Job Discussion Forums

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

As I am coming to Turkey this summer, I wonder what things I should stock up with! What did you wish you had brought with you from home, girl specific?
For instance I already find it hard to find a decent bra here in Amsterdam and might want to stock up before I leave.
What about shoes? I am a quality freak when it comes to shoes because of my back.
And, I am fairly tall for a female. How about pants? I don't want to look like I am awaiting the next flood with pants 10cm too short.

Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

Ooops ... excuse me ... Camera CLICK FLASH, CLICK FLASH, CLICK FLASH... I was looking for my ... err .. virtual cat ...

saloma · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 211

Make-up and /or purfume if you wear either.

I like certain brands and find them prohibitively expensive here, (and they're expensive to begin with!), or impossible to find. Sad

I also like better quality shampoo and conditioner. Also super-expensive and not easy to find.

I'm kind of a girly-girl, so these things are really irritating.

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Wow, we haven't had this conversation in ages!

Clothes are small here but getting bigger, though I still prefer to buy stuff at home-- the quality isn't great and the sizes are for a more boyish body. I'm 5'8" and 130 pounds but this makes me b�y�k beden (big size), so the styles are a bit, um, mature for me and my size is hard to find anyway because I'm a gargantuan freak. Also b�y�k beden is more expensive.

You can find bras here but it's easier to get them from home. I find bra shopping traumatic and uncomfortable enough without people whipping the dressing room curtain open when I'm awkwardly undressed somehow. Also the styles here are a bit more constricting than I care for. You know those weird scary bras you see in 50s and 60s catalogues more reminiscent of Victorian torture devices? Yeah, it's like that.

Shoes suck here-- the idea of quality and comfort in shoes seems to have escaped everyone. Unless you have tiny feet, or an affection for *really* high heels, buy them before you come.

Bring tampons. They have them here, but they're applicator-less, and have been sitting in the store long enough for the boxes to be sunbleached and covered in dust.

And I don't have time to search at the moment, but there are a couple women's threads on here somewhere... The gentlemen don't like it when the tampon topic comes up. Go figure.

tararu · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 494

The department store Boyer stocks some pretty decent bras. There is also a chain store called Ten. It's pretty good, too. Marks and Sparks has great bras, but they are stupidly expensive. Nine West, Boyner and Zara are good for larger feet. All of the aforementioned shops have larger sizes. Top Shop and Mango are also good for normal sized women. There are little perfume shops that recreate your favourite perfume for about 20ytl for 100ml. I never got into the whole applicator tampon thing, so l don't mind the local ones. However, they aren't as cheap as back home, but hey, it's only once a month, so you can splash out!

yaramaz · Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 6:13 am Post subject:

Tampon! Tampon! Tampon! Tampon! Without applicators! With Applicators!

(that should have scared away any lurking men!)

For clothes, I've discovered that if I go to the expensive European brand name shops (like Next, etc), I can actually find trousers that fit. I am also considered to be gargantuan by Turkish standards even though other international sizing systems wouldn't agree. Dagi, I doubt you would find anything in Turkish shops that would fit well, simply because of your height and frame. Turkish trousers are a very odd fit.

Bra shops are scary because they are often staffed by men...older men...I didn't buy a bra for two years in kayseri because I was so intimidated by all the men and their stacks of bullet bras. It isn't so bad in Istanbul but it is still a stressful situation. Good ones aren't cheap either.

I'm still looking for decent shoes... There is a bootmaker in Kadık�y who makes Doc Marten style shoes n boots but they are a bit clompy for work.

tararu · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 494

I forgot the n in Boyner. Boyner not Boyer

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

* runs away *

tararu · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 494

Actually, there is a shop in the back streets of Taksim on the same street as Zengefil (veggie food cafe). I think its name is �oskun or Coskun. It makes ladies shoes to fit. You pick the style, the heel and the leather, and they make them for you in a week!!!! Yay for Istanbul!!

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

It's a nice wish, Entrailicus, but I'm not sure we can carry on with tampons for that long...

Maybe we can change it to 'Why the clerks in shops are so annoying, which is another reason I'd rather shop in the US.'

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

So the men's thread is about football and the women's thread is about shopping.

There must be more to life than stereotypes.

yaramaz · Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 8:00 am Post subject:

Actually, in this case, the women are going against stereotype by expressing their frustrations with shpping in this country, how we cope with the crap of it.

Where is zencefil again? I need new shoes, and well, everything this season is crap.

tararu · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 494

If you are walking down İstiklal towards Galata Lise turn right when you get to Benneton and walk down to the next main street that runs parallel with İstiklal. It' around there somewhere. It's either there on the corner or off down the street to your right.
There is a great shoe shop in Teşvikiye. I can't for the life of me remember what it's called...something cute in English......maybe Bloom? Anyway, it is on the main street that runs up to Nişantası from Beşıktaş..you know the one where the old North Shield was.

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

Thank God I am not a shopaholic!!! I'll need to check what I really, really, really have to buy, then make a list and get it all before I come.

As for Tampons, what the heck are Turkish women using? Don't tell me they still sell those huge, thick sanitary towels there!
Here in EU o.b. is the major brand of tampons and they come without the applicators, I am used to that since I first used a tampon. If I only know you can find them it is ok.

tararu: Can you find out more about that ready-made shoe shop?? Yaramaz told me about one, where I 100% will go to get some shoes but doubt that I can wear "DocMartens" to work.

And damn, today came the quote from the shipment company, 2950� for 7m3!! You can bet that this did convince me to downsize and take as less with me as I can.

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

I'd go all non-stereotype and talk about football....

....but I don't really know about football. Or care.

My husband has been trying to convince me these friendly matches, like Turkey vs. Estonia, are more important that EastEnders. He also thinks he'll wear me down enough to accept tomorrow's Turkey-Saudi Arabia friendly over the Sopranos. Heh-heh. It's cute. I may have trouble finding trousers in my size, but I'm d*mn well wearing them.

In other non-stereotypical sporting news, Barry Bonds recently broke Babe Ruth's homerun record. So that's something we can all celebrate.

hee-hee I'm just trying to lure the menfolk back to here with sports so we can discuss tampons again...