December 29, 2014

So, we meet again eShakti! (Or, what I wore for Christmas Day this year)




Outfit details

Black satin 1950s hat: eBay
1950s sterling silver and rhinestone screw back earrings with matching necklace: Gift from a dear friend ♥
Vintage style metallic brocade dress: eShakti (this specific dress is no longer in stock)
Silver faux leather skinny belt: eBay
1950s black velvet stole wrap: A Better Time
1950s/60s metallic mesh handbag: Either a gift or thrifted (can't remember for sure)
1950s black gloves: ChameleonCMC
Opaque black tights: Ardene
Sparkly champagne peep-toe heels: The Bay
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Tony Cangiano

















































Two years ago quite literally to the day, I had my first experience working with the well known online fashion powerhouse eShatki. This brand offers a wide range of modern and vintage-y looking styles that can either be purchased in standard sizes or customized to your exact measurements/specifications, including changing things like sleeve and hemline lengths, as well as, in some cases, necklines (either for free or at very modest prices, depending on what the change is).

Unfortunately, for reasons pertaining both to fit and absurdly high DHL courier fees that I was charged, my first experiences were not very position ones and though I did work with the company again in early spring 2013, with somewhat better results all around, I haven't worn the dress I got then since and honestly doubt it will ever see much play in my wardrobe, as the fit isn't particularly flattering.

I always like to try and get along with everyone - very much including the companies I partner with here on my blog or personally buy from (both of which I've done with eShakti), and when they contacted me again in early December to ask if I'd be interested in reviewing one of the items from their elegant holiday line, I took a few days to think about it, but ultimately said "yes" to the dress. :)

Knowing already from past experience, that eShakti has yet to fit me to size (each garment I've received from them has measured at least 2 inches smaller than the stated measurements given in their item listings in key areas like the bust and waist), I ordered up two sizes and am extremely glad that I did. While this did mean a bit of extra fabric in the waist and a little in bust, the addition of a silver hued skinny belt from my closet was able to help wrangle that in instantly.

Due to the fact that eShakti puts their zippers on the side and tends to cut very narrowly in the torso (an area that I would generally consider myself to be quite slender in - you can clearly see my ribcage when I'm in the buff), I size up to ensure that I'll be able to breath and that their garments (excluding skirts, naturally) will fit me comfortably.

If we went off measurements alone, in theory I would be a size six, but I ordered a size ten (I never care in the slightest about size numbers, fit is what counts in my books) and am extremely glad that that I did. When ordering garments from them, eShakti asks for your height and here I also "sized up", so to speak, and stated my height as 5'4", instead of its actual 5'2". I did this because I've found that past garments that claimed to be below the knee, rarely were and as that's super important to me with all my clothes (that they hit below the knee, I mean), I'm very glad that I did add a couple of inches to my height when ordering this dress. In addition, I opted for the custom options of 3/4 length sleeves and a princess neckline on the dress, which came in standard form with a v-neck and short cap sleeves - two styles that generally look awful on me.

Though even with sizing up, due to the side zipper, it's tricky to get in and rather hard to get out of this dress (doing so involved me kneeling on the floor and Tony pulling the dress off over my head by the ends of the sleeves), which is made from a lovely, thick brocade fabric (that is lined in the skirt, helping to add to the garment's fullness). Still even with these relatively small issues, I really must say that this is my favourite eShakti garment I've owned to date and I very much appreciate the company's desire to collaborate with my blog again.

When I ordered the dress, I did so with the intent of sporting it on Christmas Day, which is precisely what I did. I must say, it garnered compliments from Tony and all my relatives who were present that day, with my mother even saying that it was her favourite dress she'd seen me wear in years (aww, thanks, mom!). I really adored this great 1950s inspired dress as well. Its thick, but comfortable, brocade fabric - a rich mix of silver and gold metallic threads forming a floral design on a cranberry hued background - was both warm and incredibly holiday season appropriate.

Christmas Day was very grey, overcast and accompanied by dim light, so for our photo shoot that afternoon, we just took snaps on my parent's deck. This is a formal dress and I truly love that about it. In keeping with the sophistication it exudes, I went with a gorgeous mid-century vintage sterling silver demi-parure comprised of a rhinestone necklace with matching screw back earrings, which was an amazing gift from a treasured friend two Christmases ago. I also teamed it with a 50s/60s metal mesh handbag, 1950s black velvet wrap, black vintage gloves, modern silver faux leather skinny belt, a beloved black satin 1950s hat, opaque black tights, and a killer pair of sparkly champagne hued peep-toe heels that I feel in love with, and Tony promptly bought me, nearly three years ago now.

