e-Shakti Dress Review: Nautical Ought-ical

eShakti is a dress brand that I'm aware of because other bloggers are writing about them. This is proof that fashion blogger buzz works, and I've long admired their vintage-inspired day dresses, available online.  Last year, I found a cache of eShaki dresses donated to my neighborhood Value Village thrift store, so I got to see them up close, I was impressed; they looked stylish and well made. After emailing them several times with no reply, they finally found me- it was perhaps the first Dear Ms. Blogger email I didn't immediately mark as spam and delete but hit reply. They wanted me to review a dress. And I badly wanted to, too.

In the words of their PR peeps:

"eShakti is a unique women’s apparel store online that allows custom changes in the style of the garment – sleeve, neckline, length can all be changed by the customer to her preference.  We are the only company offering all styles in all sizes: 0-36W & Custom!

eShakti’s custom capabilities allow shoppers to easily tailor any item to their specific requirements ensuring a flattering fit and unique look. Built-in online customization tools allow women to modify original fashions to fit their size, shape and personal style. Unlike traditionally-tailored clothing, eShakti’s incredibly quick turnaround time allows customers to receive their custom-made look within two weeks of ordering!   

In addition to the size and style personalization, we are now presenting, for the first time by any apparel brand - the choice to have embellishments or not... so one can dress up or down or the way they like it... personalizing a unique dress or top or skirt that is to one's style, color, size, embellishment preference.   Only at eShakti!"

Enthusiasm for exclamation points aside,  eShakti tells it like it is- they offer a variety of dresses and separates, many of which can be easily customized to suit YOU, and within a reasonable price range. I chose a quintessential retro dress- the nautical sundress, a little navy cotton pin-up styled number,  with white piping sailing smoothly along the waistline and hem. 

Since my hourglass figure is a bit thick in the middle, I loved the option to send in MY EXACT body measurements, so I ordered a dress customized to fit me comfortably and to a T. No tight waistline! There is plenty of room for movement in this dress, and it is OH SO FIGURE FLATTERING. I couldn't be more pleased with the end product, or the ordering experience. 

Don't Look Back: Customized eShakti Dresses Means They Fit You to a T

My dress (you can order your black/cream version here) has such a lovely cotton fabric with a great feel to it; the cotton blended fabrics are the way to go. I'd personally avoid the polyester fabrics, as they don't look as good as their cotton counterparts, they tend to "look cheap", and this is from a trusted source. My suggestion is to stick with the cotton and cotton blend fabric when you make your dress choice. I loved the thick shoulder straps on my sundress, perfect for the bra straps to be hidden discretely, and the modest decolletage. This is a dress I plan to wear all summer, and am sure it'll be a summer staple for years. 

Let it be known: eShakti makes plus-size dresses! What a boon for vintage loving "big girls." Vintage dresses, especially vintage from the 1950s are hard to find in larger womens sizes, so this is a great option for ladies sized 12 and up- you can order a custom retro dress that fits you like a glove. I think this is the best news for many of my friends who are tired of shopping in shops that offer clothes sized "Large" but are consistently cut too tight and too small.

My review on the eShaki dress? An enthusiastic thumbs up! For dress lovers who can appreciate extra attention to details, retro-flavored contemporary styles, eShakti is an option, you ought to consider.    

Now Wearing: 

• designer inspired sunglasses, similar here
  
• customized Nautical Sundress c/o eShakti
• vintage nautical style blazer, available here
• navy socks
• Free Press Cork Wedges c/o Nordstrom's (via gift card)

Disclosure: I received this dress courtesy of eShakti for the purpose of this review. The opinions and statements given however are 100% my own. 

Linking to the always marvelous and very visible Patti at Not Dead Yet Style