Demand for winter wear rises as mercury dips

The colours of the capital can already be seen changing as fall rids the lush green trees of leaves and with the advent of winters. Lately, the markets around here have also caught up.

With the advent of winter the demand for warm clothes witnessed a sudden rise in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Usually, winter starts in the middle of December, but this year, the mercury has dropped earlier setting off the demand for winter woollies in fall.

"We had put summer clothes on clearance sale because the buyers were demanding wool blends, Khaddar and other winter stuff,” said Shehzad Gul, a shopkeeper in Aabpara Market.

Customers are demanding new winter designs and fresh arrival both in stitched and un-stitched or ready to wear clothes at discounted rates as well, adding that imported and high quality garments are the first choice of the buyers, but definitely the shopkeepers keep in mind the budget of the customers.

Once again hustle and bustle is being witnessed in busy markets of sectors G-9, F-6, F-7, F-10, Aabpara, Commercial Marker, Saddar and Raja Bazaar, which were deserted a few days back, said Muhammad Safdar, a shop owner.

Schools and colleges have sent circulars to follow uniform code for winter, said Samina Hamza, a resident of Islamabad. "We have come to purchase new uniform pullovers as old ones have become shorter," she said.

With the sudden drop in temperature, the cases of winter-related diseases are also on rise with the doctors advising people to take precautionary measures to avoid any such conditions, said Dr Shoaib.

The parents have also been advised to take extra care of children to keep them safe from seasonal infections, he said.

New seasons are welcomed in different ways the world over. Designers introduce new clothing lines, flower shops overhaul their inventories and stock species that can resist cold, food outlets introduce foods to warm your insides and so on.

“Winter is best for us because due to the drop in mercury, our sales rises manifold. To keep themselves warm, people munch on almonds, pistachios and pine nuts. These items are also used in various winter delicacies,” said a dry fruit vendor Munir in Blue Area who also added that due to high inflation, they could not avoid raising their prices by much as it might lead to reduced sales this year.

The streets in the markets are flooded with carts of second-hand winter wear for the same reasons. Imported sweaters, jackets and coats have price tags that are far beyond the reach of ordinary citizens, while the quality of locally-made clothing is not even good enough, according to some, to last a single winter.

“I have made several trips to the Sunday market in G-6 and have checked out several roadside carts as well in order to get a few sweaters for the cold season. Instead of buying cheap Chinese-wear, I would rather buy used, branded Italian clothes,” which according to pizza delivery man Salman outlasts the former.

Almost all the electronics shops have put various models of gas, electric and hybrid heaters on display, but soaring electricity and gas prices seems to be keeping people away.

On the contrary, certain new products have become instant hot sellers. Solar geysers, central heating systems that uses one small burner to provide heat to multiple rooms through water-based radiators, oil-based heaters that takes more time to cool down once turned off and other such unorthodox devices, by Pakistani standards, are in demand.

“Although the initial price of these devices is higher than the normal heaters and geysers, the trend of moving towards them will not just prove economical in the long run will also help us fight the menace of global warming,” informed Bilal who was getting a solar geyser loaded to his car. “This is free water heating for all of the winters to come. No bills, no fuss.”

Although ice cream sales will hit a low, coffee, haleem, soup and gajar ka halwa outlets can already be seen replacing cones and sodas at the local fast food outlets, while at the restaurants, the demand for fish-based dishes will take over from the usual chicken offerings on the menus.

The police officials on duty at traffic signals and pickets also seem to be happy about the change in temperature.

“The most we can do in the scorching heat of summer is to find a refuge under an umbrella’s shade which doesn’t make for much relief. On the other hand, we can beat the winter cold with leg warmers, sweaters, jackets and gloves,” said Ashraf, a traffic official deployed at one of the city’s busiest signals. “We can actually be comfortable while performing our duties in the cold.”

Bringing a sense of joy to the sunburnt and the load-shedding hit alike, the winter has also brought its usual share of sore throats, blocked sinuses and flu virus. Doctors advise leafy vegetable and a replenished medicine cabinet for the sniffles. Consuming foods rich in vitamin D — including cod liver oil and dairy products can also be helpful to make up for the time spent at home — away from the sun.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2018.