How to score a fast fashion deal online at My-wardrobe

Madison Dress by Alice by Temperley. Courtesy My-Wardrobe.com

In our ongoing quest to find you (and ourselves) a stylish steal, I've got to cite my most recent experience with My-wardrobe.com, the British fashion e-tailer that extended its reach to the Middle East in 2012. Since then, it's gone on to become one of my top shopping stops for cleverly curated fashion finds; so much so that now I rarely set foot in a store (in my head I just heard incredulous snorts from those who know me best, so must fess up to that, er, slight exaggeration).

Take this laser-cut Alice by Temperley Madison dress, which I've been coveting ever since My-wardrobe.com dangled it in my inbox. "I mean, do I really need another black dress?" I told myself when it was Dh1,975.02 (even the original price was still cheaper than I'd seen it for in Dubai, at Dh2,430). But then the website announced a sale of 15 per cent off its autumn/winter edit, gave me a "loyalty boost" to 25 per cent off and let me combine that promo code with a Dh150 gift voucher it had rewarded me for past purchases. Resistance was futile. Delivery was free, and the final price of Dh1,427.22 included a duty fee of about Dh100, so there's no surprise charges upon arrival (and no loss from currency conversions on the credit card either, since it charges in dirhams).

My-wardrobe.com deliveries are always easy peasy, but this one set a new standard: I ordered the dress after Friday midnight; it was dispatched by courier the next day and arrived at my office desk on Sunday morning.

So not only did I save Dh1,000 on the Dubai price, but also I hardly blinked before the parcel was in my hot little hands. And to those I can hear snorting: you might call this shopping, but some might call this investigative research.