Bumble Teams Up With By Rotation To Tackle Virtual Date Oufit Dilemmas

For those who have been single throughout lockdown, navigating virtual dating has been interesting to say the least. According to Bumble, 1 in 4 users have been on a virtual date during lockdown. Though different in so many ways, there is still one thing that is the same: dressing up and making an effort. But what to wear? To help end virtual date dressing dilemmas, Bumble has teamed up with fashion sharing app By Rotation.

They've enlisted celebrity stylist Leah Abbott, who is behind Jorja Smith's look, to curate an exclusive ‘Bumble Edit’ for By Rotation, a clothing rental service considered by those in the know as the 'AirBnB' for clothes. During lockdown, founder Eshita Kabra has found that rentals of "camera-ready top half pieces" – think tops, accessories, blouses, and blazers – were up by 40%.

Abbot's style edit takes its cue from that and gathers more than 30 luxury pieces of designer clothing and accessories. Plus dresses, obviously. Bumble users can redeem an exclusive 15% discount through the Bumble app, by matching with the By Rotation profile to reveal an exclusive code.

Once you've found your perfect ensemble, how you wear it is also important to consider. Abbott believes confidence is key: "When it comes to speaking online, a huge thing to consider is your camera angles and what will be shown," she says. "A statement top such as a structured blazer or corset will pull you in all the right places, whilst also showing that bit of glamour and effort that you’d usually apply for a first date."

Accessories are a must-have, she says. "I love to play with an array of gold and silver earrings, and as we can't go out and accessorise with bags or sexy shoes, these are a really great piece to dress up your camera-ready top half."

And while she isn't a fan of the comedy Christmas jumper ("Festiveness can be shown in so many other cooler ways, like with earrings, hair clips or a sparkly dress… An old jumper is not the answer") she does believe that comfort has an important role to play: "The most important factor to sharing your best side with someone is to feel 100% comfortable and confident. Anything ill-fitting will show, so avoid that top that’s too tight or that roll neck with the itchy material. A silky slip dress or relaxed blouse are super comfortable and easily glammed up."