Perfect fit

Gurnaaz Kaur

Well, let’s be honest. One size fits none!  Inside any apparel store, you have to be sure about that magic number for your body type. When you wear that perfect dress, the feeling of being too curvy or too short can be heartbreaking. The industry standards need not be applicable to all, but, finally, our government is all set to find a solution. Starting this March, it will work to prepare a comprehensive ‘Indian Size’, which can be adopted by the country’s apparel industry.

Welcome step

City-based designer Shruti Singla, who has participated in fashion shows with Rocky S and Wendell Rodricks, deals in both couture and prêt lines for over six years and she feels it’s a welcome step. “I remember my teachers were doing Phd on this topic. There’s been a need for it since the beginning. Within India itself, when it comes to body shapes, women in east and south are so different from the north, so depending on western sizes to fit our body size has been a compromise that people have been used to. A measurement size especially for Indians will really help those who sell online and I am one of them.”

Global boost

For Rachit Khanna, who is mostly into couture, this was a matter he dealt with long ago. “We know there is no standard size when it comes to Indian-wear. It’s entirely customised but at the same time, we had to have styles for display, so we collected data based on our visitors, tallied it with the retailers in Ludhiana and prepared our own size chart. Having said that, I think it would be a breakthrough for Indian market as a size chart would definitely help. It will also boost Western-wear market globally for Indians living worldwide.”

Retail market boost

Known to blend high-end and street, the queen of kitsch, Nida Mahmood, also welcomes the idea. “It will boost our retail market plus help our own diaspora. We will become influence-drivers for foreign companies too.” And when asked if the mass-market chains such as Zara or Marks and Spencers will incorporate the size chart, she sounds hopeful. “May be. We can’t deny India is a big market for them.” Another online luxury label that has a global following is Sonya Vajifdar and this designer is of the opinion that, “It’s important for companies that mass produce to be following some sort of size guideline, especially the ones that retail online as that will help with their returns too.” That’s a valid point. Online shopping is a mix of trial and error and going by facts and figures, returns of garments are in the range of 20 to 40 per cent and the main reason cited by customers is poor garment fit. This costs billions! 

Future course

While India’s apparel industry uses size charts, which are tweaked versions of sizes of other countries, one uniform size will be a much-lauded addition. Agrees Ludhiana-based celeb designer Sonu Gandhi, “I am so happy to know there will be a tool that will help us make some standardised clothing for retail. There’s no science that Indian body type is very different from European or American body type. Our average height is less, we are fuller—these points need major consideration, which are finally being taken into account.” Get set for the right fit!

gurnaaz@tribunemail.com