A salesman displays lingerie at a shop. Many women find it embarrassing to buy inner garments from men. (Okaz photo)JEDDAH: Most women are happy that Saudi women will now be employed at lingerie shops in accordance with the recent Royal Decree. They believe that only women can understand the fashion needs of other women. They believe this long-awaited measure will also prevent women from being embarrassed when buying their intimate wear. They no longer have to deal with a man who has to look at their bodies and even recommend a color that suits them. Some also believe that this, and other measures, will create 1.5 million jobs for women in two years. Nadia Al-Rashidi said she becomes very irritated when a salesman looks at her body to estimate size without saying a word. He does this to show how experienced he is, she said. “Some of the salesmen overdo this method by taking a long look at my skin and then choosing a suitable color for it. Such behavior results in me losing my temper and forces me to leave the shop, but only after I teach the salesman a lesson on good manners and how to deal with women.” Female journalist Samia Khalid says she is not embarrassed when dealing with salesmen when she wants to buy some clothes. “For me there is no difference. I can deal with a salesman without any embarrassment. However, I feel embarrassed in the presence of male shoppers at the place. If this happens, I wait until they leave the shop because I am so shy. There are salesmen who deal with women by looking at their body and they can estimate the size that suits the woman. But in most cases their looks are not too intrusive.” Noora Muhammad says she is not embarrassed when dealing with men. “I prefer a saleswoman because it is easy for her to understand me and to choose what suits me in terms of size and color because women know what females need better than men.” On the contrary, Alya Rajih said she feels quite shy and embarrassed when dealing with men concerning “very private” matters. She is even too embarrassed to go shopping. For this reason, she asks her mother to buy her clothes. “Once I was forced to go to a shopping center where I entered a women's lingerie shop. I was shocked when the salesman, while showing me the lingerie and choosing a color, changed his tone of voice. He continued making comments and I had no choice but to drop the clothes in my hands and rush away from the shop. I told myself I would never visit that shop again.” Ziyad Bajandouh, a salesman in a lingerie shop, says he is not ashamed or embarrassed when dealing with women and choosing a brand, size or suitable type of material. “Because I'm marketing the commodity, I have the right to mention the details of the piece I want to sell.” Hani Talbi, a salesman, said their company was the first to feminize jobs in lingerie shops, but the experiment failed. He said that women need to be trained on how to display the commodities attractively and how to deal with others.
