they were plain or in double shades of the same colour. The rush of Eid shoppers starts building soon after Iftar. And it turns into a mad rush after Taraveeh. Men as enthusiastic and serious about shopping as the women could be seen at the shops catering to men’s clothing at Zainab Market or Saddar Cooperative Market. Both these markets offer smart and affordable clothes. There are all kinds of people in this world so there were also men who don’t like shopping. Those types were smartly utilised to look after the kids while the wives shopped for clothing, socks, bags, cosmetics, hair clips and other trinkets from the roadside stalls. Also by the roadside at all Eid markets were stalls selling chips, popcorn, candyfloss, balloons etc, to help pacify the young ones. As mentioned already, roadside stalls beckoned crowds the most while the shops looked empty. The popular malls were all open but they were not as crowded as expected around Eid time. The big labels removing the sale signs precisely at this time did not help either. Most people went there for window shopping while taking a breather in the central air conditioning after which it would be back to the footpath vendors. Every year, people feel somewhat hesitant to go to Tariq Road for shopping because of the expected traffic rush there. But it was a pleasant surprise to find flowing traffic there even at Tariq Centre and the Dolmen Mall side. People shop for Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Karachi on March 15, 2026. — AFP The reason for this were the large number of traffic police everywhere, and not just at Tariq Road only, who were not permitting double parking anywhere and the public, already terrified of the e-challan were not trying their patience by taking any chances. At Zainab Market and on the service road of the two Gold Mark shopping centres on Korangi Road in DHA Phase I, the traffic police prevented the entry of rickshaws to ease road congestion, which was a very good step on their part. Meanwhile, Sindh police personnel also kept vigilant all over the markets to keep a check on pickpockets. Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2026