The single change that fixes most online sizing mistakes: stop reading the size label and start reading the garment measurements. An Indian medium is not a fixed quantity. It varies by brand, by category and sometimes by drop within the same brand.
This guide covers how to measure properly, how to read a size chart that is actually useful, and brand-by-brand notes on which labels on Stylera run large, small or true.
Why "medium" means nothing
There is no enforced sizing standard in Indian apparel. One brand's M has a 40-inch chest; another's has 42. A streetwear label cutting oversized deliberately builds four extra inches into the same letter that a formal shirt brand uses for a slim fit.
This is why buying by label across brands produces a wardrobe where half the pieces fit. The letter tells you almost nothing; the centimetres tell you everything.
Measure yourself once, properly
Five numbers, a soft tape, ten minutes. Write them in your phone and never do it again for a year.
- Chest. Around the fullest part, tape level, arms down. Do not hold your breath.
- Waist. At your natural waist — the narrowest point, usually just above the navel — not where your jeans sit.
- Hip. Around the fullest part, feet together.
- Shoulder. From the bony point of one shoulder across the back to the other. This is the number most people never take and the one that cannot be altered cheaply.
- Inseam. From crotch to where you want the hem to sit, measured on a pair of trousers that already fit.
The better method: measure a garment you already own
Take the item in your wardrobe that fits exactly how you want, lay it flat, and measure it. This removes every variable — body measurement, ease preference, cut — in one step.
- Chest, flat: armpit seam to armpit seam. Double it to compare with a listed chest measurement.
- Length: from the highest point of the shoulder straight down to the hem.
- Shoulder, flat: seam to seam across the back.
- Waist, flat (trousers): across the top of the waistband, doubled.
Then buy the listed size whose numbers are closest. This is how people who never return anything actually shop.
Ease: the number nobody explains
Ease is the gap between your body measurement and the garment measurement, and the right amount depends entirely on the category.
- Formal shirt: 4–6 cm of ease at the chest for a regular fit, 6–10 cm for relaxed.
- Oversized tee: 12–20 cm. Built in by design — which is why sizing up an oversized tee makes it look borrowed rather than more oversized.
- Jeans: size to your true waist measurement. Baggy fits already have the room in the thigh; sizing up adds it at the seat, where you do not want it.
- Knitwear: minimal ease. Knits stretch; woven fabrics do not.
Brand notes: which labels run true, big or small
This is the part a generic size guide cannot give you. From fit-testing across the catalogue:
- Boozee — true to label, already oversized. Order your normal size. Size up only if you want a genuinely exaggerated drop.
- FLYAF — runs slightly heavier with structured shoulders. Size down half a step if you want boxy rather than long.
- Aachari — runs closest to fitted. Size up one if you want it relaxed.
- Vellure linen — size up, never down. Linen has no stretch and shrinks 3–5% on the first cold wash.
- Alonge — true to Indian sizing. S fits 30–32 waist, M 32–34, L 34–36, XL 36–38. The knit has 5–7% give, so size down between sizes.
- I'MHERE resort collar — true size. The open collar is meant to sit away from the neck.
- Plaeto — true to UK sizing, with a slightly roomier forefoot than most European lasts.
- Main Character — cut oversized by design. True size; between sizes, round down.
Category traps
- Linen shrinks. 3–5% on the first cold wash, mostly in the sleeve. Size up if you are borderline.
- Stretch denim does not recover from heat. If you tumble dry it once, the size you bought is not the size you have.
- Unisex sizing is usually men's sizing. Women buying a unisex piece generally need to go down one to two sizes for a fitted look — or accept the oversized silhouette deliberately.
- Trouser length is the easiest fix. Buy long, spend ₹150 on a hem. It changes how the whole outfit reads more than the waist does.
Before you click buy
- Check the product page for a garment measurement table, not just a letter.
- Compare against a piece you already own and like.
- Check the fabric. Any elastane means it will give; 100% cotton or linen means it will not, and will likely shrink.
- Check the model note if there is one — height and size worn is the most useful line on most product pages.
- If you are genuinely between two sizes: size up for woven (shirts, linen, trousers), size down for knit (tees, joggers, sweatshirts).
If it does arrive wrong
Keep the tags on and do not wash it. Both are standard conditions in Indian apparel returns, including ours — our returns policy has the current terms.
If you are near Navi Mumbai, the simplest fix is to skip the guessing entirely: the Aurum Square flagship carries the range across 20,000 sq ft, and one afternoon of trying on brands tells you your size in each of them permanently.
FAQ: sizing when buying online in India
Should I size up or down when between sizes?
Size up for woven fabrics — shirts, linen, formal trousers — because they have no give and may shrink. Size down for knits — tees, joggers, sweatshirts — because they stretch and are usually cut with ease already.
Why does the same size fit differently across brands?
There is no enforced sizing standard in Indian apparel. A streetwear label's M is built with 15cm more chest ease than a formal shirt brand's M. Read garment measurements rather than the letter.
What is the most important measurement to get right?
Shoulder width, for anything with a set sleeve. Chest and waist can be altered cheaply; shoulders cannot.
Do oversized t-shirts need sizing up?
No. The extra room is already in the pattern. Sizing up drops the shoulder seam past the elbow and the tee reads borrowed rather than oversized.
How much do cotton and linen shrink?
Cotton roughly 2–3% on a first cold wash; linen 3–5%, mostly in the sleeve. Hot water and tumble drying push both considerably higher and can warp the garment permanently.
Start here
Measure one shirt and one pair of trousers you already like, save the numbers, and shop against them. Then browse the men's and women's edits with something to compare to. For category-specific fit advice, see our guides to casual shirts, baggy jeans and oversized tees.