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Tips to get the right size when shopping online
The biggest concern for online shoppers is the right size. Though the size chart is universal, the manufacturing of each brand differs, making it a challenge to shop for footwear and clothes. Here are some tips:
CHECK THE SIZE CHART
A footwear in the wrong size always goes waste. Therefore, it is essential to measure your foot, and follow the size guide for every online purchase. There are five types of measurements you usually get to see online that is size in centimetres, UK number, US number, EU number and size in inches.
MEASUREMENT OF FEET
One foot may be larger than the other, so measuring the larger foot is recommended. This way you won’t get stuck with a pair of ill-fitting, painful shoes that you won’t ever wear.
SIZE VARIATION WITH DIFFERENT FOOTWEAR
It is imperative to measure your feet while wearing socks, which will increase the size by half an inch. Likewise, when you are trying on winter boots, make sure you have thick socks that you would probably wear with boots during winters. Socks can make a big difference in sizing.
OPT FOR THE SAFER BRANDS
Experimenting with different brands and styles is a good idea, but over time, people become loyal to a few brands and rely on them for comfort and quality. While buying online, it’s more practical to stick to the pre-owned brands.
INCONSISTENT SIZING WITHIN THE SAME BRAND
Most brands, especially Indian brands, do not have consistent sizing based on standard body sizes. You may fit into a size S of one style of the brand and size M of another style of the same brand. This becomes trickier online since you will have to engage in the process of exchange and return.
Another common thing with Indian brands is that their sizes are one size smaller than global size charts (i.e. a size M of Indian/local apparel brand is usually in line with size S of international brands). Since most buyers were introduced to Indian brands before the launch of international brands, they mistakenly order as per their knowledge of Indian brands and end up getting a larger size than their actual requirement. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the sizing algorithm of that particular brand before making a purchase. Ideally, the online platforms needs to have a size chart comparison.
INCORRECT SIZE CHARTS
Many products have incorrect size charts as no detailed diligence is done at SKU (Product) level while uploading lakhs of products in the stores. They are usually standard guide charts for the brand, and since there are thousands of SKUs for a given brand, you end up seeing variations in sizes and fits across SKUs for the same brand.