I really believe in dressing to the nines for the holidays and centering my Christmas Day ensemble around this stunning eShakti brocade dress allowed me to do just that. Though the fit isn't 100% perfect and I did have to rig the system when ordering, again, it's the best fit I've had from this company so far and I'd certainly be happy to review and/or purchase from them again in the future, as I now have a greater degree of confidence when it comes to figuring out what size of theirs to select for dresses.

Our Christmas was filled with all the usual joys of the Day - family, feasting, gift giving and receiving, playing games, basking in the glow of the tree, and other pleasures that - much like sporting such a fabulous holiday season dress - come but once a year. It’s hard to believe another Christmas is behind us again, but thankfully the season as a whole still has a few more days and I’ll be celebrating each of them with loved ones to the very fullest.

Happy New Year’s Eve countdown, my dear friends!

79 comments:

  1. I had similar problems with eShakti: I ordered two dresses and while one came and fit fine, the other was a full size smaller than I had ordered and I couldn't get it over my ribcage. I tried ordering once more from them and decided I wasn't a huge fan of their fabrics and not to order again, but now I keep seeing all these adorable dresses on people and hearing that they're from eShakti and I'm tempted again! Your dress is gorgeous though and I'm glad you were able to get it to work.

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet dear. I too felt the same way after seeing such an explosion of eShakti product review posts over the past couple of years (when I wrote my first ones, there were very few others online yet).

      I'm sorry to hear that you haven't had the best of experiences with their offerings, too. I really don't get why they can't have sizes that are accurate and why the rib cage/torso areas are so darn slender. Usually with dresses, I have the opposite problem in that area, being petite with an hourglass figure. I really hope that the company listens to customer/blogger feedback and makes some much needed changes to their garment sizing (and that they ditch side zippers for good - virtually no one likes them on any type of clothing ever!!!).

      Thanks again & have a beautiful New Year,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. What a mission to get a dress that (mostly!) fitted you! Although, you look absolutely gorgeous here so your perseverance paid off. It's a beautiful dress and the black and silver accessorising is lovely. It's a shame that you had to work so hard to get something that fit when the company sells themselves on being more made-to-measure than your average shop though. That seriously puts me off buying from them!! CC x

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    1. Thank you very much, darling gal! I'm a really easy going person and am used to having to jerry-rig an incredible number of things in my life due to my health, so I suppose that needing to "game the system", if you will with eShakti's sizing, doesn't phase me that much. I can 100% see how it would, understandably, not be something many others would want to do though and I couldn't possibly agree with you more about the fact that it's a true shame that so many people run into fit issues with a brand that prides itself on custom fit.

      When I first started working with eShakti a couple of years ago, there were relatively few online reviews of their products, but now one can easily find dozens, if not hundreds, and its seems a good many of them (the ones I've seen at least) talk about similar sizing issues, and I certainly gotten a lot of comments on my past eShakti posts to that extent from unhappy customers. I fundamentally like the brand a lot and understand that no company can create items, unless they're completely bespoke (and even then...!), that fit all their customers perfectly, but it does seem like ill fitting pieces are a big problem for this brand.

      For the first time ever, they invited me to give them feedback about the fit of this garment, which I did, and I hope that they'll take it - and that which they receive from other customers/bloggers - to heart and make some much needed changes to their garments sizing (and also get rid of side zippers!).

      Thank you again & have a truly beautiful end of the year,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Ah, Jessica, it is always a huge pleasure to see you wearing such gorgeous outfits (of course, not mainly because of the latter, but mainly because you're a radiant person with an immense charisma). I love the dress, even though I probably will never ever be able to wet such materials due to skin issues (brocade for me means mostly synthetic fibers, which I definitely and sometimes sadly can't wear). So the joy of seeing such a wonderful dress worn by you makes me happy. I am a person who totally appreciates a nice, not to say a adores splendid festive outfit, even though most people I know from my relatives (mostly in-laws) seem to be somehow careless about their wardrobe on the holidays. However, seeing someone in holiday splendor like you is a joy. So I just say: totally adorable and beautiful.

    I wish you all the best for a healthy and prosperous 2015!
    Doris

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  4. This dress is amazingly beautiful and perfect for the holiday. You present it wonderfully, too.

    I understand and sympathize about the fit-issues. I frequently face them myself and have become very sensitive to women's complaints about ill-fitting clothes. Your description of getting it on and off -- forgive me -- sounds comic but I know that pain. For the longest time (and still), I'm not sure whether to pull dresses on from above or pull them up from below. Size-zippers confuse the heck out of me. So to hear you -- the most knowledgeable dresser I know -- say what I think makes me feel less stupid about this. Perhaps it's just hard and not because I'm inexperienced.

