It's a familiar dilemma: we see something we like on the rails, but when we try it on we learn the armholes are too tight, the legs are too short or, worse still, the zip won’t do up. Either the cut is all wrong for us, or we just have to go up, or down, a couple of sizes.
Fast forward to today, and things have changed. Shops may be starting to reopen across Dubai's malls, but it's key to note that fitting rooms are closed.
Also, sales and promotions in stores are prohibited in order to stop crowds of customers and encourage physical distancing. And in Abu Dhabi, refunds and exchanges within shopping centres will be banned when malls reopen to stop returns of potentially contaminated goods.
So the way we shop in person will have to change, at least for the short term. But, the cuts of the clothes haven’t changed magically, so how exactly do we shop for pieces that we cannot try on first, or return if they don’t fit?
This is a tricky one. Many are craving a sense of the familiar, which for some means shopping. In times of stress – which these undoubtedly are – a new item of clothing may help boost our mood. But, if that new item doesn’t fit, we can be stuck with an expensive mistake. So what is the best solution?
Here are four tips on how to shop, if you feel the need to, when you can't try things on (but remember, it's still currently the best idea to stay home and shop online) ...
1. Dull though this may sound, look for classic pieces. Always wanted the perfect crisp white shirt but never got around to doing the donkey work of finding it? Here is your chance.
Classic pieces are called that because the cut rarely changes, and the variations available are self explanatory. A classic cut shirt is fitted through the shoulders and then hangs straight to the hips, while a fitted shirt will have the same cut through the shoulders before gently tapering in around the waist.
Likewise, classic cut jeans or trousers are lightly fitted at the waist and hips and then hang straight to the ankle. If you don't know your boyfriend cut from your high-waisted skinny, then classic is a safe bet at the moment.
2. Opt for roomier pieces. Unable to try anything on, it's best to steer clear of pieces that require a precise fit. Veer on the side of caution and head for softer, more forgiving shapes. Shirts can be loose cut, while dresses can be either straight cut (to skim over the waist) or A-line to forgo the waist altogether.
With the prairie cut such a fashion mainstay at the moment, let this flowing, flattering shape take the strain out of shopping.
The only area that needs to fit is around the shoulders, which makes it a far more likely success story.
If it's too tent-like everywhere else, just sling a belt on. As we are in Ramadan, why not really embrace the special collections and choose a kaftan? These are incredibly feminine and elegant, and again if it feels too big, add a belt.
3. Stick with stores where the sizes are already familiar to you. Me? I always go to Zara, not because I especially love their clothes, but because I know exactly how they fit me. As a result, I have been able to get my fashion fix online, safe in the knowledge it will all fit when it arrives.
Every shop has a different cut, and although the label may say the same number, we all know a Topshop size 10 is a very different animal to a Marks and Spencer size 10.
So stick with brands that you already know well and reduce the element of sizing surprise.
4. Many online sites have measuring guides. Use them. These are extensively researched, and powered by clever algorithms that calculate why certain pieces are always returned, based on the dress sizes of the customers who returned them. They will offer a best-fit suggestion.
Companies invest a lot of money in these guides and they are getting more and more sophisticated, so lean on them. That’s what they are there for.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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World%20Cup%202023%20ticket%20sales
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Remaining fixtures
- August 29 – UAE v Saudi Arabia, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
- September 5 – Iraq v UAE, Amman, Jordan (venue TBC)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
Disturbing%20facts%20and%20figures
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
Company%20profile
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CABINET%20OF%20CURIOSITIES%20EPISODE%201%3A%20LOT%2036
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MORE ON INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Who is Tim-Berners Lee?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
The%20Specs%20
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Company%C2%A0profile
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