With flashy reels, influencer promotions and packed Eid-ul-Azha markets, jelly bangles have become this Eid’s biggest fashion obsession, as traders and vloggers once again turn a simple accessory into a viral craze chased by young girls across the country.
After Kashmiri bangles ruled markets during Eid-ul-Fitr, transparent ‘jelly bangles’ in soft candy-like shades have now taken over markets across Islamabad and Rawalpindi, attracting college students, young girls and women searching for matching colors for their Eid dresses.
From Karachi Company Market to Commercial Market and the crowded stalls of Sunday Bazaar Peshawar Mor, rows of pink, purple, blue, green and crystal-clear glass bangles can be seen shining under market lights while customers move from shop to shop with mobile phones in their hands, searching for designs they saved from TikTok, Instagram and fashion vlogs.
These bangles look simple, but their colors feel alive, said Fatima, a college student looking for matching bangles in Karachi Company.
Talking to APP, she said many metal and fancy bangles became popular over the years, but the real beauty and sound of bangles still belonged to glass bangles.
The real khanak comes from glass bangles, she said smiling. When girls wear colorful bangles on Eid, it feels like their dreams are shining in their hands.
Laughing with her friends, she added, Sacrifice work is for elders and men. Our job on Eid is to laugh, get ready and enjoy colors.
Nearby, Areej and Mona at Sunday Bazaar said they came specially after seeing jelly bangles repeatedly appear in online reels and fashion videos.
We saw them online first, then suddenly every girl started asking for them, Areej told APP while checking different shades of turquoise and pink.
At Commercial Market, crowds of women and students gathered around JD Bangles, where transparent jelly-style glass bangles hung in long colorful rows, reflecting market lights across the shop.
Young shopkeeper Abdul Hanan told APP that online orders had increased sharply over the last few weeks.
Customers now order from home because they worry their favorite shades may finish early, he said. He added that vloggers and social media pages now played a major role in deciding market trends.
One viral reel can change the entire market within days, he said. Earlier, we mostly sold traditional glass and metal bangles. Then Kashmiri bangles became popular on Eid-ul-Fitr, and now jelly bangles are the new trend.
According to traders, locally made Pakistani glass bangles from Hyderabad are selling between Rs. 300 to Rs. 500 per set, while imported Indian-style fancy sets cost between Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 1,800, depending on style and decoration.
Soft pastel shades, transparent colors and shiny light tones are dominating this year’s trend, especially among students and young women.
In Moti Bazaar, veteran trader Shaukat, who has been selling bangles for nearly two decades, said shopkeepers now closely watch social media trends before purchasing stock.
Girls now come asking for the exact designs they see online, he told APP while arranging fresh bangles inside his colorful shop.
We immediately arrange any design that starts going viral. He said shopping excitement for bangles during Eid-ul-Azha had now become almost equal to Eid-ul-Fitr.
Earlier, girls mostly bought bangles before Eid-ul-Fitr, but now the excitement is the same on both Eids, he added.
Uzma, a university student choosing transparent pink bangles, told APP that girls now preferred styles that looked simple but different.
These jelly bangles shine softly and look beautiful in pictures and videos, she said.
As Eid shopping picks up across the twin cities, the soft clinking sound of glass bangles once again fills markets with colors, excitement and tiny festive dreams.
