Reviewing the dilemma of spousal shopping as part of BigMate @deepak27.
One of the many side effects of being in a relationship is being asked to do shopping for your spouse/wannabe spouse (read girlfriend or boyfriend). In fact one of the more impertinent signals that you have finally landed up in a relationship is the fact that your whole life begins to revolve around being sent on errands – whether it is at the local supermarket or shopping for more grander objects. Most of the time, we have the good sense to buy clothes for ourselves, but sometimes, we are put in a rather uncomfortable position of choosing clothes for our partner. Some consider it an act of love and ‘goodwill’, a showcase of how much they care about the spouse whilst others see it as a test – testing how well you know their likes/dislikes in fashion. Whatever the reason, there is nothing quite as shameful as going back to the shop where you bought the clothes from the other day and asking for a refund because “the size doesn’t fit”. We all have given that explanation some time in our lives.
So, how to get out of this? Presenting Virat’s guide to better spousal shopping – all you need to know to make your wife/gf look hot, yet not quite slutty and transforming your husband/bf from having no sense of fashion to James Bond! Trust me, after all, I’m Viratbond :PThe biggest dilemma for married men when they go clothes shopping for their spouses is the difficulty in balancing sexuality with sensuality. You want your wife to look like the woman of your dreams, not the wh**e of your dreams! Marriage is a great institution; there is no argument in that. But living with the same person over a long period of time brings with it a certain sense of monotony. You stop trying to make an effort to look your best because frankly, you stop seeing the point in it. After the so called ‘honeymoon period’ is over, you stop trying to impress your spouse and stop trying to reinvent yourself. In a way, you start taking your partner for granted. You stop seeing your wife as a sensual woman, but as a partner you have to spend the rest of your life with. And trust me, even though the saying goes “life is too short”, actually it’s pretty long!Do not confuse this with love. One can deeply love someone and still take them for granted.
I guess part of the problem is that society has placed unrealistic expectations on women. You can’t expect your wife to wear the nylon/silk saree you bought for her while she is cooking dinner for you. The material is very flammable and your wife may literally be on fire. Gives a whole new definition to the word ‘hot’, doesn’t it?Nor can you expect your wife to look like a million bucks like some Niharika24 in the movies all the time. The steam from the pressure cooker might wash away all the make up and you might be eating a lot more than you asked for in your curry! So, how to transform your wife, with burn marks on her hands due to slashing hot oil and ghee into a woman in charge? No wonder Shiney Ahuja couldn’t tell the difference between his maid and his wife. Married women, Rajeev_Vermacially housewives can be glamorous, husbands listen!
Do not reserve clothing to be given only on special occasions. Yeah, you remembered your anniversary – big deal! You were expected to anyway. Surprise your spouse by gifting her clothes when she is least expecting it. As a rule, do not buy figure hugging clothing. Not because it looks sleazy but mainly because I am a man like you, and it’s hard to remember exact dress sizes! Play it safe and go for loose fitting clothing. This way you can also avoid the dreaded – “do I look fat in this” question. Salwar Kameez is a safe option. Experiment with vibrant colours and pay close attention to embroidery. Golden embroidery, though traditionally conservative does wonders, silver embroidery on dark colours also works well. Do not get distracted by ‘brands’ in general. Branded stores are heavily overpriced and are very conservative in their variety. Save your wallet. Expensive is not always good.
Try and get her things that she can wear daily/on everyday basis rather than expensive sarees, sarongs for special occasions. If you have no sense of fashion as a husband, black is the safest bet to fall back upon. If you don’t get carried away by brands, you will find clothes shopping for your wife well within your budget. As a rule, never buy shoes for your spouse. Accept that as a man, you have no inclination of what good female footwear is and get over it. Always know what your spouse’s preference is in footwear. Otherwise, her heels will kill her and she will kill you! Be prepared to spend extra on footwear – its expensive everywhere. My advice – increase your credit limit :P
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