Coast is a UK brand that has established itself as a destination
for special occasions, selling beautifully designed contemporary frocks, skirts and tops that will make for a perfect outfit for a fancy event, a wedding, a day at the races or a formal function. I spent a couple of hours at the Dubai Marina Mall store with my grandmother two months ago, searching for outfits. The sales lady was incredibly sweet and discreet; she carried the dresses to the fitting room, zipped me up after I put on each dress, was on-hand to help with other sizes, complimented me on my dress choices, chatted with my granny and made us feel more than welcome, all with a big, sincere smile. She was so accommodating and genuinely concerned that I ended up buying two lovely dresses for upcoming occasions.
This month, I urgently needed a dress, and since I was at The Dubai Mall where I figured the branch would be larger and choice wider, I ran to my newly-fave boutique. There was only one sales lady there and she was on the phone for quite a few minutes. I browsed through the rack by the entrance while waiting for her to be available, and once she was, I asked her about a skirt I had previously seen at another branch; she didn’t seem to know which one I was referring -odd, since they usually carry similar stocks. As she looked annoyed and I
didn’t feel like bothering her (cough cough), I picked out items and went to the fitting room where I tried them on, with no offer to help and no checking if the sizes fit. When I came out, I was greeted by… no one! The lady was nowhere to be seen. Very confused and uncomfortable, I put down the dresses and left with one thing on my mind: the great experience I had at their Marina Mall boutique and how different it was from what had just happened. I hurried back there and to my luck, found the lady who had helped me a while back. I spent an hour trying on various outfits, laughing with her colleague and her, and took her advice when she assured me the white and yellow dress I liked was perfect (middle one in the adjacent image) -and indeed, it was highly praised that evening by friends and acquaintances. It was again, one of the most pleasant shopping experiences I’ve had in Dubai. So if you’re out shopping for girlie outfits, you know where to go! You won’t regret it.
Coast, Dubai Marina Mall, Level G-Shop 39 / 04 4342604