    Well, enough about that. Let me just conclude by saying you look lovely and I return your wish for a Happy New Year!

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    1. Thank you very much across the board, Ally. It's wonderful to know that you can relate to such fit issues. Thankfully I wasn't in pain getting this dress off, but I legitimately wonder if I could have done it myself with out seriously damaging the garment. The over the head or over the hips debate with dresses usually comes down to how wide the torso is for me. If it's easy to step into (say like with a shirtwaist dress), it'll come up via the hips, if it's more of a tight squeeze, then the head wins out. :)

      From both Tony and I, may you and your loved ones have a truly magnificent, health, happy and fun filled New Year's and all of 2015!

      ♥ Jessica

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  5. Great dress! I order quite a few things from them, but have had a very uneven experience as well. The stuff that works, is GREAT. The stuff that doesn't, really doesn't. My own fitting experience is that I've stopped ordering custom to my measurements, because they just can't seem to get that right. I've been ordering a size 16 for almost everything the last year or so, and am reasonably happy with the fit. I too always size up on my height because my knee-pelvis length is longer than my knee-ankle length. So even though I'm a scant 5'5", my skirts are better off cut for someone 5'7"-5'8" because my body length is there. (I'm short waisted too!) I also find that eshakti's stuff that is designed to hit "above the waist" hits me at about the right spot for my waist, whereas their "natural" waist tends to be more of a drop on me and doesn't really hit in a flattering place. I've really gotten good at scanning their clothing for details like that and approving or discarding an item at a glance. I also wish they'd go back to putting the lingerie straps in the right direction--the last three or four dresses I've tried from them had them sewn on backwards (and therefore completely useless) I wrote to them about it, but haven't heard back.

    That said, I have three knit fit and flare dresses from them this fall and have been very happy with them, as I don't sew with knits (yet). They are the perfect three-season garment, have pockets, are very comfortable on days when my gut isn't behaving, and are good for days when my kids are sick and using me as a human tissue (or worse!) I don't dare wear wool on those kinds of days!!

    I've just ordered one of their jackets with the sale plus a great gift coupon they sent me and I have high hopes for it--I made an 18th century petticoat skirt earlier this month and I think the two will pair well together!

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    1. Hello sweet Juliana, thank you very much for sharing your detailed eShakti sizing experiences with me/us here. I'm sincerely sorry to hear that you've run into lots of issues on this front as as and that you also "size up" when it comes to your height there. I wish I'd done that from the get go and will continue to from now on if I order from or work with this brand again. I think that the idea of asking customers for their height is a good one in principle, but it doesn't usually work that well in practise because, as you touched on, not everyone that is the same height has the same proportions by any means.

      How wonderful that you were able to purchase a jacket from them that will work a treat with your 18th century petticoat. I would thoroughly love to see photos of that outfit! Here's to the hope that it (your new jacket) fits you even better than those three fit and flare dresses or anything else you've ordered from them before.

      Thank you again & have a truly beautiful, happy, fun filled New Year's celebration!
      ♥ Jessica

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  6. You look so lovely as always, my friend, I'm so glad that your perseverance paid off. I don't think I would be so inclined to keep trying with a company with so many fit issues, especially with the high shipping charges to Alaska. So glad to hear you had a happy holiday filled with good cheer, family and friends.

    She Knits in Pearls

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  7. You look gorgeous in that dress m'dear. Glad to hear you've had a more positive experience this time round :)

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet dear. I'm very glad about that point as well. Though I do wish their garments would fit better and be truer to size, I'd have no qualms with working with eShakti again in 2015 or anytime.

      Big hugs & tons of happy New Year's wishes coming your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. i've had the opposite problem with eShakti - even when ordering with my specific measurements, my dresses were too big and fit like...well, potato sacks. i'm very petite (5'1" with basically no shoulders) but also plus-sized. all the dresses i ordered have high waistlines, so using my natural waistline measurement gave me a dress that was at least four inches too big through the torso i kept my original dresses, hoping to get them altered (i waited too long to return them). i recently ordered a lovely grecian style jersey knit dress with different measurements, but it's still too big in the (plunging!) neckline and shoulders.
    http://www.eshakti.com/product/CL0025781
    i purposely ordered longer sleeves so that i could get them altered. i hope that my seamstress will also be able to raise the neckline an inch or two, because i absolutely love the dress.

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    1. Hello dear gal, thank you very much for sharing about some of your own eShakti fit issues with me/us. I have really slender/small shoulders ("natural" shoulder seams on garments hit me on the top of my arms at least half the time and nearly always with knits) and can definitely relate there. I ran into that a tiny bit with this dress, but the fact that it was long sleeved helped there and more so with the last dress (before this one I mean), that I received as a review product from eShakti.

