I thought it would be fun to dress up a bit for my anniversary on Thursday. We didn’t do anything overly special (my poor husband had a bit of a cold) but, we did step outside and enjoy the sun a bit. It was the perfect opportunity for me to wear the eShakti dress that I was sent earlier this year!
This beautiful green little number is the Havana Dress from eShakti’s online boutique. I was offered the chance to order, customize, and review the process (and dress) from the customizable clothing company from India. Before saying yes to the request I did some research into the company. The website is beautiful and the outfits look great. The vintage style dresses are available in a variety of sizing and customizations. The prices are REALLY affordable.
I love the idea behind being able to customize clothing to your measurements without spending a fortune. Of course, that made me worry that perhaps the people working on the customizations weren’t getting paid enough… however, from my research, it looks like those that work for the company are paid a reasonable rate compared to others in their field. I don’t know what that means exactly, but I didn’t find any huge reports of wrong-doing towards its employees.
I then did a little research into the customer service side of the company. The reviews (from bloggers and customers alike) weren’t pretty. Many were out of date though, so I decided to give it a try myself and post a review myself. I thought that possibly the blogger reach out was in hopes of changing some of the negative practices that had happened before. **Now there are additional, more up to date reviews available and they are still not very positive about the experience.**
I ordered my dress and immediately received an email saying that my order was received and was given an estimated shipping time of approximately 13 days. Shipping estimates could be up to two weeks after the item shipped. So, I wasn’t really looking out for my dress in the mail anytime soon. I assumed customized dresses take time (as does shipping from India). I was pleasantly surprised when my dress arrived approximately two weeks later. However, I did have to laugh a little when I received a notice that my item had shipped the day after I received my item.
The dress came in a very small package (keeps costs low) so it was wrinkled from transit. I expected this from other reviews and preferred it over lots of big packaging and extra shipping costs. The wrinkles fell out after a day of being hung up. The material of the dress is thick, but breathable. It had beautiful detail work on the front. The side zipper was well placed. I was thrilled to have pockets in the pretty A-line skirt. Unfortunately, the dress was also about 3 inches too wide. You can really tell in the photos above how the extra fabric makes me look a little bit larger than I already am. Curvy Girl Fashion Tip: Wear clothes that FIT! So, the customizable fit didn’t work out the best for me. The dress still looks cute on me, but I will have to take it in for a fit that I prefer.
My friend Macey (snapped these shots for me) and I went to the Warby Parker Class Trip bus to try on glasses while they were in town. I found two pair of frames I LOVED and had such fun posing on the bus and in front of the photo booth. I got several complements (from strangers!) as I was out and about in it. I felt pretty. I really like the idea behind eShakti, the prices of the store, and a lot of the clothing items. However, I’d highly recommend doing a little research into other people’s experiences with the store and purchasing with the expectations of a long wait and possible fit issues. I will be ordering from eShakti again (not as a blogger) because I do like the prices and clothing choices.
eShakti offers a $25 gift coupon for first time buyers. The offer requires that you register on the site.
** Disclaimer: I was given a choice of complimentary clothing with the possibility of review from eShakti.com. No other compensation was made. All opinions are honest and my own. Warby Parker did not sponsor this post— I just like their glasses.**
Linking this up to Curvy Girl Fashion Friday from The Elsewhere Blog!
7 Comments
Thanks for your honest review, Jenni! I feel like a lot of bloggers just say they love things without being honest about the negative too. 🙂 I’m glad you liked this company even with the few negatives! 🙂
The green is gorgeous on you and what cute style! Found you thru curvy girl fashion Friday link up.
love a dress with pockets!!!
Great, honest review. The dress is very pretty but yeah, wearing items that fit properly not only look better but make you feel beautiful too. A very important thing when you are curvy!
I agree– I’m going to take the dress in because I do love it. 🙂
Hi Jenni, I ordered this same dress and I had it customized and find that it’s a bit too loose in the middle. Wondering if you brought it to be tailored yet. If so, how much did it cost you? (I don’t want to pay more for tailoring than I did for the dress.) Also wondering if you’ve put it through the wash yet and if it shrank. I’m debating if I should return it or get it tailored it. Almost perfect, love this style. Thanks for posting your pics.
It is such a beautiful dress… I was so sad that it came back too large! I didn’t bring it in to get tailored, but I did take it in a little myself. I’m sure that a tailor would be less expensive and frustrating than mailing it back and waiting for another item to come in (hoping it will be correct!) Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. I hope you get your dress to where you like it!