Back in April I was invited to preview the Summer 2014 collection from Ellie Kai. It was a lovely party, and the best part was that they offered me a chance to experience the ordering process by choosing a dress made just for me. Yes, made just for me. That is the brilliant concept behind Ellie Kai. You pick a silhouette and size and then proceed to customize it with choice of fabric, color, and extras like lengthening or shortening the skirt. I chose the Charlotte dress and had it made up in a tile patterned electric blue 100% silk.

It is my new favorite dress.

This dress is so polished looking, and yet so easy to wear. As mother to an energetic three-year old boy, I do not have hours to get ready for anything. I need things that are effortless to pull together and get me out the door looking fabulous in minutes. These photos? Taken after pushing a stroller 10+ blocks in 85 degree weather to a playdate. The dress cares not, it still looks fabulous.

The details of the clothes are amazing. The fabrics Ellie Kai uses are so beautiful – within five minutes of arriving at the trunk show I had to ask what the fabric content was of a dress I was admiring. I couldn’t stop touching it, it was so soft! The colors are seriously dreamy. Here’s a close-up of that electric blue I went with: 

The finishing details are great. I learned to sew at a young age from my mother who learned to sew at the hands of some very strict Catholic school nuns. I was taught to never leave my seams unfinished and how to finish a hem by hand with invisible stitches. I am extraordinarily picky about how my good clothes are constructed, and this dress? It is oh so good.

I am 5’6″ and the regular length hit my leg just where I wanted it to with no alteration. As far as getting the dress home? It took a little less than a month for it to arrive. A custom-made dress in my hands in less than a month’s time! For the current collection blouses run $115 to $155 while dresses are $155 to $195. To experience Ellie Kai for yourself, visit their website and see when a trunk show will be near you. I cannot recommend touching these fabrics in person enough! Even without a trunk show though, you can order from their website with confidence. There are so many beautiful pieces, it was hard to choose just one!

I’ll leave you to your designing now. For me, it’s back to reality…

Disclosure: I was provided with a dress for the purposes of this review – no other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.