The Enshittification of eShakti

eShakti ghosted workers and customers alike, and the dream of something better than fast fashion died with it.

An illustation of an orange tropical print dress on a hanger. The neckline tag reads "eShakti" with a poo emoji. Above the dress, blocky letters read "The Enshittification of eShakti"

Credit: Rommy Torrico

The dress was an absolute stunner. Its floor-length skirt featured copious folds of cotton poplin patterned with white, navy, and kelly green chevrons. The sleeveless bodice hit me right at the waist, and a notch in the neckline gave just the right amount of flirt. And, of course, like all perfect dresses, it had pockets. 

The pockets were the headline. Everywhere I wore it—and I wore it a lot in the 2010s—I became a walking “Thanks, it has pockets!” meme. But the subhed was important, too. The dress was from eShakti, an India-based clothing manufacturer once beloved by shoppers—especially plus-size women like myself—who appreciated the company’s signature offering: made-to-measure garments at a reasonable price. Sure, I often had to wait a few weeks to receive my orders, but it sure beat getting drenched in sweat and despair in a mall-store fitting room, assuming mall stores even carried my size in the trendy, fashion-forward clothes I preferred. 

For a decade or so between 2012 and 2022, I was as much an eShakti evangelist as I was a “pockets” meme, and I felt even better about it thanks to the company advertising its commitment to “the health, well-being, and ethical treatment of all our employees worldwide.” eShakti was a unicorn in the fast-fashion forest. Their offerings were both on-trend and classic, and great for workwear, vacations, and even bridal styles. Before my wedding, I bought a cream-colored 50s-style cocktail dress to serve as my backup gown, because I am both curvy and mercurial: I wanted options for my look on that day, the big day. And eShakti literally delivered.

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