My Fashion Confession

eShakti Review: Dress Like a Lady

2013-03-08T08:18:00.000-06:00

Vintage, ladylike, timeless.

I have written about eShakti on My Fashion Confession before, but I recently got an email from one of the company's representatives asking me to write a review of one of the items from the company's spring line. I took one look at their new items and said sure!

Custom Styling

If you have never heard of eShakti, here is the scoop: they are a company that makes gorgeous, customizable clothes in sizes 0-36W. Have you ever loved everything about a dress but the sleeves? Have you ever wished that the dress was the perfect length, no tailoring needed? If so, eShakti might be a good fit for you.

When I saw this dress I immediately fell in love with it, but there were a few things I wanted to change. Customers ordering this dress are able to remove the embroidery, change the sleeve style, or choose the length of the dress that best suits their needs.

I wanted to add short sleeves to the originally sleeveless dress so that I could wear it in air conditioned classrooms without a cardigan. I chose to make this dress knee length, but could have specified that it come in short length, above knee length, or midcalf length. I entered my height in the order form and chose a standard size based on measurements I took of my bust, waist, and hips. The length and size were spot on. I was really happy with the fit of the dress I received. While custom styling adds a charge of $7.50, it is cheaper than having an item tailored elsewhere and it is really nice to get a dress in the mail that fits perfectly!

Style

Most of eShakti's offerings are feminine, vintage-inspired dresses, skirts, tops and jackets. If you like the clothes at Anthropologie or Modcloth, you will probably like eShakti's offerings as well.

Price

On a scale of Old Navy to Anthropologie, eShakti is somewhere in between in terms of price. If you are used to buying $30 dresses at Old Navy, eShakti's $80 dresses might seem a bit pricey. On the other hand if you frequently purchase $150 dresses at Anthropologie, eShakti will seem like a steal.

Quality

I have never been disappointed with the quality of an eShakti item. Their custom styling is really well done, they use good quality materials, and by washing them in cold water and air drying them I have found that they hold up well over time.

Overall

Bottom line: eShakti makes great clothes. I paired the dress with kitten heels and pearls here, but I could definitely see myself wearing it with pretty sandals when the weather warms up or pairing it with boots and a leather jacket now.

Interested in getting your own custom dress from eShakti? Now through March 25, 2013 the company is offering a $25 coupon if you use the code TREFSHNCNF99 at checkout. Happy shopping!

*Full Disclosure: eShakti sent me the dress above free of charge for this review, but the opinions expressed are my honest assessment of my experience.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

New Blog!

2013-02-16T13:19:00.004-06:00

It has been a minute, y'all! I just wanted to stop by to tell you that you can now find me at my new blog, Downsizing, which you can check out here.

The primary focus of Downsizing will be my journey to reach a healthy weight, but you know me. I love me some clothes so I imagine there will be some style posts too. I stopped blogging at My Fashion Confession because it did not really fit who I was anymore. I thought about just changing the name and focus of this blog, but ultimately I decided that I wanted a fresh start so I made a new blog. I loved writing My Fashion Confession, but it was time to move on. I hope to see you over at Downsizing!

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Eshakti Coupon Code

2012-07-21T04:38:00.002-05:00

I know I have been on a bit of a blogging hiatus this summer, but I wanted to pop in for a moment and let you know about the amazing sale going on right now at eShakti. Select items are on sale for 40% off, and on top of that, eShakti has generously offered My Fashion Confession readers a 10% discount when they use the code MY30XNE. You wanna know the best part? You can use the discount code on sale items! Are you still reading this? Go here and shop!

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Walking in Venice

2012-06-15T08:30:00.002-05:00

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Italy Looks Better in Instagram

2012-06-15T08:29:00.001-05:00

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Remember Me?

2012-05-20T11:08:00.001-05:00

Shirt: Old Navy

Cardigan: Loft

Skirt: J.Crew via Ebay

Scarf: Loft

Shoes: Steve Madden via Amazon

Remember me? I'm Ashley, that girl who's supposed to be blogging here but kind of lost track of things when finals then law review write on ate my life. The good news is I'm almost done with the law review write on. The better news is I'm studying abroad in Italy this summer! The kinda bad news is I decided to leave my camera at home so for better or worse, there will be lots and lots of iPhone photos for the next few weeks. We'll see how it goes.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

I'm Still Alive...

2012-04-28T18:10:00.000-05:00

I'm still alive and trying to teach myself Criminal Law before Tuesday morning. No big deal...

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

And so it begins

2012-04-23T20:37:00.003-05:00

My property exam is in the morning and...I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be. And so it begins. Two weeks, four exams, and the law review write on competition as soon as its over? Let's do this (puts on game face and imagines Eye of the Tiger playing in the background.)

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

2012-04-20T08:18:00.002-05:00

Sooooo, this thing has been in the stairwell at my apartment building for the past few days and I cannot figure out what it is. I am convinced it's a bat. Seriously hope I'm wrong!

