Have you ordered from eShakti?

I’ve been keeping an eye on the eShakti website for a while now (years, probably) but have resisted ordering this whole time. I do check in occasionally to see what’s new but nothing has ever really grabbed me. The dress to the right is really tempting, though and the custom sizing and styling options are hard to pass up.

However, the reviews I’ve read are so hit or miss, I’m extremely hesitant to order. For example, this review sounds like a total nightmare but this review on Fatshionista sounds pretty great. See why I’m confused?

If you’ve ever ordered from eShakti and can share your experience with me, either in the comments for this post or through my contact form, I’d really appreciate it! I’d like to just take a chance and order so I can write my own review but I want a better idea of what I’m getting myself into first.

Comments

[Jessica]

I gave it a gamble a few weeks ago. It took longer than they initially said it would, but I did eventually receive the tiny package that contained my smooshed up knit dress. The gathers and sewing has very hodgepodge quality standards and things didn't seem to line up just right, but I wear it as an easy summer dress instead of the streamlined dress I thought it would be. The bust was a wee bit too big for my sizing, but after a little bit of fashion tape (I love that stuff) and a couple of self-sewn stitches to hold a few things down it passes in public. I'm on the fence about giving it another go considering the quality of sewing and layout is hasty.

[MM]

Never ordered from them before, but that is a very pretty dress...

[Tracy]

I ordered a top from eShakti and I am not totally pleased with it. The top was really sheer and the camisole they sent with it did not make things better. Pay attention to the descriptions.

I don't know if I will order from them again.

[Nichole Lemons]

I ordered this dress:
http://www.eshakti.com/clothpdpage.asp?catalog=Clothes&cate=in+bloom&productid=CL0015371&pcat=dresses

I did NOT go with the custom sizing, I just ordered one of their standard sizes (I'm about an 18). This dress fit me perfectly and i loved it! It did take a LONG time to get to me, but now I see that they ship in 7 days. Don't be surprised if your package gets opened by US Customs either, that happened to me on my second order. That second order was a tank top that was MUCH too big for me.

So overall, it kind of is hit or miss. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my dress but I have yet to wear the tank and it was almost a year ago that I purchased that.

[Lucy]

I ordered from there once about a month and a half ago, getting 3 dresses. One is a nice, stretchy jersey dress that is perfect- lots of seems and dimension. The other is a simple cotton tunic dress with a tie- it has very little shape but none was expected. The last was my favorite of all of them- a dress I bought for a party (I gave it 4 weeks and it showed up 2 weeks after the party). I adored it-- the most delicious maxi dress over. My only problem with it? I still haven't figured out how to wear it. I should probably return it but I keep intending to try to figure it out with friends. And, should it actually work, it would be ridiculously wonderful.

Overall, they're VERY slow, the fabrics are less than lush, and they're very hit or miss. I also did not try the custom sizing. I did change the sleeves on one (the tunic-y) one and that worked. You're also required to input your height and they all did seem to be the perfect length.

Good luck!

[MoxieDO]

That site has me drooling!!! I think I am going to give it a try!

[Lauren]

I've ordered three dresses, in two separate orders. The first was a different color than the photo (which was grey). It's no longer on the site but it looks like this one but in khaki http://eshakti.com/clothpdpage.asp?catalog=Clothes&cate=in+bloom&productid=CL0016031&pcat=dresses. Good thing I like khaki. The fabric is nice and cotton and the embroidery is pretty. It came in about two weeks and fit according to the standard size chart.

The other two....gosh. Well, one went back and one went to the tailor. The fabric on the one (http://eshakti.com/clothpdpage.asp?catalog=Clothes&cate=jersey+knit&productid=CL0015919&pcat=Knits) was too thin, and it was tight in the middle. The other (http://eshakti.com/clothpdpage.asp?catalog=Clothes&cate=color+theory&productid=CL0015758&pcat=dresses) is totally flimsy, but I just love the color and the bodice so much. It was way too long (which is weird since I did the custom length) and a little baggy, but I'm going to make it work.

The frustrating thing is they came so slowly, and didn't give me any updates until I emailed them to ask about my order status. I felt like they forgot about me. And they have a strict return policy, so you have to immediately send something back if you don't like it.

