Once upon a time, I tried to wear my clothing in a way that would accentuate the fact that I was large busted.  I did this mainly to keep people, mostly guys, from noticing that I also happened to have a large waist.  Through the years, I’ve matured enough to understand that immodest clothing captures the wrong type of attention.  I believe that modest clothing is actually more attractive than being scantily clad.  I echo Emma Watson’s belief that, “the less you reveal the more people can wonder.”  The problem is that cute modest clothing is hard to come by.  There are a few companies out there that cater to a modest audience, but eShakti has been the most appealing in options and pricing in my search thus far.

eShakti is an online clothing website that offers hundreds of clothing options, mostly dresses, that you can customize.  At the encouragement of a friend, I signed up on their website and started my search for the perfect dress.  Before I even had a chance to narrow my search down, a coupon for $40 OFF and free customization (a customarily $7.50 fee if you want it to fit your exact measurements) arrived in my e-mail Inbox.  I was stoked as most dresses were already fairly priced.  My problem was nailing it down to one dress.

I decided on the dress shown above, though the color I purchased it in is no longer available.  The dress shown is already modest.  However, I am self-conscious of my arms, so I wanted something with sleeves.  No problem.  There are multiple sleeve lengths to choose from.  You can also choose dress length, necklines, and the option of pockets (who doesn’t love pockets?) depending on certain dresses.  Most of their clothing can be customized, but not all.  Since the specific customization fee was being waived, I went ahead and had my friend do my measurements.  That’s always a humbling experience.  However, I made the mistake of doing my measurements with my clothes on and I feel like I may have overestimated my size.  The dress arrived today and it seems less flattering in the waist than I had hoped for.  Of course, there is the reality to face that my body is less flattering than it used to be in my eyes.

I do like the dress, but I will admit that I don’t LOVE it.  So, why am I still pumped enough about eShakti to share it here for my First Friday Find?  Well, for one thing, the price is right.  I paid $26.31 total, including shipping from India.  The shipping alone cost $11.95.  The dress was originally $79.95, but it was on sale for $55.95.  My friend tells me there is always a sale of some sort available on the site.  Then, I had the $40 OFF coupon just for signing up on the website.  Then, my friend informed me that you get an additional 10% OFF if you order from their website on your smartphone.  So, I loaded up my order, put in all my measurements, and then went on my phone to submit my order and received an additional $1.59 off.  Huzzah!

Another reason that I am sharing the site even though I’m not completely in love, is because I feel like some of it is my fault.  As I mentioned before, I am not confident my measurements were accurate having done them with several layers on.  Lucky me; they included a measuring ribbon in my package.  I plan to recheck all of my measurements.  My husband is more than willing to assist.  Lastly, I know that I am evaluating the dress through my self-conscious eyes.  I generally feel uncomfortable in light and bright colors.  I was determined, however, not to go the usual slimming black route.

Lastly, the quality seems legit.  I haven’t been able to give it the usual wear and tear test yet, but it seems it will hold up nicely.  I didn’t find any snags in the embellishments nor were there any loose threads.  And the surprisingly fun perk of this dress?  Having the tag show no size number, only the word “custom.”

Overall, I am pleased with my purchase, especially for the price, but not thrilled!  However, I’m looking forward to making another purchase with the hopes of thrilling results!  If you happen to sign up on their website and snag yourself a beautiful deal, please share it here!  I would love to hear about the experiences of others!  Happy shopping!