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Crazy Stressful

2012-04-03T18:09:00.000-05:00

Dress: Forever 21+

Jacket: Hand me down

Shoes: Steve Madden via Amazon

This has been another one of those crazy stressful weeks that I talk about so often. My first final is the last week of this month so what I really want to do is focus on outlining, but the law school has other plans. I had a research test yesterday, a practice exam on Thursday as well as an oral argument, and in between I have had meetings, makeup classes, and regular reading assignments. Remind me why I signed up for this again...

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Birthday Parties and Swan Dresses

2012-04-02T05:31:00.000-05:00

Dress: eShakti

Cardigan: Target via Ebay

Belt: New York & Company

Shoes: Old Navy

Bracelets: Gifted

My grandmother had her 75th birthday not too long ago and this is what I wore to her party. It was on a weekend when I had a major paper due, so I didn't get to stay for very long, but it was nice to see family from out of town and say hello to a few family friends.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

"In another life I would make you stay so I don't have to say you were the one that got away"

2012-03-30T16:25:00.000-05:00

Shirt: Target

Cardigan: Target

Skirt: Gifted

Belt: Ebay

Bracelets: Gifted

Shoes: Old Navy

Earrings: Gifted

I wore this the day my Torts class did a mock trial. Some people dressed up more that day, others less. I tried to acknowledge the fact that I was speaking for my group by wearing a button down shirt and heels, but I kept a bit of my own personality in the outfit by wearing a printed cardigan and belt. I think it was the right choice for me.

*Title from "The One That Got Away" by Katy Perry.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Don't Judge Me

2012-03-26T20:52:00.000-05:00

Dress: Loft via Ebay

Tunic: New York & Company

Belt: Ebay

Earrings: Overstock.com

Bracelets: Gifted

Shoes: Steve Madden via Amazon

Last week was a beast. I had a mock trial in my torts class and a paper due Sunday night, but somehow I got through it and my reward for all of those late nights, early mornings is that new episodes of Make it or Break It and The Secret Life of the American Teenager begin today. Before you judge me for being a twenty-something who watches ABC Family, look at it from my perspective. I spend my days poring over legal textbooks and by the time I get home my brain has practically turned to mush. I can't handle anything too complicated once I get to that point so teenage pregnancy and fictional sports competitions are just about right.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

"I'm underneath the very moon that you see at night."

2012-03-23T17:27:00.000-05:00

Dress: Thrifted

Cardigan: Thrifted

Belt: Ebay

Cami: Forever 21+

Necklace: Primark (London)

Shoes: Payless

This is one of those spontaneous and unexpected outfits. You know the ones. You walk into your closet with no idea what you're going to wear, see two items hanging together and concede that the fates have made your outfit choice for you. I'm not sure how well you can see it in this picture, but I'm wearing the same pair of color block shoes I wore in this post as part of what is either an inspired color block mix or an all around bad idea. I think I like it, but I suppose I'll let the fashion jury decide :)

*Title from "Bedroom Light" by Laura Shay.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

A Commitment To Be A Healthier Me

2012-03-22T17:04:00.000-05:00

As a general rule I try to worry more about how I look than how much I weigh, but I've put on weight in the last few months so starting next week I am going to make a commitment to be a healthier me. Here are some things I plan to adjust to help me take off the extra pounds:

1) I am going to stop eating the free food at school. My section has a baking rotation for Torts class and clubs hold events with free lunch (often pizza) to draw a bigger crowd. Lately I have been so busy and stressed that I stopped packing my lunches on days when I knew there would be free food, but next week I am going to go back to bringing food from home so I can avoid all of those high fat, high calorie foods.

2) I am going to exercise at least 3 times a week. I always tell myself I am going to do this and then I get stressed out about an assignment and tell myself I don't have time to go to the gym. Starting next week I am going to make time instead of excuses.

3) I am going to stop buying bags of soft-baked snickerdoodles for my apartment. I have no willpower. Zero. Zip. Zilch. I should know by now that I can't be trusted when there are cookies in the cabinet and no one to save me from myself when I decide that I'll have just one more.

I'm sure other changes will be necessary if I am going to get my weight back under control, but I think I will start with these three and go from there. I am making a promise to myself that in a couple of months I will be a healthier, happier me.

Dress: Target

Blazer: Forever 21+

Belt: Ebay

Shoes: Payless

Bracelets: Gifted

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

It Only Looks Like an Obsession

2012-03-21T18:20:00.000-05:00

Cardigan: Thrifted

Top: New York & Co

Skirt: Gifted

Belt: Ebay

Bag: Gifted

Shoes: Alloy.com

I know it seems like I've been obsessed with this cardigan lately, but I actually wore this outfit on the same day that I wore the outfit in the last post. I had an after school event to attend and I decided business casual would be more appropriate than regular casual so I changed into this. It was a meet and greet type deal and even though the invitation said "casual attire" most people were a bit more dressed up than regular casual. I made the right call this time.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

I should get a medal.

2012-03-20T16:57:00.000-05:00

Dress: Forever 21+

Cardigan: Thrifted

Belt: New York & Company

Bracelets: Gifted

Earrings: Forever 21

Shoes: Steve Madden via Amazon

Cami: Forever 21+

If I make it through the rest of the month I should get a medal. I have a legal research assignment due tomorrow, a legal writing paper due Monday, a Torts assignment coming up, and a legal research test not long after that. On top of all that finals start at the end of next month so there are outlines to finish and supplements to pore over before then. You see what I mean? I should get a medal!

