As the chill of winter settles in Dhaka, blazers are becoming a must-have fashion item. The cold weather, which started in late November, has intensified this December, with a noticeable dip in temperatures across the capital. The lack of sunshine during the day has further lowered temperatures, while air pollution has made the cold feel even more biting.

Winter is the perfect time to show off one’s style, and this season, the demand for blazers is skyrocketing. At local marketplaces in Gulistan, near the GPO and Baitul Mukarram, vendors are selling a wide range of blazers. Shouted out at every corner, blazers are being offered at prices ranging from 600 to 3000 Taka. A variety of customers, from office-goers to rickshaw pullers, are flocking to the stalls, drawn by the affordable prices.

The blazers come in a wide array of colors and designs, suitable for all age groups. Colorful blazers are priced around 1000 Taka, while solid-colored ones are sold for 600 to 700 Taka. The vendors offer an extensive range of blazers, from long to short, formal to casual, as well as stylish kuttis that pair perfectly with Punjabi outfits.

According to Ratan, a customer purchasing a blazer for 2000 Taka, “I negotiated it down from 3200 Taka. The prices here are comparatively lower.”

Vendor Murad Mia explained that the lower prices are due to the reduced cost of operating their shops on the sidewalk. “We don’t have high rent costs here, so we only need a profit of 100 Taka to make a sale. In a traditional shop, we’d need to make at least 400-500 Taka profit,” he said.

Murad added that their customer base is diverse, ranging from government employees to rickshaw pullers, all in search of affordable blazers.

Another vendor, Sadhin, mentioned that they sell around 30 to 40 blazers every day, with sales expected to increase as the winter intensifies. They operate throughout the winter season, from morning until 10 PM, seeing business steady for the next three to four months.

Two young men browsing the blazers echoed the seasonal excitement, saying, “With the winter and wedding season here, it’s the perfect time for court blazers.”