My first reaction to the proposed ban on mannequins displaying lingerie in Mumbai was one of utter relief. And now, before you accuse me of being regressive, narrow-minded and plain delusional, let me clarify.
Say the word lingerie and the first image that comes to my mind is of lithe, (often headless) mannequins at roadside stalls clad in every imaginable fabric — net and acrylic to the ever ubiquitous fur. The styles, of course, are not like your regular lingerie, you know of the kind that women wear every day. I’m talking about barely-there bikini tops with G-string bottoms where the only thing that instantly grabs your attention is the little fur triangle down there. Or the negligee thrown over the bikini as if to up the suspense factor a notch. The designs and colours are another matter altogether.
There are nausea-inducing animal prints, polka dots, metallic shimmers, sequins and tacky lace in colours like blood red and fluorescent green. It makes one wonder who actually buys that stuff since, well, any woman who cares the slightest bit about what she wears, would never be caught dead in such inner wear.
I don’t include the lingerie displayed by high-fashion brands in malls for a very obvious reason. Ask any Mumbaikar who travels within the city frequently what they think of lingerie and they are bound to come up with at least five places where they have spotted lingerie-clad mannequins that have assaulted their senses. Just one in 10 people will probably mention the lingerie in malls. The hub of Mumbai commuters, railway stations, with their street markets are one of the most common places for such displays. As I pass various stations every day, like many others, I often gape at the risqué nightgown with the garish bikini underneath that mannequins are made to wear all over. It’s revolting, really. This ban was a long time coming.
So you see, I am ecstatic at the idea of getting rid of them because I think I represent a significant proportion of the population that can live without having such displays of lingerie scar our aesthetic sensibilities.
Aside from her other questionable reasons that suchmannequins ‘objectify women’ and ‘instigate men’, Ritu Tawde, the Shiv Sena corporator who is spearheading the ban, pretty much hit the nail on the head when she said: “Even though the target audience or clientele are women, most women lower their heads in embarrassment when they cross such shops.” Tawde really probably just wants to save fashion. I’m with her on that.
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