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

No Words and No Apologies

2012-03-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

Dress: eShakti

Cardigan: Target via Ebay

Belt: New York & Company

Earrings: Forever 21

Shoes: Steve Madden

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

"Let's do this one more time."

2012-03-16T21:40:00.000-05:00

If this week is any indication, it will be entirely too hot for scarves soon. I thought I would get in a few more scarf days while it's only 80 degrees out ;)

Dress: Old Navy

Cardigan: Target via Ebay

Belt: New York & Company

Scarf: Primark (London)

Bracelets: Gifted

Shoes: Steve Madden via Amazon

*Title from "Starships" by Nicki Minaj.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Business On Top, Practical on the Bottom

2012-03-15T17:24:00.000-05:00

Dress: New York & Company

Blazer: Ann Taylor via Ebay

Belt: Ebay

Shoes: Steve Madden via Amazon

Earrings: Gifted

First year students had professional photos taken recently and this is what I wore. I thought about wearing heels to complete the look, but I had a crazy busy day with an extra class, a study abroad meeting, and a couple of other things I had to get done and I knew my feet would never forgive me for the pain. I don't know. With the blazer and the sheath I almost look like a future lawyer or something ;)

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Southern Living

2012-03-14T15:40:00.001-05:00

It has been in the mid 70s to low 80s all week and I am taking full advantage of the warm weather to run around in bare legs again. At this rate it'll be hotter than the blazes by next month and I can start complaining about the weather before summer even reaches the rest of the country!

Dress: c/o eShakti

Shirt: Gifted

Earrings: Overstock.com

Shoes: Steve Madden via Amazon

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

"This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me."

2012-03-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

Going back to school after spring break is kind of like getting slapped in the face--with a semi truck. I went from getting enough sleep to not, having nothing that had to be done immediately to having several assignments and too many errands to count. It's a good thing I'm stubborn or I would have abandoned this law school thing a long time ago...

On the outfit front I was a little nervous about my selection. My skirt and shirt were both ruffly and on top of that I put on a floaty printed cardigan. I couldn't decide if it was too much when I put it on, but since I was running late I didn't really have time to second guess my selection and went with it. I wonder if other bloggers double up on the ruffles...

Top: New York & Co

Cardigan: Forever 21

Skirt: eShakti

Earrings: Overstock.com

Shoes: Steve Madden via Amazon

Belt: Ebay

*Title from "Part of Me" by Katy Perry.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

"You better get to gettin' on your goodbye shoes and go."

2012-03-12T17:58:00.000-05:00

Dress: Thrifted

Jeggings: Hue

Shoes: Alloy.com

Belt: New York & Co

Clutch: New York & Co

Bracelets: Gifted

I wore this on the day I went to have my driver's license renewed, and let me just say that when it comes to driver's license pictures I am cursed. When I was 16 and went to get my permit I liked my picture until I realized there was a rebellious piece of hair sticking up like a horn. The first time I had my license renewed I didn't realize they were going to take a new picture and I showed up with my hair in a mess and minimal makeup. This time I took my time with my makeup and I even tried to curl my hair, but somehow it wound up looking crazy anyway and I am stuck with another not so good license picture until I have to have it renewed again. Maybe next time the stars will align and I'll wind up with a picture I'm not ashamed of.

*Title from "Good Girl" by Carrie Underwood.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

"I hear the criticism loud and clear. That is how I know that the time is near."

2012-03-09T07:38:00.000-06:00

One of my aunts gave me this leather vest a few years ago for Christmas and I never wore it because it wasn't really my thing. I'm still not edgy enough to pull it off, but I am more sartorially adventurous than my pre-blog self so I decided to give the vest a chance. I tied my dress up in the back so that it was more of a tunic and paired it with the leather vest and a few accessories. It's not the most "me" outfit, but I don't think the fashion police would lock me up for this particular effort.

Dress: Old Navy

Jeggings: Hue

Vest: Thrifted

Scarf: Primark (London)

Belt: Ebay

Shoes: Steve Madden

Bracelets: Gifted

Earrings: Forever 21

*Title from "Fly" by Nicki Minaj.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

"And now I'm caught in the air. It's a good glide."

2012-03-08T18:40:00.000-06:00

I discovered the Huluplus app today at the gym and it was kind of marvelous. There are televisions in the exercise room at my apartment, but 1) my favorite shows are never on while I'm there and 2) I always wind up arriving when someone else has commandeered the remote and flipped to some asinine show that reminds me why I don't have a television in my apartment. The control freak in me likes being able to choose what I watch and when and today I put in some time on the stationary bike and explored what my Huluplus subscription had to offer. Who knows? I keep telling myself I'm going to go to exercise more often. Maybe with my new favorite app I'll actually stick to my goal.

Shirt: Old Navy

Cardigan: Old Navy

Jeggings: Hue

Boots: Steve Madden

Earrings: Forever 21

*Title from "Ready and Waiting to Fall" by Mae.

My Fashion Confession by Ashley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.