I find their clothes so pretty on the site, but completely hit or miss in execution.

[Catgal]

I have ordered from them twice. First time I tried custom sizing, and it seems a general consensus that when you do that garments come in WAY TOO BIG! I never wore my top, I didn't like the fabric.

The second time I went with standard sizing, ordered 3x and although it took a long time for the order to arrive, it looks like the garments will work, although I haven't worn them yet...

[Calligrafiti]

I ordered this: http://www.eshakti.com/clothpdpage.asp?catalog=Clothes&cate=little+black+dress&productid=CL0015259&pcat=dresses

It took a little longer than I expected, but it was quite nice when it got here. The embroidery and beading on the shoulders seems pretty nicely done--no loose threads or beads. I ordered the 2x and it fits pretty well, but if you check out the dress you'll see it's not that closely fitted. My only complaint is that the event I ordered it for was canceled, so I haven't had a chance to show it off yet.

[Colleen]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to share your experiences with me. I'm still undecided but that's ok, I'll probably end up ordering something anyway :)

[notblueatall]

I have bought three items from eshakti and love them all. I always choose the custom sizing option as I am normally a 28/30. I love the quality of the cotton they used and even when I bought a silk dress it was perfect (okay, there was a side zipper where none was needed, but who cares). I don't know why there are so many mixed reviews...I can't be that lucky! =0)

[Stacy]

I ordered 3 dresses from them last Sunday, two arrived on Friday, and the third will be here on Monday. I went with custom size on all 3, since my proportions are non-standard (all hip, no breast). Of the 2 I've got one fits like a glove (seriously, a touch snug), and the other like a dream (just perfect). They are both thin cotton, with a lining of more very thin cotton, which seems perfect for July. I'll be ordering from them again soon.

[Alexis]

My review was quoted over at Fat Stylist:
http://www.fatstylist.com/2008/06/18/eshakti-might-not-be-legit/

@ notblueatall: yeah, you can be that lucky. A lot of us have had legitimate and fairly egregious complaints about Eshakti. Have you seen the review by freshmermaid on Fatshionista? Her dress was laughably off mark.

[Unhappy]

I ordered over $1,700.00 worth of items....I have not recieved all of my order. The clothes that I custom ordered don't fit, they run too big. As for the quatlity. Seems to be a hit or miss. The silk seems good quality. Some of the styles are not my taste. As for ordering regular sizes it works well. I am in the process of finding out what happened to the rest of my clothes and where are they? Either that or a refund.

[Yede]

I have orderd and loved it. More than once. Everything seems so custom and you will be the only one you know with the items. The close are pretty. Shipping cost more that it should.

[Nawana Holt]

I purchased 7 garments and paid the additional customization fee. Long and short...the garments didn't fit, they were too small as the measurements were not followed at all. I could accept the bad fit if I could even get the garment over my head and past my shoulders. I gave them a measurement of 22" for the shoulders, the shirts were 17-18". I'm 5'10 with a 46" bust. There was no way the shirts were wide enough for 46" nor very long. Additionally, some of the shirts had size labels (size 22) attached while some had "custom" labels. That leads me to believe that although I paid for customization for all, some of the shirts were just pulled off the shelf. I asked to have the shirts remade. The company refused and decided to refund.

Now what they refunded me...They refused to refund the customization fee which was charged separate from the garments and shipping. On order one, the cost of the garments alone was $167.80, the company refunded $112.80. On order two, the cost of the garments alone was $174.85, the company refunded $144.85.

At this point I'm reporting them to my credit card company to get my money back.

I strongly suggest you do NOT/NOT order any customized garments. They can't follow the measurements given and it appears that they don't understand simple math.

[Dawn]

fyi, the BBB has more than 30 complaints filed against eShakti for problems. I returned two dresses ($50 each) and they credited me $39. When I emailed them the original order form, they said they would get back to me in two days. Never did. I called and they said they would give me the full credit and email me. Never heard from them. I've written again threatening to file a complaint. Seriously their clothes look really nice but if you have to return things it's a nightmare.