I guess it’s not easy buying clothes for someone else. Especially when they live 5000 kms away in another country. But that was the challenge set me by my daughter when she heard one could get Chinese cheongsam dresses at rock bottom prices right here in Dubai.
The good news is that knowing her father she probably wasn’t expecting me to even rise to the challenge, let alone come away with something vaguely like what she was looking for…
The good news is that knowing her father she probably wasn’t expecting me to even rise to the challenge, let alone come away with something vaguely like what she was looking for…
The other bit of good news is that she had only recently ordered her wedding dress and so had to hand a long list of her measurements, which she had already prepared for that task.
So I guess I had no room for manoeuvre, and set off for the Dragon Mart on the Al Hatta Road next to International City.
I went to my favourite Chinese dress store (!) and told the two ladies there that I was looking for a cheongsam dress for my daughter to go to a party...
What you look there for? Little girl dresses they over here! she said pointing to party dresses for what looked like 10-year old midgets.
errr.. she's a bit bigger than that, I said.
So, she 12? 14?
errr... 24 actually.
{long pause}
Shop store boss throws arm around me and tells her colleague: I take him home and swap for my husban!
{Big shrieks of delight!}
Once that's out the way she looks at the piece of paper with the measurements on it.
We no use inches here. We use cms. (Carefully turns tape measure over to cm side from inches side!)
One of the measurements is in inches, so she gets out her calculator and converts to mm.
She takes a wild guess at Chinese size 40. Takes out a cheongsam and starts placing the tape measure all over it to see what fits.
Your dorter she vely slim I think! she tells me.
Then assistant reads the bra size.
No your dorter vely beeg!
{Both look down at their own meagre offerings.}
Your dorter she vely lucky with the boys I think, says boss.
Boss asks no 2 to step in to have her bust measured.
Your dorter she really bigger than that? I am asked in astonishment.
Yes, just a little....
Now we have a problem. Size 42 is perfect for the shoulders and hips, but the bust measurement would indicate a size 44. What to do?
You tell your dorter she bling back if not good, says No 1
Unfortunately my daughter does not live in the UAE, I reply.
{Long pause}
Why you no buy two for her? You ploud father no? She deserve two!
There’s no answer to that. And as they each cost only 55Dhs – or just under 10 quid - I think to myself.. Why ever not?
Addendum 20/11/2010:
Finally got pix from Genevieve - one fits perfectly; the other needs taking in just a "leetle beet" (except at the bust!) so I guess my 110Dhs was well spent in the end!
Addendum 11/01/11:
And yet more news 13th February 2011:
At the Marston Brewery Awards, February 2011, "Genevieve adds some glamour to the occasion":
