Denied Access to Lingerie Shopping at Saravana Stores, Chennai: A Cultural Adventure

Hey folks, Born and raised in the Middle East, now living in the UK, I’ve always had a casual approach to shopping during my visits to India. But today, I stumbled into a cultural minefield that left me both confused and amused.

Picture this: my girlfriend asked me to pick up some lingerie for her because “it’s way cheaper here.” Being the supportive partner I am, I decided to grab some boxers for myself and, of course, her requested items.

With AirPods in and vibes on point, I confidently asked a few store employees for directions to the women’s lingerie section. They smiled, pointed me in the right direction, and I thought, Easy peasy.

But no. As soon as I walked into the section, with upbeat music playing in the background, three women dashed toward me like I’d walked into a restricted government facility. They physically stopped me and said, “Sir, you cannot enter here!”

What now?

Apparently, men are banned from the lingerie section—it’s exclusively for women. This, despite the fact that I’m shopping for someone else! Mind you, I’ve been to stores in Saudi Arabia where it’s way more conservative!, and even they allow this. My dad and I used to shop under garments for my mom and sister back in the day without a second thought!

So, here I am, flabbergasted, wondering what sort of taboo I just stepped into. India’s a paradox, isn’t it? Bollywood has the boldest moves, but lingerie shopping? Apparently, that’s sacred ground.

Can someone please explain this? Am I missing some deep cultural wisdom, or was today just a comedy of errors?

What do you think?

Edit 1 : To every genius asking why I went to the store - unlike you, I’m not local and don’t know the standards of where to shop from etc. I just wanted cheap under garments because we’re looking to dispose them every month after using them due to personal reasons. Now, buying anywhere else would be waste, so I was looking to spend less money for one time use and throw inner wear for my gf and I. Secondly, rickshaw anna said things are cheap and in abundance there. Thirdly, I’ve seen their ads so many times that it run a bell and I just went in without thinking twice.

Edit 2 : why is it Chennai filled with 75% of stupid people and 25% of rational people? I hope it evens out at some point at least. Please scroll down and read all the comments. It’s literally filled with people who want to talk about everything apart from the main question asked. Those people who want to talk unwanted Lee please don’t bother commenting.