It has long been a struggle for many young women to choose the right evening or soirée dresses. They can get confused about what to wear to a wedding, prom, pre-wedding ceremony, engagement party, or as bridesmaids. This struggle can get even more serious when it comes to their fairytale wedding dress. style 1 The struggle doesn't end there, as there can be a scarcity of options, and then of course there is the problem of a suitable budget. It can be difficult not to end up paying a lot of money for a wedding dress that one will wear only once or an evening dress that one might wear twice. But what other options are there? style 2 “The e-commerce platform helps women to obtain their dream wardrobe without putting too much thought into money, effort, and storage space by allowing them to rent high-end evening and bridal gowns at a fraction of the retail price,” said Farah Baki, a manager at Egypt's first e-commerce rental platform for bridal and evening dresses. The main inspiration behind the idea came from many young women's wardrobes, Baki said, which could consist of four to six special dresses that they have only worn once or twice, especially if they were obtained for a wedding, engagement, or pre-wedding ceremony. This means the dresses cannot be worn again elsewhere.
style 3 “We thought it would be a better idea not to invest in dresses to own them, but instead to have access to another collection online for rent that includes a variety of sizes, colours and styles that can be worn at a variety of events.” Baki said. The idea was applied by creating a website with photographs of bridal and evening dresses like an online catalogue that people can go through to pick a dress by size. “Our collections are designed by high-end local and international designers like Kojak, Sarah Onsi, Michael Cinco, and others,” Baki added. The website is user friendly and easy to access for both bridal and evening clients.
style 4 When clients choose a favourite dress on the site, they receive assistance from fashion stylists who help them to pick the perfect dress for the occasion and even help to style them from head to toe as well, Baki said. The platform has recently launched a mobile application to make it more accessible and easier to use.
style 5 According to bridal stylist Mayar Khattab, it has become much easier to get a fairytale dress as a result. “Scroll through the site, pick a dress you like, and then book an appointment with the preferred date,” Khattab said. “The style of the dress indicates possible choices, including on the venue of the wedding, whether indoors, outdoors, or on a beach. Of course, the bride's style preferences are very important, whether she's thinking of a certain cut, a beaded dress, a floral and lace cut, or a bit of this and that.” The bride's family and friends also receive assistance from a team of fashion stylists who will help them identify the right sizes to flatter their body shapes, Baki said. Stylists can also help them choose what is suitable for the event they are attending.
style 6 It is also possible to try evening dresses on home trial. “Customers can order up to three dresses chosen with the stylist to try at home. The stylist can then recommend a full look, starting with the hairstyle and covering make up, nail polish, accessories, and even heels.” “I was once invited to an event and didn't know what to wear. I had nothing suitable, and it was a burden for my budget to have to buy a new dress. Then I discovered the rental website and had a home trial with high-end designer dresses,” recalls Nadine, one of the platform's clients.
style 7 “Though the dresses weren't brand new, they looked as if they were,” she added. “When I finally ordered the dress I liked, I received it dry-cleaned, well-maintained and in very good condition,” she added.