      I'm sorry that even your most recent frock didn't fit well. That's a sincere shame. Fingers crossed that your seamstress will be able to save the day!

      Big hugs & many joyful New Year's wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. Oh wow, you look a million dollars Jessica.
    I hope you'll have a lovely New year's celebration! <3

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  10. REVELATION! you are fabulous Dear. Best :)

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  11. This ensemble is just gorgeous! That brocade! The dress is definitely worth belting for fit, the fabric is just too pretty!

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  12. You look beautiful! Love the complete outfit, I love that color, have a great New Year's celebration and my best wishes for you the next year, contitnue bloging , I really love and enjoy reading your blog and watching all those beautiful outfits you wear, I dream wearing those kind of clothes at least for a photoshoot :)

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    1. You're terrifically sweet, dear Lizzy, thank you very, very much. It truly warms my heart - and encourages me to keep on keeping on, as they say, too - to know that you enjoy my blog and the outfits I wear so much.

      Tons of hugs & joyful New Year's wishes coming your way!
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. As I began to read and scrolled down to look at the pictures, all I could think of was "its brocade" !
    My dear Jessica you look stunning, the dress is gorgeous and that colour is a dream on you.
    Hope you and Tony had a wonderful Christmas. Hugs.

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  14. Your description of having to have Tony pull a dress off of you as you kneel on the floor is all too relatable and why I avoid side zip dresses at all costs!

    Your indepth review of how you altered your order process is quite helpful too! And I hope that your feedback is welcome and hopefully creates some change in the company!

    Even with the issues, you do look amazing!

    xoxo
    -Janey

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    1. They can be terribly unpleasant wardrobe critters, can't they. Rochelle raised the excellent point in her comment here about vintage side zippers and interestingly, I rarely run into trouble with them so they honestly weren't even in my thoughts when I was discussing side zippers in this post. Instead I was thinking squarely about those on garments from eShakti and other modern lines that use them. So few people are fans, I really don't get why such a big company would opt to go this route (perhaps it makes some types of garments easier to construct/sew? - Total guess there as a non-sewer myself). I bet that if eShakti gave side zippers the boot, many of their offerings would fit more folks substantially better.

      Thank you very much, honey! I hope that you're having a fantastic last week of 2014!

      ♥ Jessica

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  15. Wowie, someone glammed up this Christmas! I love your honest review, and although your first experiences weren't the best, I love that you've given them more chances so they can improve. Hope you had a merry Christmas and I wish you a happy New Year!

    captaincharghley.blogspot.com

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  16. Being from the UK, eShakti isn't an option for me - possibly a good thing if there can be "issues" with sizing, but you look stunning in your dress, and I wouldn't have noted that it's too big if you hadn't said - and you do look stunning in it.

    I hope you have a wonderful New Year :)

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  17. You look gorgeous! I hope you had a great time during the holidays, dear Jessica. :) I wish you a happy new year and may 2015 be pure joy for you!
    http://inkandlacedesigns.blogspot.com.au/

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  18. I love that dress. Your handbag and shoes are great too. Yes shipping charges can be such a pain...

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    1. That they most certainly can be, dear gal. Fortunately as this was a review product and marked as such, I was spared them this time even though they were sent by courier (DHL - I so wish eShakti would use a different mail delivery service when sending to Canada as DHL has some of the steepest charges in the courier business), unlike when I've purchased from them in the past.

      Wishing you a marvelous merry New Year!
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. You look absolutely beautiful, what a wonderful dress, I love how you've accessorised it! I've never bought from eShakti but I've noticed them popping up all over the blogosphere this year. It's a shame that many companies that offer bespoke sizing often seem to get it wrong for some reason, and I'll admit it does put me off of ordering. It's a shame you had to work so hard for it, but it definitely paid off, you look amazing!

    I'm glad that you had a wonderful Christmas, I wish you all the best for the new year!

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  20. Wow that fabric is gorgeous!! Great color on you too. Honestly I'm surprised to hear you're not a fan of side zippers (I certainly don't love them either!) since nearly every single 1940s dress I've seen, whether in vintage dress or vintage sewing pattern form, has a side zipper. I know that's an era you love dearly so I just assumed you wore dresses with side zippers all the time. I suppose I guessed wrong. Well regardless of zipper placement, you've put another really beautiful outfit together (right down to those awesome gold shoes!).

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    1. Why thank you, sweet gal! You know, that's a very, very interesting point. I do have some 40s and 50s dresses (and skirts, though the issue is scarcely one at all with skirts, I find) with side zippers, but interestingly find that the over all construction of the garment makes them easier to deal with, as the pieces generally fit me better than eShakti's offerings do. I don't shy away from buying vintage garments because of side zippers (so you didn't assume wrong :)), but they're a red flag with me when it comes to modern pieces, in no small part now because of the lousy experiences I've had with them care of this company's offerings.

