The single most common reason an order comes back to us is size, and almost every time the cause is the same: the buyer read the letter and ignored the numbers.
Indian sizing is numeric first
Indian labels size by bust measurement in inches. A “38” is a 38-inch bust. The letter – S, M, L – is a rough translation bolted on afterwards, and different manufacturers bolt it on differently. One label calls a 38 a Medium; another calls it a Large. Both are telling the truth about the number and guessing about the letter.
So: use the number, ignore the letter. If a product page gives you a bust measurement, that is the fact. If it only gives a letter, ask us before ordering.
A working conversion
| Indian size | Bust (in) | Roughly US |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | 32-33 | 0-2 |
| 36 | 34-35 | 4 |
| 38 | 36-37 | 6-8 |
| 40 | 38-39 | 10 |
| 42 | 40-41 | 12 |
| 44 | 42-44 | 14-16 |
Treat this as a starting point, not gospel. Our size guide has the full version including men’s kurta and lehenga sizing.
Measure a garment, not yourself
The most reliable method is not a tape round your body – it is a garment you already own and like the fit of. Lay it flat, measure across the chest from seam to seam, double it. That is the bust measurement to match.
It works because it accounts for how much ease you actually like, which no size chart knows.
Three things that trip people up
- Blouse sizes run small. A stitched saree blouse in a 38 is cut close. If you are between sizes on a blouse, size up.
- “Free size” is not free. It usually means it fits roughly a 36-40 bust with elastic or a drawstring somewhere. It is not one-size-fits-all.
- Semi-stitched means a tailor is involved. The garment is left with extra fabric at the seams. The size shown is the maximum it can be let out to, not the size it arrives as.
When in doubt, size up
Ethnic wear is much easier to take in than to let out, particularly anything with embroidery running along a seam – once you cut into zari work you cannot put it back. A local tailor can take a kurti in for very little. Nobody can add fabric that is not there.
And if you are genuinely stuck between two sizes, email us the product link and your measurements. We would rather spend five minutes answering than process a return.