It’s not uncommon for us to remember what we were wearing at significant moments in our lives. The scarf you wore when you met your partner, a lucky pair of socks or the interview outfit that witnessed you landing your dream job. Even the least sentimental person can appreciate the significance of the clothing for the magic rituals of humanity. For me – wedding dresses, 18th birthday party frocks and communion dresses are the ones that come to mind.
When it comes to formal dressing up, who among us dress wearers has not enjoyed spinning around in something long and voluminous, feeling like a fairytale princess. I personally have a satin mermaid ball gown that makes me feel like a holywood sophisticate (despite my 5’1″ stature). The feeling of wearing garments like these that are a touch enchanted creates tiny memorable moments that enhance the occasion. Just a fleeting second of how the drape looked just perfect to you catching your reflection, or the way the fabric looks in summer evening light. When recollecting these moments, I definitely have small momentary memories of what I was wearing and how what I was wearing made me feel.
It isn’t so often you find a dress that can elevate that bittersweet feeling of life transition attire that also serves as everyday office wear. Creating dresses that can transform a 30 min tube journey into something just a little more evocative probably wasn’t the design brief, but they still nail it. I have 7 dresses from eshakti and they all bring these tiny moments of magic to my work day.
Pre-covid, I worked on a particular upmarket street in London that was a popular destination for instagrammers. I was stopped numerous times by strangers to compliment these dresses and ask where it came from. Obviously, there was always the obligatory “thanks, it has pockets” moment.
I have found their dresses have a lot more fabric in the skirt than similar designs for the same target market, at least in the styles I have, and this is the key to their charm. The specific designs on offer change frequently but the general offering is simple tailoring, good fit and high quality fabric.
When it comes to the tailoring side of things, the custom fit offering is an absolute game changer. Given the wide range of shapes and sizes humans come in, I believe there is a genuine happiness to be had in having clothes that fit you exactly right, that then make you feel good when you wear them. I am sure I am not alone in having many times had that crushing feeling of standing alone in a changing room when the garment that seemed perfect on the hanger is not wide enough for your hips or is too tight on the arms. It is hard to remember in those moments that the garment should fit you as you are, and you are not obliged to change to fit that garment. I also doubt I am not the first person to convince myself I can live with it because the pattern is so lovely. These purchases rarely last, they clutter your home and really, who does their best work when they aren’t comfortable. I have undoubtedly saved myself time and cash by investing in my eshkati dresses, as I wear them over and over again.
So back to my instagram street, and I am walking back to the office with an entire meal deal in my pockets. That’s right, did you really think given the flowy skirts they would be skimping on the pockets? Easily you can have the phone and office door pass in them at the same time too. If you are like me and like to sneak a little walk to get lunch while listening to music and getting lost in your own thoughts, it’s nice not to have to have that broken up by a search for the door pass.
Then all of a sudden there is a little bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket too, and I am on my way home in my most favorite summery eshakti dress. It is the first spring-ish day of the year and I have the sentimental music of the artist whose concert I have tickets to playing on my headphones – the concert has been postponed now. The rush of air from the tube blows my dress in exactly the right way to give me just a hint of feeling like a fairytale princess. My last commute before the first lockdown when the world changed forever, and what a perfect garment to transition with me through it.
Dresses With Pockets 