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.)