A Dress Review

Hello again! I've finally returned. Despite the fact that I have 6 unblogged finished projects laying around, plus now 2 UFO's stuffed in the closet, I'm not here to share any new sewing projects with you just yet. Instead, I have a dress review for eShakti.

Before I went to Europe last month (yes, it's now July, blah), I was contacted by eShakti to see if I'd like to review one of their dresses. I remembered Lauren had reviewed two of their dresses and figured I'd give it a try. Plus, they have a lot of super cute, retro stuff, so, why not!

The intersting thing about this online shop is that you can customize their pieces (for a small additional cost) to select different featutures or variations than what's shown in the initial product view. I think this could be awesome for bridesmaid dresses. Prefer sleeveless? Need a longer skirt length? Done. I, however, read the measurements of the dress I'd picked and decided to just run with it, without customizing. Maybe next time...

Here's the view from the website of the dress I chose: Colorblock stripe hem poplin dress. I debated about trying to add something more versatile or practical to my wardrobe, since I had my pick of a section of the site (full of dresses that had not yet been reviewed by other bloggers -- they didn't want repeats). Then I just said "whatever!" and picked the one I was most drawn to.

It ended up a little tight in the bust, so I went sans bra, but other than that it pretty much fits. I especially like the scoop front/back necklines, the in-seam pockets, side zip, full-ish skirt, and bodice structure. It's not something I would be able to whip up for myself without some thought and searching for the right pattern (I don't have anything like this), so I'm glad I was able to try it out this way.

I think the only holdups I have about this dress are the fabric (it's very lightweight poplin and shows every little pucker and wrinkle) and the bodice fit (the waistband part of the bodice looks good sometimes and then frumpy at others), maybe I'll try to take it in a tiny bit. All in all, I'd say the dress is true to what was reflected on the site, and like a lot of their dresses, has a vintagey vibe reminiscent of something you'd find on ModCloth, which I totally appreciate. Thanks, eShakti!

Oh, and if you're interested in trying out your own eShakti dress (or jacket, or skirt, or shirt!), they're offering $25 off, for new customers - yay! Check them out on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter if you like what you see.

Poor Duke, he hates being held.

"someone! help me, please!!"

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free dress of my choosing, but was not otherwise compensated for this review. All delightfully insightful thoughts and opinions are mine.