I've never been afraid of the dark, and I'm known amongst my coworkers as a superb cockroach terminator, but there's one major fear that holds me back: I'm terrified of spending my birthday alone. It's not just the concept that birthdays should always be spent with family and loved ones. My apprehension stemmed from a somewhat upsetting childhood incident: For my tenth birthday, I spent weeks planning a house party and invited a bunch of kids I really got along with at my local church. However, there were reports of a thunderstorm that morning, and one by one, my friends' parents called to apologise for dropping out. My guest list was quickly dwindling down to a party of one.

Here's what usually happens when you go shopping: You try a bunch of stuff on, maybe interact with a salesperson, and head to the register with your final pieces. Such is the drill at Grana, but with one small twist at the ending: You don't get to bring the merchandise home after paying for it. This startup clothing company is selling solid tees and button-up shirts in every color of the rainbow at "fitting rooms" — pop-up shops with next to no inventory. After picking the best-fitting sample, customers are prompted to enter their payment information into one of the sales floor computers. The order arrives in a cobalt-blue box by mail — along with a hand-written thank you note, colorful stickers, and illustrated wrapping paper.