Prospects flock to a second-hand store in Senegal as brand-new outfits are far too costly for the on a regular basis man
DAKAR, SENEGAL:
In a second-hand store within the suburbs of Senegal’s capital, Seynabou Sarr is inundated with orders days earlier than West Africa’s largest Muslim pageant of Tabaski – the West African identify for Eid. Sarr, 30, consistently solutions calls whereas exhibiting clients second-hand boubous, a standard gown worn by each women and men at non secular or ceremonial events.
Tabaski, marked by most Senegalese on Monday, is well known with nice pomp however can put households beneath stress over the necessity to spend on meals and new garments. Carrying the identical outfit two years operating is frowned upon. “Individuals was once ashamed to put on second-hand garments for worry of being mocked or denigrated,” Sarr, who’s also called Nabou, stated. Nabou launched her enterprise on-line in 2018 earlier than opening the store in 2022. She now has greater than 80,000 followers on TikTok.
For Tabaski clients need boubous made out of luxurious materials, adorned with pearls and embroidery – however not with a luxurious price ticket. When new, some boubous can value as much as 250,000 CFA francs ($405), a small fortune in a rustic the place the median wage is 54,000 CFA francs ($88) a month. However on the boutique, it’s attainable to seek out one for as little as 90,000 CFA francs or much less.
Abdou Fall has this 12 months opted for a second-hand tunic – a chic three-piece with lovely embroidery across the neck. He purchased it for 60,000 CFA francs however it will have value 130,000 CFA francs new. “It wasn’t in my plans to purchase a boubou this 12 months as I already had quite a bit to do with different bills, however the worth was so inexpensive that I assumed I am going to not deprive myself,” he stated.
One other buyer Matar Sarr says that with somewhat bit of cash, “You possibly can look pretty much as good as everybody else. Who can inform that it isn’t new? No person.” In Senegal, the success of second-hand typically has much less to do with environmental considerations and extra to do with monetary motives.
Khady Djiba is in search of a marriage gown for her sister. She examines the standard of the materials, runs her hand over the seams, lingers over the beading and at last choses a tunic with a protracted practice adorned with glittering pearls. New, the gown could be out of attain, however for 75,000 CFA francs, Djiba should purchase it from Nabou. It has a number of flaws however with a few alterations and dry-cleaning, it will likely be pretty much as good as new. “It is a whole lot,” she stated smiling.
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