Review: eShakti

I always thought of eShakti as a dress company. Though I was vaguely aware of skirts and blouses, I had not yet seen their pants. But when I went through all their options, I fell in love with just that... A pair of high-waisted pants!

High-waisted pants are my favorite! I find them to be very elegant and comfortable. This particular pair reminds me of both Katherine Hepburn and Dharma from Dharma & Greg. They look vintage and classy, yet also quirky, fun and a little zen. I feel like I could wear them to fancy Christmas dinners as well as on trips to the farmers' market.

They were custom-made to my measurements. I was a little nervous about measuring it myself, even with help. And so -thinking it would be easier to put a belt on than to hold my breath all day- I opted to go an inch up in the waist, which turned out to be a very good decision. (I did the same with the overall length too, by the way, as pants can often "wrinkle" up a bit as you wear them.)
The waist is elastic. I still found it a bit tight the first time, but it stretched to a comfortable size with wear.

The fabric is a nice velvet. Not thick, but not at all flimsy either. Very wearable, and pretty too. Dark velvet is tricky to photograph, but I think you can see how it changes from red to deep burgundy, depending on how the light hits it.

I am also very happy with the embroidery. It's machine embroidered onto the garment. So it's not an applique, nor is the print cut off in any hem or whatnot. It isn't bulky or very stiff, so it still moves well too... It's perfect, really.

A silver satiny polka dot fabric has been used on the inside to make pockets and a trim. It looks quite fancy, I think!

Also, I'm a sucker for good pockets. And these pants have very good pockets! Deep and roomy in the front, so there's plenty of room for a cellphone, wallet and the like. And smaller and more subtle in the back, so as not to mess with your silhouette in any unflattering way. Whoever made these put a lot of thought and care into them!

I kept the outfit for these pictures very simple, but I'm very excited about all the possible combinations I could make… Lots of color and flowers? Or a burgundy top and some bling for evening wear? I know they'll accessorize very well!

Anyway, eShakti is a great place to shop. Especially if you have trouble finding garments for your measurements, or if you want the option of different necklines and sleeve/skirt lengths. And it's cheaper than going to a tailor. Also, they have a few gorgeous owls in their collection! Like this skirt, dress and -my absolute favorite!- this awesome sweatshirt.

It has been wonderful working with eShakti again. Communication was fast and easy, my custom garment was finished within two weeks and the overall result is beautiful and well made. I'm also glad they keep an eye on their factories so that their workers are paid and treated fairly. Something you can read about more if you follow this link.

Find out more about eShakti on their website, or follow them on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

P.S. I was given an item to review, but was encouraged to honestly share my own experience and opinion.

An eShakti Coupon!

If you missed my eShakti review from last weekend, I recommend you still check it out. I received a gorgeous dress fit to my measurements and desires. And if you did see it and are planning on shopping at eShakti, you are in luck!

Just use coupon code "blueeyednightowl" and you will get 10% off*! You could even order the owl dress above, with the sleeves, neckline and skirt length of your choice. And in your exact measurements, of course.

So if you wanted to treat yourself to a tailor-made garment before the holiday season starts, look no further!

*Please note:

Code has to be entered in the ‘promotional code’ box.   It is not case-sensitive.  

Code can be used any number of times until the validity period. 

It can be clubbed with any other promotional offer, gift coupon or gift card in the same order unless explicitly specified otherwise in the offer conditions.

This discount code is not applicable on clearance / sale, gift cards & overstock categories.

Not applicable on previous purchases.

Review: eShakti

Have you ever had a garment made to fit you? I never had, so when eShakti askes me to review a tailor-made dress of my choice, I didn't even have to think about it! Today I will show you the dress, and share my thoughts on it too.

There was so much to choose from! But I ended up picking this aubergine dress with an asymmetrical collar. One of eShakti's other perks is that you can customize it, and I went with 3/4 sleeves and a skirt that stops below the knee.

Since the dress was completely custom-made, I was already expecting the sewing to be done by a real person. There are a few areas where it shows it's handmade, but that only gives it character. The stitching is actually very even!

The fabric is different from what I expected. It's a light, slightly stiff cotton. However, it turned out to be warmer than I expected. So I can still wear it in the Fall! And it also grew more and more comfortable the longer I had it on.

One of the things I love most about this dress -apart from the obvious, like color and design- is the fact that is has pockets. And so beautifully lined up next to the pleats! Most dresses I own don't have pockets, so this is a real asset!

Above the pockets is a the little belt that's attaches to the front.It helps give the back such a nice silhouette, while not being tight on the stomach at all. So it's a perfect dress for dinner parties, or even Thanksgiving!

Now this isn't an issue as long as you have it on, but the dress is what I refer to as a "garment-not-fit-for-single-ladies", because it is quite hard to get out of without the help of someone else. Not impossible, but it's slightly scary and more time consuming than most clothes.
   Now I don't expect all their dresses to have this problem. (I think it's caused by a combination of the cut, fabric and my own measurements.) But if I could change anything about my particular dress, that would definitely be it.

Final Verdict

I'm happy! The dress fits nicely and is comfortable. You can tell someone paid attention to all the wonderful little details. I kind of missed feeling the fabric like I would in real stores, but that's not such a big sacrifice, when in return I got to customize the entire thing. Ordering was super easy! I really liked that you only needed to insert your measurements and click an illustration of the sleeve or skirt length. And eShakti took care of everything from then on.

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If you are an American or Canadian lady with tricky measurements that aren't found in shops, eShakti would be a real treasure! It's also a great website for bridesmaids' dresses, as you could get the same dress to fit all your friends, or pick a basic fit and color and have all your bridesmaids take their pick from necklines, sleeves and skirt lengths.

You can also find eShakti on:

Facebook - Pinterest - Instagram

P.S. eShakti sent me the dress to review, but also encouraged me to review it as I pleased. So all opinions are my own.