eShakti contacted me recently, and offered to send me an item of my choosing to review. If you're unfamiliar with eShakti, it's an online company dedicated to providing clothes for women sizes 0-26. The company's philosophy is beautiful and simple: "One size does not fit all and all sizes are not created equal. For too long women have been forced to conform to standard sizing that too often doesn't fit properly. At eShakti, a woman can shop for exactly what she wants - no compromise, no premium to pay."
When you order from eShakti, you can either order from their standard sizes, or, for an additional $7.50, have the item customized to your exact measurements. For most items, you can request additional alterations: dresses, skirts and coats can be shortened or lengthened according to your taste, as can sleeves and necklines. Among the measurements they require you to provide when you order a custom item is your bra size. As busty as I am, I was relieved that they asked for this particular measurement. It meant that I wouldn't have to contend with any unsightly gaping, which is the bane of every busty girl's existence. This is what recommends eShakti above all else: the company provides you with the ability to customize almost any item of clothing to suit your size, your shape, and your taste. And for $7.50, it's an absolute bargain.
I chose to order a customized Fair Lady Long Jacket. It arrived promptly and in pristine condition. The seams are neatly finished, and the buttons are sewn on very, very well. It usually comes to pass that as soon as I get a coat home one of the buttons pops off. Not so with this jacket! I also love the added detailing around the wrist cuff: two buttons and some adorable decorative loops. I'm extremely impressed with the workmanship of the ruffle, as well. It's very neatly hemmed, and securely stitched on to the jacket, so it won't be tearing any time soon! The coat itself is made of a very nice quality, lightweight wool. It's also fully lined. The lining is composed of a fairly thin fabric, but it seems sturdy, so despite it's relative thinness I suspect it will hold up quite well over time.
eShakti's customer service was superb. They post the care instructions for items right on the product's main page, but I thought I would email them anyway and see how they responded. I was fully expecting a form letter that said something to the effect of, "You can find that information on the product's main page." I was delightfully surprised when I received an email that not only included care instructions, but did not passive aggressively instruct me to "check the product's page." They answered my question directly and helpfully, which is quite rare where customer service is concerned.
If you're considering buying this jacket, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- It hits slightly above the knee, so if it bothers you to have a skirt or dress showing at the bottom of the coat then you may want to consider altering the length.
- According to the site, this jacket has a medium warmth factor. I'd say it's a light-to-medium warmth factor. It makes for a nice additional layer of wool, but if you're looking for a heavy jacket, this isn't a good choice for you.
- Though the jacket is fully lined, it's still made of wool. If you have skin that reacts poorly to wool, you may want to pick a different item.
- The jacket doesn't have any pockets. Just something to keep in mind.
For my part, I'm thrilled to pieces with the jacket. I ordered it a bit bigger than I needed, because I like to be able to pile on the layers in the winter, and the sizing is perfect. You could easily get it more fitted, though. I may end up belting it this fall and winter; we'll see.
My only complaint is that the jacket smelled a bit musty when it arrived. I hung it up to air out for a few days and the scent has more or less faded. I'm relieved it did, because it's dry clean only.
To recap: eShakti is amazing. You're guaranteed to find something that fits. Check out their site now. Go. Go now. Run! Don't walk! Are you running? You look like you're sauntering. RUN!
eShakti was kind enough to send me this item free of charge. This in no way affected my opinion of the item or the company. I'm an opinionated beast of a woman, so you can be sure that if I hadn't liked the item and/or company I would have said so. For serious.
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