Custom Clothes Are Not Just for the Rich and Famous

I don’t usually talk about fashion on this blog, but I have to share a secret with you.

I follow what Kate Middleton wears.  I’m not sure why, really, other than I like the classic style that royalty usually embraces. I did the same thing with Princess Diana.  Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, is a lot younger than me, but her style is so classic that I still feel that it works for my fun-loving-but-in-my-40s self.

I would so buy this Mulberry dress

Even though Kate is now a Duchess, it is nice to know that she chooses to buy a lot of “Off the Rack” fashions that I could purchase in a boutique, but in reality, I still cannot afford the majority of what she buys. 

And, well, her custom dresses are just for our dreams.  

Duchess of Cambridge in custom Jenny Packham dress

It’s no secret that a custom dress made to fit someone’s measurements is usually reserved for the rich and famous.

Not ordinary people like me.

But that is not true.

I have a custom-made dress sitting in my closet, courtesy of a company called eShakti. It wasn't designed for me, but it was made for me. 

Even though I don’t write a fashion blog, eShakti wanted to work with me and get my thoughts on their product.

Honestly, I hesitated.  I don’t do a lot of Internet buying any longer because I’m hard to fit. I really have to try on clothes to see how something looks on me. I’m much smaller on top than I am in my hips.  My top half wants me to be a consistent size 4/6, whereas my hips want me to be a size 6/8/10 depending on the cut of the garment.

Needless to say, shopping is not easy for me, and I don’t really enjoy it, especially on a limited fashion budget. 

But I’m a girl, and the thought of a new dress was appealing. I took the plunge with eShakti.

I ordered before the fall season had debuted. I chose a draped faux-wrap style dress in dark gray/navy.

Custom eShakti draped-faux wrap dress

My eShakti Thoughts

Since I don’t really have fashion vision, I had a hard time deciding what to order because the clothing designs are not on models.  I sometimes need a Tory Burch or Kate Middleton-looking woman in an outfit to inspire me.  I went with my gut, and chose simple and classic.  If you are really good at fashion, choosing a dress would be like a kid in a candy store to you.

I chose the custom option on this dress because, as I predicted, my top half wanted me in a size 4 and my hips wanted me in a size 8, based strictly on measurements.  I also wanted the dress above the knee because I thought it would make me too matronly at my knee.

The dress fit exactly to my body. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a dress that fit that well up top because I have always had to buy bigger to fit my bottom half.

The fabric is good quality, well-made for a dress costing under $100. I also like the fact that it is machine-washable. Dry cleaning does not fit my current lifestyle.

Do I love it? Not yet. I like it, but I still need to get the right shoes and accessories for it to make me pull it out of my closet. It’s a classic dress that can be dressed up or worn to my son’s school during the day for a meeting, but I need some fall boots, and additional shoes and jewelry.  My husband likes this dress better with heels, but I really don't have any currently that works with it. 

Would I order from eShakti again? Yes, I would. In fact, after this dress arrived, and it fit me so well, I combed the website to see what else they had.  I was really intrigued.

So there’s my story about how this non-princess felt like a princess just because I ordered a custom-made dress. And, I didn't even have to kiss a frog. 

Trust me, a custom dress is not just for the rich and famous, but getting one makes you feel like you are royalty.

And feel free to send me links to the type of shoes you think I should buy to go with this dress.  Jewelry, too.

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Duchess of Cambridge Photos: Hello Magazine