An exclusive market in Lithuania: sellers and buyers here are completely naked

The older generation already knows this place well. It has been very popular since the Soviet era. But some, including myself, had not yet heard of him.

What am I talking about? About an almost unique phenomenon that takes place on the women’s beach during the summer: a clothing market in the sand. As I mentioned, it started in the Soviet era, when there were very few products in regular stores, a lot of clothes had a deficit.

It is said that there was also a period when there was a massive trade on the beach, which no one could control. This phenomenon even resonated throughout the Soviet Union, appeared in Moscow publications and was described as a secondary market.

While the market these days is certainly no longer reminiscent of runaway mass trading, there is no shortage of merchants and goods here. And the atmosphere itself is very interesting. Most of the women in this market walk completely naked or barely covered. Even the vendors sit at the stalls in Eve costumes. Strange for the uninitiated and very convenient for the experienced.

Because you don’t need booths to change. Everything can be measured right here, on the spot. Be it a blouse or a bra.

Basically almost nothing else can be sold here, just clothes. But there are many options. Before reaching the sandy shore by the sea, a woman sitting in the shade sells scarves speckled with various designs. A little further on, on the beach runway hung sets of multi-colored sweaters, blouses.

In another tent, Victoria’s Secret underwear was placed, and a little further away from clothing from various famous brands, probably from outlets. Here a little more expensive than in the rest of the market. For example, a bra costs between 30 and 40 euros.

Labels for clothing in tents even more, with not very well known brands. However, there is a wide variety of models, from the completely classic and most popular among older women, to the “trendy” ones. This year a particularly popular one-color green sweater set and the same shorts costs 35 euros here.

“It just came to our attention then. Just remove the tags,” I hear a woman behind her back who just bought a new set of sweater and shorts. After the measurement, she was not dressed anyway. To Tiko, he liked it, the only thing left was to pay and remove the labels.

Vendors are here and without tents. They have arranged their products, that is, underwear, panties and bras, only on long mats. Access, sit on the sand, choose, the seller immediately offers to try on the bra, measure, adjust, buy and go.

With such a seller, the prices are even very reasonable. Here, a bra costs about 10 euros and monochromatic cotton panties, 2.50 euros. Many colors and patterns.

For me, one of the most interesting tents was quite small. It has everything from real and natural linen. And the products are not from unfamiliar countries: the clothes were sewn with her own hands by a woman who traded there. As she said, she no longer sells her clothes anywhere else. Throughout the winter, she creates various blouses and sweaters with a sewing machine, and in summer she is at the women’s beach market every day.

It is true that the prices are not high, but knowing that it is handmade and real linen, they become quite understandable. Here, a linen crochet blouse costs 40 euros here, and a lace-up sweater, according to the seller, is especially popular with young girls, costs 45 euros.

As the women have said, they are very lucky this summer. Of course, like everything on the Lithuanian coast, the sales of this market are highly dependent on the weather. If it’s hot, without rain, shopping is always more. Most visitors come here on Saturdays and less on weekdays.

For most, this market is no longer surprising, but it was really very interesting for me when I first visited it. By the way, I didn’t resist the urge to shop there …