Thiruvananthapuram: The fashion trend among the youth in Kerala's capital city is getting upgraded by the second. Even as branded shops like Pepe Jeans and Mufti are upgrading themselves to serve the changing needs of the consumer, the new generation textile shops run by youngsters are attracting the youth here by providing opportunities for personalised shopping and designing shirts and t-shirts as per their needs.
These shops have become popular by their unique names that are mostly borrowed from the regional vocabulary of the so called 'tironthoram malayalam' (Malayalam lingo of Thiruvananthapuram). Shops like Kidu (stylish), Moda (attitude), Jango (something akin to flamboyant), Adipoli (superb), Aliya (dude) and Emo are some examples. Setting affordable price ranges and designing clothes as per the customers' requirements are the hallmarks of these shops. Among the new generation shops in the city, Adipoli is the first to have set up tent, starting business in 2005.
Situated in the Saphalyam complex in Palayam, it is still able to manage its clientele by upgrading itself according to the whims and fancies of the ever-change fashion trends in the capital city. Siddique (who uses only one name), owner of Adipoli says, "Apart from the usual shirts and t-shirts, we sell accessories for dance troops led by youngsters, and we also market the rejected branded shirts at reasonable price ranges, say between Rs 350 and Rs 400." The price of shirts on offer at this shop ranges between Rs 650 and Rs 850, whereas the jeans pants would cost between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,395.
'Aliya' run by Savat (who uses only one name) situated on MG road opposite to SMV school is one such shop where shirts are stitched as per the requirements of the customers. Savat informed that he has his own factory, where cloth materials in vogue are used for making shirts. He also added that changes are made or clothes are even re-stitched as per the customers' demand. "For us, the business season is going to begin from April; now the business is on a low path (on a lean phase)?" here shirts are sold in the range between Rs 600 and Rs 850 and jeans in the range of Rs 700 to Rs 1300.
Savath who also runs another shop 'Kidu', and a shop called 'EMO,' both of which are situated near Jubilee hospital in palayam. They offer a wide variety of accessories such as coolers, jackets, wrist bands, hip hop and cowboy caps, canvas shoes and a variety of bags like sling bags, sports bags and side bags, all in affordable price ranges. Savath claims that Kidu is the only shop that offers patent shirts at a low cost of Rs 300. In Kidu, t-shirts are sold between Rs 250 and 800 and jeans pants between Rs 600 and 700.
The most peculiar item sold in 'Moda' run by Raffeq are the hoodies, jackets and pendents, most of the which that are sold here are bought from Mumbai and Bangalore. This shop was also started about four years ago. Jango, another such shop run by Jafeeq, sells shirts and jeans at comparatively lower costs considering its counterparts in the city. Shirts are sold at a maximum price of Rs 350 and jeans at a price of Rs 500 here.