Custom dress from Eshakti?

papermageling

Wed, Jul 02 2014, 8:03 pm

I have! I'm generally satisfied with what I've purchased. A lot of the options wash pretty well and are made of nice breathable cotton. That said, a lot of my poplin dresses could do with some ironing, particularly on the details.

Some things to keep in mind if you order:
-Wait for a sale. They have them often, so unless you're completely enamoured with a specific dress, it pays to wait.
-If you want the custom measurements, measure carefully, and a little generously in the shoulders and arms if you're getting something with sleeves. Do not measure tightly. If you're getting woven dresses without any stretch, I'd recommend the custom measurements. I'm not sure if it's worth it for the knit dresses (probably depends on how hard you are to fit).
-Don't count on the neckline covering the collarbone, even if it looks like it might from the picture. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. I've worn most of my eshakti dresses with shells, because very few of them come with the option of a high enough neckline.
-The below-the-knee option can leave dresses more at mid-knee length, unless you put in a height taller than your own (which isn't a bad idea if you've got a long torso). It's better to go with midcalf and hem if needed.

For what it's worth, I plan to buy more of them when I have the means.

mille

Wed, Jul 02 2014, 9:04 pm

I also have. I really recommend, if you go custom measurements, to get your measurements taken by a tailor wearing your best fitting bra (I've talked a lot on imamother about bra fitting, I am sure you can find some posts in my post history if you need directions on getting a well fitting bra). It makes a big difference.

Sometimes there are still discrepancies between your measurements and how the dress fits. Even all the measurements can't account for how some things lay on your body. In particular personally, the position of my waist (or rather, the smallest point of my waist) is a bit lower than most women with a similar torso. So it can cause even custom dresses to feel a little tighter towards the ribcage because that's where a 'natural waist' would fall, then a tiny bit looser where my actual 'natural waist' is.

Basically, don't expect it to fit like a glove, but it's an awesome option especially if you have difficulty finding a good fit in typical street sizes. I order because I'm very skinny but my bust doesn't fit into typical dresses unless they are cut generously or are very stretchy. This is a good solution for that.

papermageling

Wed, Jul 02 2014, 11:05 pm

The side zipper works pretty smoothly. I'm not a huge fan of side zippers in general, and I definitely find the button front dresses easier, but it's pretty good as far as side zippers go. The only issue is that if you order it with your body measurements, it can fit tightly enough that you can't really tug the zipper much to the front to make it easier.