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Surely, the days leading up to Eid will see a heightened shopping frenzy, with accessories taking the lead, following close on the heels of apparel purchasing. As streets and shopping malls transform into a medley of colour, sound and light in anticipation of the festive day, arm yourself with a sturdy shopping bag, and prepare to haggle and deliberate as you manoeuver the perfect accessory deal to complete your Eid outfit. In Lahore, the price curve stubbornly observes a West-to-East direction, rising consistently from Anarkali through Liberty to Defence, with quality and finish following suit.
For shoes, bid your block heels farewell - the trend in heels is cautiously going pointed, though the toes are still decidedly square. Bags are still lingering at the baguette stage, although formal ones are available in a generous variety. Jewelry has gone the individualistic route and small, personal items are in as opposed to chunky baubles that are hard on the eyes.
Sparkling, glittery and tinkling, bangles are a whole new world in themselves. Like every year, this year too lots of new styles have hit the market. Besides a rainbow of colours available in the regular wood, metal, glass, and Hyderabadi ranges, a couple of shops in Liberty have come up with some real innovations in finishes. It seems sawaiyyan are not just for eating, but can also be worn! That's right, a variety of crushed authentic sawaiyyan-coated bangles are available in several colours (at Rs. 35 a dozen), creating interesting new textures. Also relatively new are the matt bangles (look like velvet but are actually painted, available at Rs. 25 a dozen) and glass bangles covered with dabka work and even floral applique (Rs. 100 a set).
Needless to say, if there was ever any constant in life, mehndi is just that on Eid, now even available with added glitter in several colours. Not for the sophisticated look, certainly, but if you want to indulge yourself in kitsch, there's no better opportunity when all that's flashy is forgivable.
While pricey, up-market imported shoes are always available in the hottest styles, the trendily hip can try out the new range of pretty beads-and-sequin khussas on offer at Khussa Mahal and Khussa Palace (Rs.350-650), also available in the convenient slipper style open at the heel. Since it is no longer taboo to be seen bargaining with roadside vendors (thanks to the economy, it's defiantly cool), you could head for the shoe stalls outside most major outlets where hawkers attempt to ply you with imitation lines, each pair going on average for Rs.200.
For those of you still firmly ensconced in the 80's, outlandish silver and gold footwear is available in abundance at a number of outlets in Anarkali. The more dauntless may also wish to check out Dolcis for bold colours in equally bold styles. -K.Amjad
Definitely not for the fainthearted are the numerous shades of strappy sandals, thongs, pared down court shoes, and sultry beaded slippers at that bastion of the affordably priced, the square-toe revolutionists - Ehsan Chappal Shop (ECS). Latest arrivals include formal shoes with sparkling faux gems available in the usual color range (Rs.1000-2000).
Not to be left behind, Stylo offers an extensive range covering everything from pearl-encrusted mules to flower-decked sandals. It would be hard not to find either exactly what you want or something pretty close (Rs. 550-1000). Metro makes inroads into the shoe scene with an appropriately gaudy line to choose from and a similar price range. Kadam also has a modest range of new shoes and bags all following firmly the beads-and-sequins trend (shoes: Rs. 450-1000, and bags: around Rs.1300).
ECS, Metro, Kumfurt, Leather N Trend, and Kadam all offer a range of bags along with the regular shoe display. Except for Kadam, where some pairs are pre-matched, one may have to do some searching to match shoes with bags. The task is also made easier at Leather n Trend where all products are in leather, in all its natural hues. Metro offers a range of bags that go from conservative office-types to full-blown bridal favourites undoubtedly for the more adventurous (Rs.500-1300).
So as you ready yourself to gorge on meetha come Eid, invest some time (and capital) into your look and make sure you get the required shoes, bags, bangles and trinkets in good time to avoid the end-of-Ramzan rush. However, if you are a last-minute shopper and actually manage to find parking space in the chaos that is Lahore on Chaand Raat, you're still sure to enjoy some of the best accessory shopping on offer.
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