Wednesday, November 28, 2012

My Style >> Deep Purple


I'm not going to lie.  I don't dress up very often. I'm sure that those of you who work from home can relate to the fact that it takes a special occasion to get me out of yoga pants and an oversized tee.  I do change out of my pajamas (95% of the time anyway), but it's rare that I put on makeup or anything that requires tights or fancy shoes.  And if I'm going out, I tend to lean toward loose, bohemian-style dresses.  But when there is a special occasion - a wedding, a fancy dinner, a holiday party - the little girl in me who once loved nothing more than to put on a pretty dress and shiny jewelry emerges.  So when we had plans to attend a semi-formal holiday gathering last week, I was all about getting decked out in my new deep purple gown. 

This dress is actually called 'Deep Purple,' and was made by a company called eShakti.  Their mission is to provide well-fitting garments for women - including customization of style and sizing - that are also affordable.  Which means I got to not only make the changes I wanted to the design (I chose to shorten the length by a few inches), I also got to provide my exact measurements so that the finished product was tailor made for my body.  My frame on top is small but I have hips, which makes finding more formal clothes that actually fit me a challenge.  And as a clothing designer myself, I know the time involved in tailoring something perfectly to a person's body.  So when the dress arrived, I was impressed - both with how well it fit and how quickly it came.


It's a little hard to tell in the pictures, but the gold ballet flats are covered in glitter.  And they're actually from my wedding reception.  I wore gold glitter heels for the ceremony that were gorgeous but excruciatingly uncomfortable.  I ended up finding these Steve Madden flats at DSW about a week before our big day and knew they'd come in handy once the reception started.  They did too.  I think it was approximately 15 minutes after the ceremony ended that I threw the heels in a corner and put these babies on instead.  They're kind of the perfect addition to fancy dresses, especially during the holidays when a little shimmer just feels right.  The clutch (which I also wore in my butterscotch dress post last month) was purchased years ago at H&M and has become my go-to clutch for more formal occasions.


The pretty gold cocktail ring and the chandelier earrings were gifts from my mom and sister last Christmas, and the charm bracelet (which is my all-time favorite) was my grandmother's and includes charms from all of the different countries she's visited.  Sometimes I'm actually scared to wear it because my heart would be absolutely shattered if I lost it, but it's just too incredible to keep hidden away in a jewelry box.

Also, I have to say that I was really pleasantly surprised by the comfort level of this dress. The fabric is nice and heavy (without being cumbersome) with a perfect drape.  And although the top is quite fitted, it doesn't feel restricting.  I think I might have fallen a little bit in love with this whole tailor made concept.

Dress: c/o eShakti  //  Earrings + Ring: gifts  //  Bracelet: grandmother's   
Clutch: H&M  //  Tights: Target  //  Shoes: Steve Madden

Oh yeah, and this dress - custom style/fit and all - sells for $84.95.  I know.  It's kind of amazing. 

Do you like dressing up or are you more into casual attire? And have you ever owned a custom fit piece?  (I'm thinking I may need to ask santa for another one, because I'm sold.  FYI.)

Follow Bubby and Bean

Bubby and Bean on Bloglovin

22 comments:

  1. Wow, gorgeous dress! Purple is my favorite color so I was immediately drawn to your post. I'm starting to lean towards a more tailored fit for all of my clothes. My body just isn't made for a one-size-fits-all type of wardrobe ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. such a cutie!the dress is so lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Super gorgeous color. Purple is so luxurious!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love this dress and you look so pretty! And I can totally relate to the not dressing up often thing.
    Carlee
    Almost Endearing

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is nice to see someone using the accessories that were gifts, and not just locking them up in a drawer somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my gosh that dress is gorgeous!!! You can tell it was tailor-made for you, perfection!! :-D

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful dress I love deep purple such a pretty and royal color! Great shoes as well.

    I make custom fitting dresses and clothes in my Etsy shop at unique1985.etsy.com so if you ever need anything making let me know and I will be happy to help :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Purple is DEFINITELY your color!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful! That rich purple looks great on you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very fancy! Love that color. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. melissa, that purple on you is superb! darling clutch too. sometimes i like to keep it casual, and sometimes i like to dress up, depending on my mood. if my mom sewed my clothes when i was younger, does that mean they were tailor made? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Obviously made for you! The colors and the cut. Perfection!

    ReplyDelete
  13. so pretty. one of my favorites on you.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Gorgeous dress, so pretty! Love that shade of purple! Gotta agree with you I rarely dress up. I prefer yoga pants and a baggy tee. Or skinnies and a baggy tee. Comfort is a top priority for me!

    xx Natalia
    http://elantheblog.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks so much for your comments you guys! xo, m

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am such a simple girl and don't dress up or get fancy often either. This dress is seriously pretty! Love the color. And I love the charm bracelet and the story behind it. =0)
    ~Kim

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ohhhh! I absolutely LOVE this outfit. I love the story behind your bracelet, especially. :D Charm bracelets are amazing, and I can't help but wonder all of the places she traveled to now!

    eShakti is amazing - I don't have anything from them yet, but considering finding anything that fits me "just right" is a small miracle, I definitely wanna try them out.

    You look so fancy and pretty!!! <3 I'm more of a casual girl myself, but I do love gettin' fancy every now and then. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Purple is my favourite colour, you are perfect in this dress. I went thru eShakti and they can send within 7 days, price is also reasonable.

    ReplyDelete
  19. You look fab in that shade of purple. I used to dress up nice all the time, but somehow as I've gotten older, comfort trumps fancy. Also, I have those gold flats--aren't they the best??

    Jane
    harleyandjane.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your dress is gorgeous! I considered that one, too. The color is just epic.

    I also wish there were more reasons to dress up! Maybe you and I need to host a fancy blogger party in Chicago and everybody can wear something fancy.

    ReplyDelete
  21. You look so beautiful in purple.
    http://shannonhearts.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for commenting! We love reading your thoughts and we're grateful for your input. (All spam will be deleted.)