Get ready for an exciting adventure in the world of winter fashion, citizens! The time has come for the laws of gravitational pricing in the Syrian markets, and for paying the tax of warmth in the winter season.
It seems that winter in Syria has become a season only for men with deep pockets, as luxury coats increase in value as soon as we touch them with our frozen fingers, and jeans make us feel like we're paying a hefty price for every snowflake that falls from the sky.
The prices of "jeans" have skyrocketed in the Syrian markets in an unprecedented way, with the price of a pair of jeans exceeding the salary of an employee, according to what a number of locals explained.
Jeans prices start from 200,000 Syrian Pounds for the medium quality, up to 350,000 for the good "local linen" quality. As for the Turkish jeans available in the markets, which are "in high demand", they are priced at 500,000 Syrian Pounds. These stark figures and cold statistics are enough to paint a grim picture of the reality that Syrians are living.
Even maternity jeans have not been spared from this wave, with prices starting from 95-100,000 up to 175,000 Syrian Pounds, and sometimes more, depending on the quality, fabric, and model.
This bitter story of rising jeans prices reflects a state of bewilderment and resentment in the corridors of the markets. The economic equation that people had relied on for many long years has been flipped, and hopes of finding a pair of jeans at reasonable prices have collapsed.
According to store owners, demand for jeans is very weak and almost no one buys them except on special occasions, as the price of a pair of pants has become equivalent to a month's salary or more. Any family with 4 children needs one million Pounds to buy four pairs of good quality pants.
Ironically, in light of these prices that are never suitable for those with limited income, their only refuge was “sandals”, which have become priced close to new jeans. The only difference is that sandals are "foreign goods”, meaning “we have given up Abdullah to come save us”, but what is clear is that nothing here wants to make life easier for the citizen.
In the same context, according to the head of the Jeans Tailors Trade Association Tawfiq al-Haj Ali, the fabric from which jeans pants are made is from Aleppo, and the dyes are also from Aleppo. Regarding the reason for the rise in jeans prices, al-Haj Ali explained that the cost of manufacturing them has increased more than double. Between dyeing, sewing “labor”, and additional accessories added to the pants, the cost goes up. This is in addition to transportation fees between governorates, which is why the consumer is the only one paying the tax on all these accumulated costs.
Al-Haj Ali added that the jeans sold in the markets as “local linen” with threads are manufactured in Aleppo and there are no imports, and if there are any they would have come through smuggling.
The head of the Jeans Tailors Trade Association concluded by saying: “Prices vary according to model, fabric, accessories used in sewing the piece, button quality, and rivets, whether plastic or copper. They start from 90,000 Syrian Pounds for regular pants and go up depending on fabric quality and color fastness. Each person buys according to their financial capabilities."
It should be noted that winter clothing prices in general have recently seen a significant increase, with the price of a decent quality winter coat reaching up to half a million Syrian Pounds.
Your “jeans” have become a treasure buried in a snowy mountain and protected under tight security, and defending your “pants” is like defending the country from a vicious enemy trying to seize them, as the timing is not suitable to let go of them, while your pocket account begs for mercy.
The matter is not easy at all. These prices really make us wonder if “jeans” are made of gold or rare silver spider threads, making you think for a moment when hearing those exorbitant numbers that you are buying an antique piece from a museum of old fashion.
