(From top) Youngsters check out shirts and sports shoes at shops in Patna. Pictures by Jai Prakash

Patna, July 13: Those of you who think they will get boot-cut jeans at the new showroom around the corner, think again. You may spend hours and then just have to settle for a flare.

For the uninitiated, these are different cuts of jeans. Yes, they are not all the same.

Connoisseurs of fashion in the city, who appreciate such subtleties, are faced with an irony. While they are upbeat about the number of branded showrooms that have upped their shutters in the city in recent times, they are also disappointed about the lack of variety on offer. For those who appreciate the difference between fandango and fuchsia, there is just not enough on the racks. As a result, those who wish to splurge take the flight out to visit glitzy malls in Calcutta or Delhi.

Ranjan Sharma, 20, said: “In the past few years, a number of brands have come to Patna. We are happy about that. However, all our happiness sublimates when we see the lack in the choices on offer. The stuff for sale hardly matches our expectations.”

The youth added: “We are forced to go to the metros to shop.”

Another youth, Pratyush Ranjan, has been searching for a pair of branded floaters in the city for nearly a month only to be disappointed. Though the state capital has a number of showrooms of Adidas, Reebok, Woodlands and other such brands, the 25-year-old is not happy.

“I have been looking for a pair of floaters for the past month. I have visited all the showrooms in the city to find something in the colour and shape I want. However, I have only been disappointed. It is very frustrating,” said Pratyush.

He added that he usually goes to Calcutta or Delhi every six months and shops till he drops.

Owners of showrooms, however, claim that they stock only what their consumers want.

Sanjay Kumar, the owner of a showroom in Kankerbagh, said: “The company sends the stuff according to the buying capacity of the consumers. We also bring clothes which we think people will purchase”

He, however, accepted the fact that showrooms often do not stock clothes of the latest cut.

“Suppose I bring a dozen pairs of jeans priced at Rs 10,000. I am sure that I will be able to sell hardly one or two. The rest will remain unsold,” said Sanjay.

Fashionistas disagree that they are reluctant to loosen their purse strings.

Amber Sinha, 26, said: “It’s not that people do not have the capacity to purchase expensive clothes. We are ready to spend any amount to look good. However, when we go to the showrooms in the city, we hardly find the colour and cut that we want. The employees and the owners are also not concerned. If you ask them why they do not have a particular size or design, they are clueless. We are left with no other option but to go to other cities to get what we want.”

Oh! I think that’s the iris-coloured kurti I wanted. No, it’s only majorelle.