Battling with heat, labels, prices and armed with the “what's hot" pages of every fashion magazine on the shelf can make for a particularly undesirable shopping experience.
To save you time and effort tabloid! brings you the latest sizzling summer buys and style advice from four of the city's most experienced fashion buyers.
Sara Issa and Ahmad Dahbour are buying managers for Salam Studio and Stores, which has just opened a flagship outlet in the new extension at Wafi.
Joined by Micha Maatouk, buyer for Harvey Nichols, and Louise Murphy for high street giant Marks & Spencer, the fashionable foursome has just one word for style this summer – colour.
With a wealth of knowledge and experience between them, Dahbour, Issa, Maatouk and Murphy are the cream of the crop when it comes to all things department store and say the summer has brought a burst of colour to the wardrobes of men, women and children in the UAE.
Hottest items
Maatouk, a senior buyer for Harvey Nichols, says she had no trouble picking the hottest items to wear right now.
“Summer trends include bright colours like morning yellows, tangerine, gitane blue and fuchsia", she said. “Floral, romantic moods are being portrayed with ethereal tones and fabrics in one-shoulder dresses. Clutch bags, belted dresses and the safari look are also hot this season.
“The summer colour palette for women is simple everything should be bright with flower-prints thrown in for good measure. Pale hues and metallic fabrics are perfect for evenings.
“I am really loving contemporary brands like Alexander Wang for his high-waist pants and '80s-influenced loose jackets, Jonathon Kelsey footwear for the soft metallic tones and Lanvin for the feminine silhouette and billowing materials."
Electric
And Murphy backed her up with this year's M&S favourites with a similar stance. “This season's electric summer trend gets us ready for the heat with a glamorous selection of striking prints, summer brights and safari-inspired pieces," she said. “It's all feminine with a twist, mixing bright colours such as pinks and orange for an up-to-the-minute look. Ruffles are also key whether on the neck or hemline."
And it's not just the ladies having fun this summer. Dahbour says men are no exception when it comes to the colour and texture rule.
Dahbour, the managing buyer for Salam stores, agreed, saying men should use summer as an opportunity to be a little different. “This summer is going to be very exciting and people should be well into the swing of things already.
“Men are lucky this season as it's all about fun and being daring. It's quite a casual trend but with a touch of something different. Beading and studs are huge this summer and shirts, t-shirts and jeans will all be carrying them. Anything raised and which stands out on the surface has been tipped as the big summer fashion trend for the boys.
“An item which has also been tipped is the ID jacket. It's a smart but casual jacket with panels on the insides and looks great over any casual shirt to jazz up an outfit. Everyone will be wearing them and we love them."
Dressed in a stunning black all-in-one with subtle detail you automatically know you'd trust Issa to dress you for any occasion.
Nautical theme
She said: “It's all about colour for the ladies this summer and the brighter the better. Bold prints and striking colours are in and plain, out. Polka dots are also in but in whatever colour you fancy. The nautical theme is also great for the older ladies. It's always so much fun with white, red and navy blue. Raised detail is also very popular with more meaning more.
“Wedges are the ‘in thing' when it comes to shoes, again with as much colour as you can find. Colourful material sides will be seen everywhere on everyone.
“It will also be a season of bangles and bracelets, especially the ones you wear half way up your arm for detail. Jewellery is big and bold but a little plainer when it comes to colour."
Being a professional buyer in the Middle East is a challenge for many reasons including heat and religious discretion, but Dahbour says the biggest hurdle to clear is buying clothes with more than 30 nationalities in mind.
“Sometimes it seems almost impossible when we are buying for so many different nationalities and tastes. We visit shows all over the world and try and take hints and tips from designers and trends, but it is always about having a certain amount of faith in the clothes and the fashion industry itself."
Issa added: “It's important for us to consider the current styles but for all ages too.
“As a department store we claim to have everything for everyone all under one roof and it's important we don't only focus on one particular age group.
“It is all these things which make my job very exciting and challenging. It's so nice when you see happy customers buying the things you hand-picked from Europe or America."
Getting it right
Dahbour said an open mind is essential. “The hardest part of our job is not getting too involved personally. I can't only pick clothes which I like or I would wear because everyone is not like me. There is always an element of that in a decision you make but you do have to be careful and keep a much more open mind than that.
“But that makes our jobs extremely challenging. I think and hope we get it right most of the time and we haven't had any complaints so far."
And for the boys Ahmad Dahbour picks:
Summer ID jacket by Corneliani:
Dh5,475.
Bootcut jeans by Monarchy: Dh725.
Studded T-shirt by Jean Paul Gaultier: Dh925.
Casual trainers by Moschino: Dh1,150.
