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Saudi Women Learn to Sell Bras—But Still Can't

Women push for the right to work in underwear shops

By Ambreen Ali,  Newser User

Posted Jun 24, 2009 6:24 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Two dozen Saudi women are pushing change in Saudi Arabia, one underwear at a time. The graduates of the first lingerie class in the kingdom—where women can't sell such products—learned essentials such as how to measure bra sizes during the 10-day class. An Australian woman taught the course, and Victoria's Secret employees donated the bras, the AP reports.

The course's organizers are also boycotting lingerie shops until they hire women. The advocates say women often end up in the wrong sizes and are tired of discussing intimate details with the men who staff nearly every underwear store in Saudi Arabia. The students were "shy at first to role-play and do fittings on each other," one graduate admits, "but we got over it."

Women say they often end up with the wrong underwear size because the shops have no fitting rooms.
Women say they often end up with the wrong underwear size because the shops have no fitting rooms.   (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A Saudi Arabian woman holding a child browses for lingerie at a store in Riyadh.
A Saudi Arabian woman holding a child browses for lingerie at a store in Riyadh.   (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
A Saudi man checks the online petition of a group of Saudi women who are campaigning to bring in female sales personnel at lingerie stores in Riyadh.
A Saudi man checks the online petition of a group of Saudi women who are campaigning to bring in female sales personnel at lingerie stores in Riyadh.   (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 11 comments
kokuaguy
Jun 26, 2009 6:17 AM CDT
you have no idea how cool, riff...
BeatBlaster
Jun 25, 2009 12:54 PM CDT
How long is it going to take the rest of the world to get out of the 11th century? Or whatever era they seem to be stuck in?
brawne
Jun 25, 2009 12:07 PM CDT
Well they have a point. Had no idea that men sold bras in Saudi Arabia. That means they can't do the measure thing. I put myself through college selling lingerie. You have to take a tape measure and go around the body as firmly underneath the breasts as you can get. That's the number--32.36 whatever. Then you measure all the way around with the tape on the nipples. Every increment of two above 32 is the cup size--A, B whatever. The only thing worse than an ill-fitting bra is a stone in your shoe. You never know what real freedom is til it hits you in the face. Glenn Beck has the look of a guy who would rather have a root cannel than touch a bra.

Push began on Facebook
ArabianBusiness.com

Reform is sporadic there
BBC

 
Saudi Arabia • Muslim women • lingerie • job • underwear • women's issues

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