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Have you struggled to secure that top button on your branded shirt? Or wished the shoulders of a dress, otherwise a perfect fit, were narrower? Relax, the problem could soon be sorted out.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is set to launch a national sizing survey to develop India’s first country-specific size chart, which will give Indians — so far forced to choose from sizes followed by other countries — clothes that fit better.
When the sizing chart is ready, it would also lead to more business and lower rejection of items for the apparel industry, which has been happening a lot with the growth of e-commerce, the NIFT team implementing the project believes.
“Clothes that are tailored following a size chart specially developed for the Indian body size and shape will make Indians look more beautiful and feel more confident. It would also lead to more business and lower rejections,” Sarada Muraleedharan, Director General, NIFT, told BusinessLine .
At present, the Indian apparel industry largely uses tweaked versions of size charts of other countries, such as the US or the UK, which leaves a lot to be desired, said Rajesh Shah, Chairman, Board of Governors, NIFT.
“Projected returns of the garments are in the range of 20 per cent to 40 per cent, which is rising with the growth of e-commerce. A standardised size chart truly representative of the Indian population is the answer to the problem,” he said in an interaction with select media on Wednesday.
The pan-India size chart will not only give a boost to India’s domestic textile market, projected to touch $123 billion by 2021, but also boost exports as there is a huge demand for clothes stitched in India from the Indian diaspora, Shah added.
₹30 crore project
NIFT, which is getting a large part of the ₹30 crore required for the project from the Textiles Ministry, its parent body, is expected to begin its ambitious national sizing survey in three months’ time.
“Within one week we hope to complete the tendering process for the sophisticated whole-body scanner, which will be used to capture highly accurate 3D body maps in less than ten seconds,” Muraleedharan said.
“Soon after we will obtain the machines and simultaneously carry out the publicity process to generate awareness in the industry and among people. We should be able to start the survey in three months,” she added.
The project will involve measuring 25,000 males and females between 15 and 65 years in six cities — Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Shillong. The survey is likely to take about two years.
NIFT will also consult the apparel industry to align sizing requirements with the final pan-India size chart and to get its support for the survey, the DG said.
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