Phew! This is a controversial topic but I always wanted to write on this. As a woman who has lived in the northern metros or even small towns, one would come and wonder why beauty salons in Chennai are so costly?
In my last three adventurous years in Chennai, I have found some peculiar facts about the concept of beauty, fashion, and similar terms in Chennai:
Apart from all this (from my experience), if you are a women who loves to dress up and make sure your accessories perfectly sync, then be prepared to get weird stares from men and angry stares from women.
Here is a political angle to it. But this aspect is being quite boldly commercialized by the recent soap TVCs, especially the Vivel soap ads of Sumar Susi and Dull Divya. I really dont know how the tamil public, especially women are taking to these ads. but then it is worth the wait and watch!
In my last three adventurous years in Chennai, I have found some peculiar facts about the concept of beauty, fashion, and similar terms in Chennai:
- It seems that my mom's generation of Chennai women haven't been to beauty parlors mostly apart from getting bridal make-up, not even regular visits for eye-brows.
- On one of my first days in Chennai, at Tidel Park. I was waiting near the entrance for my friend, where I saw women who seemed like office goers, wearing the most unpleasant and dull shades like worn out mustard color, electric shocker blue and fluorescent green, stitched by tailors who would have been doing some side- business apart from stitching shirts and trousers.
- Couple of years ago, I saw an episode of Neeya Naaana (a debate show), where some girls who looked like they have been busy studying for medical entrances, talking about how college girls in Chennai should be ashamed of adopting western culture and wearing jeans and dressing up to college. They were almost reinstating our great Rajnikanth's dialogs on how women should only dress in a sari and be virtuous and kind.... (What the #*$*)
- In my old office and the present one too, If I have to make a guess, 1/5th of the women population frequent parlors and believe in the concept of dressing up.
- Many new parlors are positioning themselves as uni-sex salons, that it is hard to find all-women salons in Chennai.
Apart from all this (from my experience), if you are a women who loves to dress up and make sure your accessories perfectly sync, then be prepared to get weird stares from men and angry stares from women.
Here is a political angle to it. But this aspect is being quite boldly commercialized by the recent soap TVCs, especially the Vivel soap ads of Sumar Susi and Dull Divya. I really dont know how the tamil public, especially women are taking to these ads. but then it is worth the wait and watch!
5 comments:
Interesting to learn this. But then the North has always been more beauty concious, in some part given their looks to start with.
The stares you get wen u look moderately presentable is enough to keep u away from coordinating ur wadrobe!!!! :) I really wish people change.
@avshirley: I am not sure if there was a sense of negativity intended in that statement, but I rate myself as a average when it comes to dressing up and I have always observed women here from a point of view of a north Indian, which is why I ended up with these observations.
@Anil: This is true to some extent. But its more than that. Chennai is known for its dominantly traditional and orthodox way of thinking. Here, if a woman spends money on her looks, irrespective of whether she earns or not, the society as such looks down upon her. A woman here is still expected to put her family's need before her's.
An information on the reason why the business of beauty salons has been on a downfall in Chennai. A must read for the people.
beauty salon
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