      I hope that you've been having a splendid holiday season, dear Rochelle. I think of you often and am sending my biggest, happiest wishes your way for an amazing 2015!

      ♥ Jessica

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  21. You look amazing in that dress, Jessica!! But goodness, good to read about your adventures with this company. I'm glad you were about to come to some sort of compromise, but golly!

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    1. Thank you sweetly, dear Carla - fundamentally, it is an amazing dress, I completely agree. In a way, it feels a bit like a prom dress even, which makes me adore it all the more as I wasn't able to attend my prom and have tried to find ways to make up for that with my fashion choices ever since. :)

      Big hugs & tons of joyful New Year's wishes coming your way!
      ♥ Jessica

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  22. Happy New Year! I'm with your Mom. This is one of the most beautiful dresses I've possibly ever seen you in. The colour is just amazing with your hair and skin.

    Lisa.

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    1. *Blush* Thank you very, very much, my splendidly sweet friend. I'm head-over-heels in love with this colour palette, too. I don't mix metals all that often, so getting a chance to do so here with gold and silver was an especially fun fashion treat.

      Tons of hugs & happy New Year's wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. Wowza! What a fabulous outfit, Jessica! I love it ALL! And you totally rock it. Love, love, love the dress. :) And the stole with it. What a magical pairing.

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    1. That's seriously sweet, dear Mary, thank you so much!!! Your comment put a hefty smile on my face! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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    1. And as always, you are as sweet as sweet can possibly be, dear Nicholette. Thank you very much!!!

      Sending oodles of hugs & joyful New Year's wishes your way!
      ♥ Jessica

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  25. Stop the press!
    This dress is so lovely. There's a hint of Vicotriana in the print, with the dazzling flowers howering over the deep red color- You know, today (while I'm looking at this amazing choice you've made, to wear on Christmas) - red is my number 1. :)

    I'm affraid there will be no celebration for me this New Year's eve. Due to the combination of overtime + state-obligatory exam (they have called me in this week, and I'm to be graded just after the holidays).
    But, no worries, New Year's in NOT the only reason to celebrate.. when I feel like it - I can celebrate a Regular Tuesday. ;)

    Snow-covered hug!
    Marija


    P.S.
    Gosh - is New Year's eve THAT close?! :D

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    1. My deeply observant friend, you always see the subtle nuances in my outfits and posts. There is indeed a whisper of the Victorian era at work here, if only in spirit, and that was very much intentional. Christmas and this period in history always go together like turkey and gravy for me.

      Oh dear, I'm very sorry to hear that you won't be able to celebrate tomorrow night. Based on how I'm feeling today, I wouldn't place my bets on me being able to do much in the way of partying either, so we might both be spending a quite evening at home or work. Sometimes this isn't a bad thing though. It gives us time to reflect on deep personal thoughts and enjoy the quiet passing away of the old year into the new without getting a headache from all the merrymakers! :)

      Big hugs & countless happy New Year's wishes to you,
      ♥ Jessica

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  26. You look radiant, Jessica....very beautiful!!! I hope you had a good Christmas and that 2015 will be a wonderful year. :)

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  27. Oh side zips, aren't they a delight! I've often become 'trapped' in dresses with side zips! And sometimes the zip doesn't sit nicely which is a problem aesthetically. Beautiful dress though, it looks so regal xxx

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    1. So true!!! Though some side zippers meld into their surroundings perfectly and are flat as a piece of paper, I've seen (and owned) plenty that were bumpy and rather obvious. This one isn't, I'll say that in favour of it, but it does certainly impact that garment in other undesired ways, chiefly with fit (and ability to raise/extend my arms up while wearing this dress).

      Thank you very much, darling gal - have a stellar end of 2014!
      ♥ Jessica

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  28. WOW!!!!!
    your mom is right! the best look for a x-mas day!!!! the dress is pretty - but it´s the totally-you-color and the awesome styling you did that make this outfit really beautiful!!!!! this shoes!!!
    as a sewing pro i think that´s impossible to make such a dress without several fitting sessions. with a tailored cut like this and a no-stretch fabric one has to work hard for a perfect fit. and i like side zips (even if they are uncomfortable) because they don´t cut a nice designed back in half. or i design the back especially with a zip in mind.....
    :-)
    happy new year - beautiful jessica!!!!!!
    xxxxxxx

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    1. Thank you very much, my wonderfully dear friend. Not all side zippers are "bad", but the garment must be cut to allow one to easily get in and out of it, if there is one present and sadly with all the eShakti pieces I've tried so far (that had them), such as not been the case. Thankfully I've not run into these kinds of issues nearly as much with vintage garments that included side zippers.

