*how to have custom made clothing on a budget

A few weeks ago, eShakti reached out to me to review one of their products, and was so excited! I mean, free clothes will have anyone excited. Here's a little bit about my experience. 

I have a somewhat un-proportional body, so I opted to have a custom size (an additional $7.50). Most of my measurements were exact, though I did add a few to my chest measurement in case I wanted to wear a push up. 

It was a little too big in the chest, and a little too long (my length was "above the knee"), but once I washed it, it shrank just enough to fit perfectly. 

They offer sizes from 0-36W, and their principle is that "all women have the right to wear affordable fashion that is made for them and makes them look their absolute best".

The customer service and turnaround time was amazing! When I first selected my dress and filled out my address, there was an issue, and they weren't able to ship. I checked in 12 days later, and fixed things immediately - my dress was shipped via DHL Express, and I received it in 3 days from India. 

It arrived with tissue paper between the layers of the dress, with plastic packaging in a cardboard box, inside a DHL package. Nothing really special about it, but it did the job, and arrived in one piece. 

I'm in love with the silhouette, and how full the skirt is! I was tempted to pick the most expensive dress just so I could have a really fancy one for free, but the logical part of my mind prevailed, and I decided to go for the Daisy Dress (which does not have any daisies on it, and isn't even the color of daisies), so I can dress it up or down. 

I was trying to decide between this, a long floral maxi, a white eyelet skirt, or a chevron maxi dress. 

The prices are reasonable, especially for custom made clothing that gets to your house in 12 days, but once you factor in all the coupons, discounts, and sales they have, it's like Forever 21 priced clothing, but much better quality! Literally, you get $30 off just for registering. Also, many of their dresses have pockets!

The quality is decent, it didn't blow my mind, but it was what I was expecting. The cotton is on the heavier side, but wrinkles easily. Seams are all well done, and no threads unravelling. 

Check out their website, FB, Pinterest, or Instagram!

Today, I attempted the blogger jump, and let me just tell you, that sh*t is hard to do. I had to remember to do multiple things with multiple parts of my body, and being rather uncoordinated, this was a struggle. One day, I will be able to do this, and the fashion bloggers will accept me as one of their own. 

I've been working on getting some more detail shots, so enjoy this shoe candid. It is a candid because this is how I always stand, and we did not in fact take multiple photos just to get this one at a nice angle. No really. 

Also, this really cute snake ear hanger I got from Urban Outfitters! I love simple accessories, and this one fits the bill perfectly. 

On a more personal (and serious) note, I wanted to thank everyone who responded to my last post on catcalling. It really means a lot to me that you took the time to read or comment on it, and I truly appreciate the support from you. 

Although I will most likely not write about it again, and will be taking a break from my "musings", while I consider refocusing my blog, I love that I have people (who I've never even met!) that I can talk with. 

This is vice versa, of course, and if you're ever in need of anything, whether it be blog questions, style advice, or deep, dark, problems, I'm always available to talk at angeeleena34@gmail.com. 

Lastly, I'm (unreasonably) happy about the fact that if you squint, I almost look like I have arm muscles! Due to my ingrained aversion to the gym and all forms of sweat, I don't work out much, but I have been doing a ton of Blogilates videos. Cassey is always so cheerful and most of her videos don't involve weights, so you can do them anywhere!

What would you guys wear this dress with? When was your first sponsorship? What types of posts would you like to see more of? Finally, what are your tips for exercising for the lazy girl?

xx

Angelina

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*I was sent this dress for review purposes from eShakti. All opinions are 100% my own. 

dressing classy at the beach

When I was in Paris, I bought this gorgeous midi dress from Zara. They had run out of my size, so I had to go up one, and I didn't get around to altering it until a few days ago - right in time for a beach trip!

I've been trying to wear less "cringey" pieces (denim shorts and cotton leggings from middle school anyone?), and more classic ones that I'll be able to still wear in 5 years. I love how this dress can be dressed up and down for any event. 

Bonus - it's really loose, so I can eat as much as I want without worrying about popping any buttons. Almost as good as dresses with pockets!

Cries a little bit at my roots. I've been meaning to redye them forever, but I can't help wondering if I'll mess it up and have a slightly different color at the bottoms. You can read about how I got this hair here. 

I've never had a dress with material like this one, it was a little stiffer, and didn't stick to my body which was great (more chips to eat!!).

