Express & Star, Tuesday, April 13, 2004-04-13

Duo help women pick the perfect outfit for their shape
Clothing website is huge success
By Sadie Gray

A pioneering women's clothing website set up by an Aldridge business woman is receiving 55,000 hits a day from customers left frustrated by the high street's failure to meet their needs. www.uniquelywoman.co.uk has had huge interest since its launch last month by Clare Thomas and business partner, web designer Gaynor Wisdom.

They came up with the idea while discussing their frustration at being unable to buy clothes to fit small but pear-shaped women after Clare returned from a fruitless quest for trousers.

After 18 months of research they launched the site, which brings together 760 specialist suppliers of women's clothes, shoe and accessories, which include garments for women who have had mastectomies, clothes made of organic cotton and non-leather shoes for vegans.

Since the Express & Star featured the newly launched site, it has received widespread interest.

Clare, aged 30, a former pupil of Queen Mary's High School, who now lives in Tamworth, said: "At the moment we are averaging approximately 55,000 hits a day. Gaynor assures me this is big.

Thriving
"Since we went on BBC News 24 we have been getting newsletter sign-ups from all over the world - India, Netherlands, Ireland, as well as good old Walsall.

The site is designed so that women of all heights and builds and with any combination of specific requirements can find clothes that make them look good.

It already has thriving discussion boards where users swap fashion hints and tips and can appeal for help from other shoppers, but Clare said they hoped to develop a series of articles and general advice panels relating to such issues.

She and Gaynor who comes from Zimbabwe, met when Gaynor offered to design a website for Clare's former wedding stationery business.

Acting on friend's recommendations and trawling the net for suppliers, they realised that some of the worst clothing black spots were maternity garments and clothes for tall women.

They commissioned research from Huddersfield University which showed that 75 per cent of women shoppers wanted a website that helped them find the right clothes.