Knickers
 

Women only to work in Saudi Arabia lingerie shops

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16412202

Well, it does sort of make sense... I don't believe for one minute though that this will create jobs for Saudi women. More like Filipinas.

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:D This is going ahead

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I remember reading - on here, I think - that lingerie stores in the Kingdom were manned entirely by Indian men. I remember thinking how strange that would be. Oh, and the mannequins were not allowed to have heads. They were beheaded. Is that right, Kittycat1?

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hey lala, our stores in Saudi are generally staffed by arabic men or women- we have family stores that only single women or married couples are allowed in - so no single men allowed into stores with female staff. We have no indian staff in Saudi- all local. We have over 70 stores in Saudi.

Yes the mannequins have to be beheaded, and you can't show lingerie in the window- only nightwear- all images that have a female body in them have to be blacked out so that you can't see any skin/hair. Any images of lingerie has to be shot from a 3/4 degree angle and you can't show the gusset of a knicker- Its very complex and a marketing nightmare!

Now here's a question to you all;

If your female staff have to wear and abaya and veil, how do you make them stand out to the customer who is also wearing an abaya and veil- one of the problems I am currently working on lol

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Buying underwear for the missus in the Middle East makes me feel like I'm a pervert wandering around a sex shop in Bradford. It's uncomfortable and you sense all the pent up aversions to sex the region has to offer. Better to give her some money and tell her to get it herself....

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really Ronnie- our best sales tend to be to men- and its a substantial part of our business. Maybe you behave like a pervert wandering around- are you smelling the knickers or anything lol.

i took Spugsy lingerie shopping for his missus and I have never seen a man change from a strapping confident lad to a wimpering mute so quickly lol

Why do men find it so frightening- its just underwear boys!

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I may have posted these before but they seem relevant to this converstaion

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and another one

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I am so fascinated by all this. Having a bit of a lingerie obsession myself :D

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Lala I know-it is an interesting area.I mean most people are interested in what I do when I was working in the UK but bringing it here brings it to a whole new level- it takes a long time to get your head around it all. I'm thinking I might right a book about it all once I'm done here.

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My missus reckoned that getting her bra size properly measured a few years ago was a very liberating experience, how has this been done in KSA up until now kittycat?

The Indian guys working in the lingerie shops wouldn't have been able to touch their customers to measure them properly, so I guess they were just asking Ganesha (the Remover of Obstacles) for guidance... :p

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Iamthestig- It hasn't really- obviously the male workers haven't been able to offer a measuring service to women here. If you think in the UK it is estimated that 80% of women wear the wrong size then you can imagine its about 99.9% here. Even in Dubai I have seen women being measured over their abayas- not exactly accurate...

You should be remeasured if you gain or loose 5 lbs as this can effect your bust size and bras worn regularly should be changed every 6 months- especially out here as the elastane degrades. most women have no idea how a bra should fit correctly and to get the right bra measuring only offers a guide as the best bra fit also depends on how soft or firm a womans bust is, also which style may suit a woman better, so a soft bust is better suited to a balconette or a full cup bra, firmis for plunge neck other wise you get cut in on the neckline. anyway I won't bore you with the details. Silicon is a whole other story and actually silcon is very difficult to buy bras for.

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I'm no expert, but I think this lady hasn't been measured properly.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2426/3...e997be14_z.jpg

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http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article558916.ece

I didn't realise that this was actually made law in 2006, but never enforced... Typical of KSA, they also signed up to a UN human rights charter allowing women to drive, freedom to travel etc... many years ago and have done bugger all about it. What a delightful place this is :blink:

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Iamstig- it's been a bit like the emirates ID card-yes/no/yes/no and it is difficult to put into lace. Our store staffs safety has to come first so we have had to work out the best way of doing this. It is in our interest to have women in the stores as we can offer a better service etc.

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do the staff in the stores not have name badges?

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bluecat- yes but you that only helps if they are stood right in front of you.

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why not just have 'staff' with the shopname or 'may I help you' printed on their backs like they have in other shops...

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Problem solved: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=743797

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I got about as far as the fourth line of this post before becoming fully aroused.....

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gold star for me then Dean :rofl:

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You're a bit slow. I was gone at "gusset".

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I am working in the new Job Placment Centres here in Saudi, managing the operation to get Sauid's into jobs - we have men's & women's offices!

I have managed to contact a couple of companies with some good numbers of positions in both lingerie and cosmetics shops and we are finding that they are keen to employ Saudi women for these roles - some resistence from the families of said women due to lack of knowledge and fear of their women mixing with men but getting there!!

If anyone has any leads for me as to how we can secure more vacanies I would love to hear from you!!!!

Oh and those of you getting turned on by talk of bra's and gussets!!! Well maybe a trip home or to Bahrain may be in order! ;)

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Oh and those of you getting turned on by talk of bra's and gussets!!! Well maybe a trip home or to Bahrain may be in order!

Something wonderful about the word gusset

I have this fantasy of the Mrs walking through Manama with a habaya on and only stockings and suspenders on underneath.
Wife says No :thumbdown:

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Oh what a picture you conjure!! Just wondering what would happen if she actually did it and tripped over flashing the world with her 'gusset'!!

:ohmy::D

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The entrance to Jeddah airport in the late evening... Saw a similarly attired local getting out of taxi there a few months ago, the light and the almost transparent nature of her abaya left almost nothing to the imagination. She knew it as well, the trollope :thumbsup:

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A Trollope? In Saudi?? Oh Stig I am sure you must be sdaly misteken! ;)

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God, I hate that word :D

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Ahh you see I love it!! I aspire to be a trollope! :p

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whats wrong with the word gusset? Crotch isn't any better anyway- you could always go guessetless/crotchless you little minx you xxx

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Lynne- why aspire- it really isn't hard- just have loose morals and loose knicker elastic ;)

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Hee hee if you had met me you would realise that is not a pleasant thought!! Over 40 & slightly plump............ ok well fat, not a nice thought with loose knicker elastic!!

I am cuddly though and obviously have a fab personality! LOL :p

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Lynne, you obviously think about things too much! beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and its not just young skinny women with perfect bodies that can turn a man on! your knickers have to come off at some stage for cough you know- cough, so leave em off every once in a while ;) and your on your way to trollope status - you might even find it empowering ;)

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my missus who does HR for a big local company has just had a list sent to her of all the men who works in the shops who have to leave now and she has to try and find them all new jobs - she's not amused.

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Ahh kitty cat you really have cheered me up!! These posts have made me chuckle and that was just what I needed!!

I shall take your advice next time I get home to see my hubby!!

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lynne- I dare you to do it next time you go to the supermarket ;) you minx you xxx

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Spugsy - if your wife needs Saudi female employees tell her to contact me! We have over 800 women seeking work in Riyadh as well as aroudn the same number in Jeddah and up to 1000 in Dammam, we will also have females in Tabuk shortly!

We are here to support jobseekers to find work and so any service we give to employers to fill their vacancies is free!!

PM me if you want contact details as would love to talk to her!

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Oh, no, I don't like that one either.

And as for the second suggestion... I am mentally scarred for life after a truly horrific Spanx experience a few years ago.

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Probably more than you would imagine...

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article560477.ece :lol:

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LMAO Kittycat - think I need an abaya that doesn't have poppers up the front or I will have the Muttawa breathing down my neck - heavy breathing maybe!! LMAO