Body image has always been an issue for me, and I feel like I'm pretty close to accepting myself, but there's still so far to go. I feel like a lot of focus is on realizing that models in magazines aren't real, and I've always known that, for me, it's more that many of the people I interact with at school, who are definitely real, have the ideal body shape that I don't.

We were basically the only people at the beach, which is always nice because your backgrounds are so much cleaner. Also less people staring! We always get a few older men who will point blank stare - it's really uncomfortable, and sometimes I worry about safety. I wish we didn't have things like that to be concerned with. 

All in all, it was a great trip, and I'm very happy with how the photos turned out. We actually took a ton of different outfits in one trip, so stay tuned for the rest of them (edit: you can see a more casual take here, and read about my musings on friendship here)! 

p.s. if you haven't seen it already, our video!

xx

Angelina

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what to wear for a fancy events (no heels or dresses!)

I admire anyone who can wear heels comfortably for longer than 3 hours. Personally, I can't, and haven't yet mastered how to walk on anything other than concrete. Don't even get me started on cobblestone.

Other days you just don't feel very dress-like - they definitely have more potential for wardrobe malfunctions.

If you have a fancy event coming up, and don't want to wear heels or a dress, keep reading for three outfits made for you!

collared shirt + dark wash jeans + oxfords

pros: lots of movement, can be dressed down for hanging out after, looks good w hair up or down

cons: can get hot with a tank under, collars + jackets are difficult, half tuck falls out

wear to: business events, conferences, after-work meetings

details: shirt - hollister, jeans - american eagle, oxfords - dv by dolce vita

A few months back, I had a wedding, and wore this. I know, a shirt and pants to a wedding? But this was a special occasion, as I was working as a photography assistant, and needed maximum movement, while still looking put together.

I was able to put my hair into a ponytail (this was pre-lob) while maintaining the look, and didn't risk wardrobe malfunctions. 

I considered wearing flats at first, but decided I didn't want to risk the embarrassment of losing a shoe while running around, so I went with oxfords instead. Fun fact - the shoes are called oxfords, and the details on it are called broguing. Although it seems they're somewhat interchangeable? 

black chiffon tee + black pom-pom trim shorts + leopard d'orsay flats

pros: doesn't show stain easily, slimming, accessorize to your hearts content

cons: a lot of black, flats can slip off, cannot sneak due to accessories clicking

wear to: girls' night out, eating out, date night

details: shirt - nordstrom (lush), shorts - urban outfitters (ecote), flats - steve madden

Some days, all black is the only way to go. I love how chic black on black is, and the leopard flats keep the outfit from being too dark. I would encourage lots of accessories in this outfit to make it more visually interesting as well.

I'd been in love with these leopard print flats ever since I first saw them on Youtuber Eva Gutowski's Instagram, and I finally got them during Black Friday last year! Steve Madden always has these surprise sale cards they give out in store, and I happened to get one for 30% off. Unfortunately, the shoes hurt my feet when I wear them for too long. They ripped up the backs of my heels very bad the first time, and it was slightly better the second time I coaxed myself into wearing them, but I still haven't been able to spend a whole day in them.

pink maxi shirt + white cropped sweater + t-strap sandals

pros: unshaved legs are ok, skirt flows behind you like a goddess, ultimate twirling power

cons: tripping is likely, wind can blow the skirt the wrong way, hard to dance

wear to: garden party, brunch, daytime date

details: skirt - forever21, sweater - h&m, sandals - sam edelman

While technically, a skirt is very similar to a dress, with a maxi skirt, you have no possibility of flashing anyone, and wardrobe malfunctions are limited. The flowy aspect can be challenging - it'll either flow behind you as you walk, or the wind will blow it so it sticks to the back of your legs in a not completely flattering way. 

In the summer, I swap out the sweater for a thinly striped crop top. This also dresses it down, and makes it perfect for school or work!

I wore this outfit to a ballet, and it was absolutely perfect. It was in the city at night, so it was a little chilly outside and in the theater, but the skirt covered my legs and kept them decently warm. It looked great with a tan leather jacket. 

Hopefully these outfits have proven you don't need to wear heels or a dress in order to look put together for special occasions! Do you have anything coming up you'd be able to wear outfits like these to? What's your go-to special occasion uniform?

Let me know in the comments!

xx

Angelina

p.s. have nothing even vaguely fancy? check out how you can get almost new clothes for super cheap here! 

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