For Radhika, a Vasant Kunj resident, shopping at Janpath last weekend turned out to be an affair to remember. “Usually after picking up clothes I have to always make a return trip because a good number do not fit. This time I was pleasantly surprised to see the makeshift trial room in the market where I tried several outfits to my heart’s content. And guess what I picked up a dozen!” exclaims the Class XI student.
It was not just Radhika but several other women shoppers across age groups who too were delighted. Samantha, mother of two, after checking her selection of clothes realised that just one fitted her. “But for this facility I would have had to come back in the next three to four days to return the outfit –– wasting time and money.”
It was not just the women but the men folk accompanying them too were glad. Heaving a sigh of relief, Deepak, who had come with wife Parul, said, “Thank God! This time I will not have to bring her next Saturday for exchanging the clothes!”
Many of you may wonder if this is true. Yes, it did happen thanks to Styledotme, an Android-based fashion adviser.
The novel idea hit the app’s founder Meghna Saraogi, a self-confessed shopaholic, who loves picking clothes from street markets. On realising that the lack of a trial room at the popular street markets in the city entailed multiple trips to get the right clothes, she spoke to a cross-section of women at Janpath, Sarojini Market, Lajpat Nagar and Greater Kailash I and found they too faced the same predicament. “So Styledotme stepped in, by deciding to put up a make-shift trial room for two days at Janpath to see how it works.” Apart from the trial room, shoppers were encouraged to use the fashion app to get instant advice on how their chosen clothes looked on them. With downloading being difficult in Janpath, Styledotme had invited their fashion bloggers there for the two days to advice buyers then and there.
In the beginning Meghna’s idea was to help women shoppers but she was surprised when men too queued up. “Initially they approached reluctantly to ask permission to use the trial room. On recognising their problem I decided to invoke gender equity,” she quips.
With incidents of hidden cameras making news regularly, people in the beginning were sceptical. Concerned, Meghna set the example by using the trial room herself followed by her staff. Having got them going she still took precautions of getting the room checked regularly for any concealed device. “With the kind of technological advancement we could not take any chances. A male bouncer and female guard were also stationed there to check any untoward incident.”
Contrary to what many would believe Meghna did not face any problem from the municipal and police authorities for trying this concept. The vendors of the market gave their full support helping them to reap benefits in terms of better sales.
Meghna is all set to try this project at Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar and Greater Kailash I markets once she gets the sanction. “I would like to install trial room permanently at these markets. Besides publicity, I am sure many would like to try our app for advice on fashion.”