      I'm sure anything you created with them would fit fabulously and not require two people to get out of! :)

      Tons of hugs & countless happy New Year wishes!!!
      ♥ Jessica

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  29. Wow, this is truly a fabulous dress. If you say it doesn't fit perfectly I can tell you it doesn't show when you are wearing it. You look so perfectly festive, dear. It reminds me very much of my mother's engagement dress, her dress had black roses, or else it was very alike. But it sounds really annoying that the measurements are so wrong. Why can't they correct them? We cannot use wrong measurements for much. Happy New Year, dear. I will try my formal dresses tomorrow morning to find out what to wear. I'm sure there is something I can use. :)

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    1. You're so sweet, dear Sanne, thank you very much. Thankfully all it took was one of my beloved skinny belts (I've amassed quite the collection - and rainbow - of them over the years now) to help hide the fit issues for the most part at least.

      How exciting that you're opting for formal wear tomorrow! If ever a day calls for it, New Year's is the one! I know that you'll look radiantly beautiful in whatever you select.

      Happiest countdown to 2015!!!
      ♥ Jessica

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    1. Thank you very much! That's a flag I would definitely say I wave as well. Brocade and damasks will always be firm favourites of mine.

      Many thanks for your lovely comment. Have a truly marvelous New Year!!!

      ♥ Jessica

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  31. Wow! This really looks stunning on you. I really love the colors - the rich cranberry and the metallic embroidery are stunning with your complexion. That velvet wrap is a great accessory as well, perfect choice for keeping warm while still showing off your beautiful frock.
    I still have not ordered from eShakti, although I do have a dress from them that I picked up at a clothing swap. I don't know what it is, but a lot of the dresses on their website just don't seem that... special to me, I guess. I love that they offer custom sizing (although it's a bit of a letdown to know that it doesn't always come out quite right), and I love that they have a wide range of sizes and cater to all body types, but this is really the first dress from them that I've seen where I actually do a little gasp.
    Happy New Year's! Getting very close now, I really have to decide what the hell I'm going to wear!

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    1. That is an excellent point and one that I've observed with some of their offerings as well. I find I either madly love (visually at least!) their pieces or find them fairly "mah" and of a somewhat "fast fashion-y" quality/look, which is evidenced by how incredibly quickly most eShakti garments run out of stock or are pulled and new ones put in their place. I ordered this dress a month ago and it's already gone (the same thing happened to be with one of my previous items from them as well).

      I realize that turnover and introducing new items is good, but some of the point of a blogger product review post is lost if said item can't still be purchased just a few weeks after it was ordered. The company's name still gets out there, and I understand that may matter more to them, but I'm sure some of my readers would have been keen to order this dress themselves and unfortunately they're not able to (unless it's restocked, which is not something I believe eShakti does often, if at all - but don't quote me there).

      Thank you again! I too think that it's one of their most beguiling offerings to date and feel very fortunate that I was able to add it to my wardrobe for the brief spell that it was here.

      If you ever order from them, I sincerely hope that you have good luck with the fit and every other element of your garment(s).

      Fun filled and very happy countdown to 2015 wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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  32. I am glad that you mentioned the side zip thing as I find it really difficult to get anything with a side zip pm, let alone do up. In fact, I tend to just avoid them now. The mental image of you on the floor with Tony helping wrestle your dress off did give me a giggle! I am pleased that you found ways to resolve some of the fit issues as this dress is rather marvellous. Anything made from brocade is a huge hit with me and I very much like the background colour with the metallic threads. I like how you have picked them up in your accessories and those shoes finish the look perfectly!

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    1. Thank you sweetly, dear gal (I love the metallic threads here so much, too). It made us giggle as we were doing it. This is the first time in over a decade I've encountered a garment that I couldn't get off on my own. It's okay though, I really do love this dress in a lot of ways and as I won't be wearing it all that often (because it's so fancy), needing a bit of help to get out of it isn't the end of the world by any means. :)

      Thinking of you and sending my deepest wishes your way for a fun filled, awesome New Year and a really wonderful 2015!
      ♥ Jessica

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  33. Again, very beautiful outfit! Can I steal the gloves and shoes?????

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    1. You're wonderfully sweet, Marjorie, thank you very much. If you lived nearby (I'm assuming you don't), I would happily let you borrow them anytime.

