Sunglasses: Ray-Ban $100 (sale)
Dress: c/o PIOL Dress (regularly $500)
Shoes: Coach $100 (sale via Marshalls)

If you are pear-shaped like I am (which means wider on your bottom half than your top half) then you know finding a dress that fits your perfectly is one of the biggest challenges.

This is why I almost exclusively gravitate toward A-line dresses -- I can usually pick a size in between what's needed for the top & the bottom and be OK (the top is always still a little loose, the bottom always a little snug, but it "fits").

I could take items to a tailor, but to be honest, I own so many dresses and buy them on sale so often that it's really not worth it to pay half the cost of the dress to have it altered. Maybe I'll change my mind about this in the future when I'm "older & wiser" though.

So, long story short, I was excited a few weeks ago to learn about PIOL Dress - a company that lets your design your own dress made to your custom measurements. Talk about a perfect fit!

The PIOL DRESS system is three-fold and inspired by Edith Head, a famed costume designer during Hollywood's Gold Age. You might recognize her work with Audrey Hepburn in a little film called "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

The process is super easy - visit their website & start their design survey. You'll select your skin tone, hair color, eye color, etc. and they'll recommend a color aura for you. These are colors that will make you "pop." PIOL offers beautiful fabrics from Italy, France and Japan in colors and prints that are designed specifically to highlight your individual coloring.

Next you'll select from 5 different silhouettes, and then custom choose the neckline, skirt and sleeve type. While I naturally gravitated to the A-line styles, I decided to go with a shift dress style -- something I've never been able to wear properly without alterations.

The last step is fit. You'll put in your body measurements (And be honest! Now is not the time to lie about your size.) and they'll hand cut and sew your dress in NYC's garment district. It will be delivered in three to four weeks.

Needless to say, I'm absolutely in love with my custom-made dress! It suits my hair color (even when I go back and forth between red & brown), fits me PERFECTLY, and is just fun to wear.

I thought about doing a simple, solid color dress, but what's life without a little whimsy. Even with the bold pattern, this dress is perfect for several occasions -- job interview, work conference, wedding, etc.

My only complaint is that I wish you could also customize the sleeve hole opening. The sleeves, while they fit, are a little tight. I can obviously move around it in, but I won't be reaching overhead in this dress.

Depending on the style you choose, the price is around $500-$600, which is steep if you're on a budget, but still on-par (or less than) many lower-level designer dresses. The point though is that this isn't a trend, this is an investment piece that will fit you perfectly and get you through many years.

I think in the future I might consider PIOL Dress for bridesmaid dresses. Many bridesmaid dresses cost the same (before alterations even). And how fun would it be to let those closest to you build a dress that fits & suits them perfectly?

Thank you PIOL Dress for helping me finally get the perfect shift dress!

About PIOL Dress
PIOLdress.com is a revolutionary website by which a woman can design her perfect, make-to-measure dress. Combining advanced make-to-measure technology with an intelligent system of design, PIOL offers customization at its highest level. It is a personalized lesson in fashion and styling.

Disclosure: The dress worn in this post was received free-of-charge for review purposes. Compensation was not provided. All views are my own.

This post originally appeared on Samantha Chic.