XXL in India

Wearing my XXL Kurta and large pants. This was one of the two that I actually really liked and was in my size.

As many of you know, I only brought 2 pairs of linen pants, 1 pair of jeans and one denim capris along with three linen tops- for a two month trip. This is unheard of for me. Let me put this in context- when I travel to Canada for a two week vacation (where I have the opportunity to raid my mother and sister’s closets) I pack at least four times as much. But my plan was to buy my clothing in India as I was assured that $200 USD would be more than enough for least 10 outfits and shoes.

They were absolutely right in saying that was enough money. But money is no good if there is nothing you can buy with it. Two days after I arrived, I was taken to the second largest mall in Mysore to purchase my kurtas and various other outfits. [Btw, mall is a very different concept here. It was really just one store that was like a Super Walmart]. I randomly pulled all the outfits I liked in size medium and large until Kevita (the PHRI Lab Manager that accompanied me) said I need to check the sizes. I assured her I did, explaining that I usually wear a medium or large. Well, Indian politeness kicked in as she said “No, I think you should look at different sizes. This [medium and large I was holding] is what I would wear”. Now, Kevita is a 30 year old mother of a 7 year old son; but she looks like a 19 year old and wears a size 6. Clearly we are not the same size by any stretch of the imagination.

So, after holding up a few items in the mirror I came to the full realization that I am a double to triple XL in India.

I was put into full panic mode. What am I going to wear for the next seven weeks that I am here? There was very little available beyond size large. I had to ask them to show me what would fit, then select from that small pile. It was a real wakeup call that this is what it is like to be a plus sized woman in the United States. You can’t just walk into the store and pick something off the rack. It is also embarrassing to be selecting clothing by size rather than by what you really want or like. The saving grace for me (at least mentally) was that it wasn’t really my body that was too large, it was my chest area. But this experience of being a “plus, plus, plus” size woman did give me a real hard look at what it is like to be outside what is framed as the “normal” range. It is not "comfortable" at all.

I did manage to find two kurtas I really liked, and three I could wear without looking like I’m with child or in a muumuu. Pants were fortunately not a problem- the waists have drawstrings and are really wide. I would wear a medium but because they are drainpipe style my calves and thighs required I buy large.

The next day I found Mynta.com and Jabong.com- the two largest online stores in India. I ordered three Kutras- all size XXL to add to my Mysore wardrobe. Fassila (a PHRI counselor who is also a seamstress) is using the detachable sleeves to add an inch to the bust area- but otherwise they fit. If I had to go up there would be problems as there were just 50 kurtas out of the over 2400 total shown available in XXXL. [Note: everything you buy online you pay cash on delivery- no one uses credit cards online due to fraud. So if you don’t like it when it arrives, you just give it back to the courier and don’t pay].

This is sizing issue is not only true for clothing, but also shoes. There is a large Bata store three blocks from my apartment; nice shoes at amazingly low prices when you convert it to the USD. So I picked out five styles I liked and asked for a size 9. It was not happening- the largest size they have in women’s is 7, and that is only in select styles. Fortunately, I really only needed (note I said needed not wanted) a pair of walking shoes. So I was able to go down to the men’s area and purchase these lovelies (see photo below). Clearly not something I would choose if I were home, but for 1000 RS/ $16 USD how could I go wrong.

Overall, it is not so much that the women in India are significantly smaller. Rather it is more about the general body proportions. Most have hour glass figures, but with small busts than what is found/ created in North America. The traditional clothing is clearly shaped to accent that. This is particularly true with saris; Mysore women commonly wear them every day to work, shopping and hanging out. They fit anyone and make everyone look shapely. Even larger women look curvaceous and lovely in them. You see their curvy shape, and even when their stomachs fall over the wrap, it doesn’t look as sloppy as the infamous muffin top over jeans or tight shirt around a "mild" beer belly- all more likely to occur when you are wearing the more modern clothing styles.

All of this makes you wonder about the today's fashion industry and the ways in which it can really make women look [and feel] bad if their bodies. Things are designed to require that women conform their bodies to the clothing- rather than the clothing conforming to women's bodies. So there is something to be said about more traditional clothing sometimes.

I’m going to try sporting saris next week. It will be interesting to see how I feel wearing these long skirts and custom made blouses. I already bought my government approved elegant Mysore Silk sari and two every day saris. It was an entirely different shopping adventure as sari shopping is essentially a two day event (purchase and blouse tailoring). That’s for another blog.