      Wishing you a splendidly lovely, healthy, and happy New Year!
      ♥ Jessica

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  34. What a stunner of a dress, you must be pleased that you gave them another chance to get this beauty into your closet! The colour is really gorgeous on you, very festive indeed. It can be very hit and miss with sizing from brands in general - I own severall Lindy Bop dresses, all in the same size, and this Christmas received 2 more as gifts. One was way too big, and the other too small, and made for someone much more petite than me. Really frustrating, back they've gone, to hopefully be exchanged for better fitting dresses!

    Glad you had a good Christmas, sounds lovely. Enjoy NYE! xx

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet gal. Very much so! Though this isn't the kind of dress I'll get the chance to wear often, knowing that I always have a fantastic holiday season knockout like this in my closet is really wonderful and I do very much appreciate the review gift from eShakti.

      Oh dear, I'm very sorry to hear that. I actually just placed my first ever order from Lindy Bop this month (it's my Xmas gift from Tony this year) and I'm waiting on four dresses. I noticed that the measurements differed a bit between some of them, so ordered a mix of two different sizes, depending on the dress. I really, really hope they fit as the cost of shipping back to the UK would pretty much take returning them off the table if they don't (I'll resell if such is the case, but really hope it doesn't prove to be). I've been eyeing and in love with their offerings for years now, so wrapping up 2014 by placing my first Lindy Bop order seemed like a fun fashion related note to cap the year off on.

      Thinking of you and sending my very happiest wishes your way for an awesome, fun filled, healthy, and endlessly lovely 2015!

      ♥ Jessica

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  35. You selected a gorgeous combination of gold and cranberry. Love it. The pattern and the texture look so beautiful on you. I'd certainly see this as a holiday dress. I have narrow shoulders and when I reviewed eShakti, I neglected to take advantage of "specific measurements" as I didn't see this tab. I'm wondering how this would work for me. It's a beautiful dress on you Jessica.

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    1. Thank you very much, my darling friend. This is, far and away, my favourite garment from eShakti to date. Though the fit could be better, yes, it's gorgeous pattern and better quality fabric (again, compared to past pieces from this brand) means that I'm much, much more apt to wear it again, instead of having it languish in the back of my closet as the other items from them so far have.

      I have fairly small/narrow shoulders, too, and can definitely relate there. It's a shame that more brands don't focus on that rather important part of a garment's fit. Even when I buy items from petite lines (at barely 5'2", it is a smart thing for me to do after all), I still run into oversized shoulders sometimes.

      Thank you again for your lovely comment, as well as for each and every one you've shared here with me this past year. You are a treasured friend and a perpetual blogging (and fashion) inspiration to me, dear Joanna.

      Huge hugs & the very happiest of New Year's wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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  36. You look like a glorious Christmas present in those lush holiday threads! This dress is so beautiful, and even though you had some issues getting the fit right, it looks amazing. From top to toe, you look gorgeously festive!

    You're making me wish that I'd thought to snap some pictures of my Christmas day outfit. I had found a cranberry-coloured blouse with a beaded feature on the front, and I wore that with a pair of sateen trousers and flat sandals. It was very hot here in Australia on Christmas day, so comfort was pivotal.

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    1. Thank you very much, honey. I felt extremely festive - plus this shimmery ensemble helped to hide the fact that I hadn't slept a wink on Christmas Eve (onto Day) night due to some health issues and was thus already awake for more than 30 hours (and about 40 when all was said and done) when these photos were taken. Thankfully the excitement of the day, sweet Christmas desserts, and will power all helped me stay away so as to be able to enjoy many hours spent with family.

      Your new beaded blouse sounds gorgeous! I think cranberry is one of the prettiest colours there is in the fashion world (or anywhere), yet we really don't see enough of it there. I look forward to getting a glimpse of your blouse if you share it in a future outfit post, sweet Vanessa.

      Tons of hugs & endless happy New Year's wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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  37. Despite all the issues you've had with fit this turned out lovely. The colour and pattern are gorgeous and as usual your accessories really make it "you".

    All the very best to you in 2015 Jessica!

    bisous
    Suzanne

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Suzanne. I hope that you've been having an excellent holiday season and that the coming year will be one of the best ever for you.

      Big hugs & countless happy 2015 wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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  38. Such a stunning dress! Flattering length and gorgeous neckline. You wear it so well. :) And aren't shiny, sparkly things so nice? ;)

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  39. I may have accidentally left two nearly the same comments because my computer is malfunctioning. Oops. :P

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    1. No worries, sweet gal, I'm only seeing one of your original comments.

      Thank you very much! Yes, indeed, shinny things are fabulous!!! I own a fair bit of "bling" in terms of jewelry, but don't have too many shinny or sparkly garments, so adding this beautiful dress to my wardrobe was definitely a big boon there.

