In Dubai entrepreneur Heidi Shara's experience, the run-up to a fun night out often entails girls congregating at one friend's house to get dressed for the evening together. Out come backup trousers, alternative dresses and another pair of shoes from tote bags full to the brim with these second-choice outfits, along with a cosmetics bag bulging with make-up. "Should I wear this, or that?" is a question often posed to the group met with a resounding "that" as friends point to the winning number.
Played out weekend after weekend, this scenario inspired Shara to name her fashion venture Wear That.
Connect with stylists
The online personal-styling business allows users to create their profiles, chat with stylists and receive a box full of hand-picked fashion items. They can try everything on from the comfort of their homes, keep what they like and return the rest. It’s a service aimed to appeal to those who are short on time, lack the confidence to style trendy outfits, or don’t enjoy going to shopping malls where the choices can often seem overwhelming.
"Wherever I've worked, I've always heard the same statements from women: 'I don't know what to wear' and, 'I don't know what suits me'. So I created Wear That to solve this problem on a large scale. I knew there was a gap in the market for online styling as I was already helping out my friends for work and parties. However, I wanted to create a platform that allowed women to look and feel amazing with the help of technology and data," says Shara, who worked as a fashion buyer for 14 years – most recently at Chalhoub Group and MaxMara Group – before launching her start-up.
Choose your aesthetic
With a stylish and minimalist aesthetic, the Wear That interface is designed in a palette of millennial pink and pistachio green, and the language is kept snappy with phrases such as “Where life gets good” and “Start the magic”. Shara wanted to keep the process simple, and clients who visit Wearthat.me start by creating their style profile through a survey that takes about three minutes to complete.
You can tell us how many items you wish to receive, how frequently you want your boxes, and add Pinterest links and screenshots, so it is really personal
Questions involve determining the user's body shape, colouring, budget, style and mood. A one-time fee of Dh105 provides the opportunity to chat to the stylist assigned to each person (Shara currently has a team of four, each an expert in a different theme, such as bohemian, streetwear and classic), to begin "building outfits". A week later, clients can expect to receive a box delivered to their door made up of about 10 pieces. "You keep what you love, return what you don't," says Shara, adding that users are only billed for what they keep and returns are collected free of charge.
Aimed at 'real girls'
This type of personalised shopping service was usually reserved for wealthy VIP consumers, but Shara says making her business accessible to mainstream women has been a priority. Pop-ups are one way in which she introduces the brand to potential clients. "They're definitely part of our offline marketing strategy as it is a great way to put a face to our online brand. It is super-important for us to engage with our #realgirls – what we call our clients as they are super-cool girls with real jobs doing real things – and see what they are looking for," she explains.
While some clients may use the service for general, everyday clothing, others seek Wear That's services for occasions such as a birthday party, holiday or formal event. "If you want to focus on looks for work in your first box and casual for your second, you can advise your stylist, who will personalise it for you," says Shara. "You can also tell us how many items you wish to receive, how frequently you want your boxes, and add Pinterest links and screenshots, so it is really personal. With your first box, we also offer the chance to come meet your stylist in a one-to-one session, so she can give you styling tips and tricks."
High street meets designer
While UAE residents are typically perceived as brand-conscious, Shara says so far clients have sought out a combination of designer and high-street brands. "We can offer you a really cool designer tee, but put it with jeans from the high street or vice versa. It's about building up essentials in your wardrobe, investing in key pieces and knowing the items to save on," she says. Wear That currently has an ever-growing variety of brands in its portfolio, such as Nobody Denim and Astr The Label, with different prices and styles to cater to diverse tastes.
Shara is confident the UAE has an appetite for her concept. “Aside from the demand for a service that provides convenience, people are open to and excited about revolutionising the way we shop,” she says. Between recruiting fashion labels, seeking out more stylists to add to the team, organising pop-ups and developing the tech side of her website, Shara has her work cut out for her. “Start-up life is crazy – no day, week or month is ever the same,” she says. One thing’s for sure: the Wear That founder is sure to have stylish outfits at the ready for whatever the rest of the year has in store for her.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Ferrari
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The biog
Favourite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Favourite holiday destination: Spain
Favourite film: Bohemian Rhapsody
Favourite place to visit in the UAE: The beach or Satwa
Children: Stepdaughter Tyler 27, daughter Quito 22 and son Dali 19
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Elvis
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
NBA Finals results
Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
Game 4: In Cleveland, Sunday (Monday morning UAE)
Results
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: RB Kings Bay, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: AF Ensito, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: AF Sourouh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
8.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Baaher, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
9pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Mootahady, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
9.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Dubai Canal, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Al Ain Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Harrab, Bernardo Pinheiro, Majed Al Jahouri
Brief scores
Toss India, chose to bat
India 281-7 in 50 ov (Pandya 83, Dhoni 79; Coulter-Nile 3-44)
Australia 137-9 in 21 ov (Maxwell 39, Warner 25; Chahal 3-30)
India won by 26 runs on Duckworth-Lewis Method
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MATCH INFO
Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday, 8.30pm UAE
The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)