I’m going to cut to the chase and acknowledge the elephant in the room, which is that, yes, I am wearing a dress. A somewhat dressy dress. In the middle of a global pandemic when I’m supposed to be sheltering in place. And yes, even though I’m allowed out in public to exercise and make supply runs, I felt very obvious walking around my neighborhood in a zebra-print maxi dress. I’d like to think it’s because this dress is so beautiful—and it is—but when everyone else in your vicinity is wearing athleisure and you’re in a floor-length gown, you can’t help but stick out like a sore thumb. That said, I have contractual obligations and social distancing was fully observed while shooting this post. Plus, we’ll be able to return to normal soon, so might as well dress for it, right? Right! So let’s talk about this dress that I can’t wait to wear again for real. This is my second dress from eShakti (you last saw me in another maxi dress about a year ago), and for those who aren’t familiar, it’s a site based in India that lets you customize your garments, tweaking the neckline, sleeves, and length, and/or totally tailoring them to your specific measurements. I have been too lazy to do all of my measurements the last two times, but I’d highly recommend doing so—eShakti’s dresses are incredibly well made for the price, and getting something totally custom at these rates is almost unheard of. This dress comes with a band collar, but I changed mine to a shirt collar; kept the sleeves as-is; and lengthened it to ankle-length so it felt like more of a true maxi dress (it was supposed to be 4 inches above the ankle). I was expecting the colors to be more of a true black and white, but they’re actually a tan and very dark brown, which, it turns out, is way more flattering and less harsh against the skin. The dress is ridiculously well made—it’s fully lined, and it has thoughtful details like two hidden buttons along the inside of the placket, so you don’t have boob-gape (which is normally a huge problem for me with most things that button in front). The fabric is polyester but feels (almost) like silk. Oh, and most importantly: it has pockets! If you’ve never ordered from eShakti before, you can get 30% off your first purchase, but even if you have, their dresses are totally worth it, especially if you normally need tailoring. Just take the time to do your measurements—you have lots of time right now, don’t you? 😉 Pairing a pretty dress with a leather moto jacket is one of my favorite styling tricks, and yes, you’ve seen me do it a gazillion times with this Banana Republic jacket in particular, but hey, if it works, it works. Obviously I love this jacket because I feature it all the freaking time here (most recently with my favorite Anine Bing sweatshirt), but today’s your lucky day, because it’s 50% off through 4/1 during BR’s friends & family sale (you’re welcome). Speaking of things I love, I’ve pretty much been carrying this Fount bag nonstop since they sent it to me a few weeks ago. It’s real leather and buttery soft; the color is somewhere between dark gray and brown, which puzzled me at first but I quickly found that it goes with literally everything. Plus, the size is perfect for running to the store, walking the dog, neighborhood strolls—you know, all the limited activities we’re allowed to do while social distancing. I love that the strap is adjustable, and that the bag holds way more than it appears to. And the leather is just going to get better with age. I almost never wear heels with maxi dresses—it seems kind of beside the point—and because I am all about comfort nowadays, I decided to wear my Gucci loafers with this outfit. I tend to wear them more with pants (like I did back in January), as they don’t always create a flattering line with skirts, but in this case, since they’re just peeking out from the long, full skirt, I think they provide a nice bit of masculine-feminine contrast. And did I mention how comfortable they are? Don’t forget to size down—I normally wear a 38.5 in Gucci, but these are a 38. OUTFIT DETAILS: eShakti zebra dress (c/o) | Banana Republic moto jacket | Fount Coventry bucket bag (c/o) | Gucci Brixton loafers (also here or here)