      I hope that you have a splendidly lovely New Year and that 2015 rocks for you, honey!
      ♥ Jessica

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  40. The dress is sooo beautiful ♥ and the shoes fit perfectly with the dress.

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  41. Wow, you look so beautiful!! I want to wish you de very best for the upcoming year!
    Lots of love,
    Liz

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  42. so glad to hear you had such a lovely christmas day! and i want to say how much i appreciate your honesty in this post about working with the brand and your previous experiences. not a lot of bloggers will be totally transparent like you have been and it's so refreshing to see, especially because if anyone were thinking of ordering from them they'd now have a much better idea of what the sizing is like and will probably be much happier with their purchase based of what they've learned from you.

    also, the dress is just gorgeous! and that's such a great concept to be able to customise the dress to be exactly how you like it. i often see dresses with gorgeous patterns that are cut in a way i think is really unflattering on me, or i hate the neckline or i wish it had sleeves, etc, so having the option to tweak all of those things is fantastic! and i also have to tell you how much i adore your shoes, they're just adorable.

    jessica - littlehenrylee.com

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    1. It really is a wonderful boon and selling point for eShakti. At first, a couple of years ago, I didn't do too much in the way of customizing their offerings and wonder, if I had, might they have worked better for m? Hard to say, but I do know that I had much better luck with dress and am sure the customized parts are a big reason why such was the case. Anytime I can add a sweetheart neckline to a garment, I'm a super happy camper! (They're my fave neckline style ever!)

      Thank you very much for your splendidly lovely comment and compliments, honey, as well as for each and every comment you shared with me here in 2014. I appreciate them to no end and really look forward to sharing another great year of blogging with you in 2015!

      Tons of hugs & cheerful weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  43. I am glad that you had a more positive experience with eShakti this time round. The dress you chose is lovely ad so festive and pretty!

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    1. Thank you sweetly, dear Holly. It really is fittingly festive Christmas dress, I agree. I suspect it will come out to play many times during the wall and early winter in the years to come (quite possibly starting with Canadian Thanksgiving in early October and working wonders all the way 'til New Years or even Valentine's Day).

      Big hugs & happy Tuesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  44. Dear Jessica, how stunning!!!!!!
    Very festive and suitable for a wonderful Christmas Day :-)

    Hugs,
    Beta x

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    1. Thank you sweetly, darling gal! When not dressing to the nines like this over the holiday season, I sported your awesome bolero often, as it's hue lends itself sooo well to Christmas (and thought of you, my dear friend, each time that I did).

      Endless hugs coming right back at you from (super snowy) Penticton,
      ♥ Jessica

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  45. What a gorgeous dress! You've made a grand choice here. I recently bought my first eShakti dress, which I haven't worn yet. But I do love it! I will definitely purchase from them again.

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  46. Oooh this dress looks wonderful on you. I would have been more tempted to add it to my collection as well, but Im afraid I wouldn't have anywhere to wear it! Spending 40 hours a week in an office and the rest of my time primarily at homes means a lot of fancy clothes get quite the layer of dust.

    I am bummed to hear you've had less than stellar results from eshakti. I have a truly embarrassing number of dresses & skirts from them and I can only think of one (a shirt -- my own fault for not adding more ease in my measurements) that didn't fit wonderfully. Granted, I've ordered A LOT, so I've been able to tweak my numbers here and there with experience.

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Jen. I''m delighted to ehar that you've had mostly positive experiences when ordering from eShakti. As I chatted about in this post, I've had a real mixed bag and am not keen on the fact that so many of us have to really play around with the sizes and measurements to get supposedly made-to-order (if you opt for such) garments that fit.

      I know plenty of folks who have had great fit experiences with this brand and oodles that haven't. It seems their customers fall into one camp or the other, with just a few (like myself) in the middle zone. That said, this is my best fitting eShakti piece so far even with the ongoing issues I run into from this brand and I would continue to work with them in a product review capacity and but tend to doubt that I'd order dresses from them with my own money. I haven't tried their shirts or coats yet (just one skirt and some dresses), so I can't comment in that regard there.

      Many thanks again for your lovely compliment and for sharing your experiences here,
      ♥ Jessica

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  47. See, this is why I am hesitant to purchase anything from them. I'm incredibly hard to fit as in I have a tiny waist at 33"-34" and a 46"-47" hip and I will say I'm full figured. On average I can get into a size xl-1x or US 16 with no problem. I have no idea if I should size up or not and I really do hate to size up. The number shouldn't bother me, but it does.

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    1. That's understandable for sure. What if, assuming the garment fit, you cut the size tag out it right away? That way you wouldn't be as apt to focus on it when you were getting dressed into that particular piece.

      ♥ Jessica

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