With a summer season of weddings, races, polo and parties on the horizon, every girl's worst nightmare is turning up in the same dress as someone else. It happened to me at a wedding two years ago and I haven't stepped in Monsoon since - massive fashion fail. For those of you who might not be handy with a needle and thread (and who don't have the budget for couture...) I might have found the solution...
StyleShake is a bespoke fashion website that allows you to be your own designer and create the perfect outfit by choosing fabrics, colours, shapes and styles that suit you; be it a dress, top or skirt, the possibilities are endless. A step-by-step design tool will guide you seamlessly through the design process, allowing you to try out different necklines, sleeves, skirts and trims as you go along, allowing you to chop and change to see how things fit together before selecting your final design which can then either be created in a standard size, or for a small extra cost made to measure, a great option to get a real quality fit.
After much deliberating over colours and fabrics (selecting them is the hardest part!) I decided to create a smart work dress in a steel grey silk. WIth a drop waist, deep V-neck, short puff sleeves and a fabulous flared skirt, the whole design process took a matter of minutes... at least it would have had I not been so indecisive - the only problem you may encounter is that the sheer choice on offer will have you wanting to order several pieces! After taking my measurements, I placed the order - the whole process was beyond simple. At just £99 for a custom made-to-measure silk dress, it seemed too good to be true. The dress arrived (after a slight delay...) a couple of weeks later, beautifully made, flawlessly stitched and perfectly finished. It fits perfectly around my bust, an area that is the bane of my life, and though slightly too big on the hips I suspect that may have something to do with my manic pre-holiday diet regime as opposed to bad making.
The StyleShake experience is perfect if you are looking for something a little bit different with your own twist to it. The sky is the limit - one look at the on-site gallery of past orders had me pondering new designs I hadn't even considered. FYI - it's also a great option for bridesmaid's dresses; if you're finding it impossible to find dresses for maids with different shapes, you can create them all in the same colour and fabric with an individual style to suit everyone. Try it out, you may just find yourself with a new wardrobe.
Love Laurel x
