XL, XXL sizes first ones to fly off the shelves

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

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Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 13

Size does really matter? it seems. Especially in a state like Punjab, where people prefer to be known for being well-bred as well as well-fed, increasing girth size, or what we generally call the waist size, is not a waste.

You may be stared at, approvingly, if you have the right body mass index. Or in another case, if you are skinny, you may be stopped by an elderly lady and asked if you don’t get enough to eat. But, no one will care to give a suggestion if you are full. That’s final. The market figures, we mean data here not body types, indicate that Bathinda has a big fat market for those with full figures. ‘Sale’ posters shriek at you from almost every apparel shop. Step in and ask for XL (extra-large) or XXL (double extra large) sizes and there’s a thin chance of you getting either of the two.

“Sale or no sale, XL and XXL sizes are most in demand, especially when it comes to men’s apparel section. These sizes are so popular even those who can make do with a size smaller prefer to buy the next one to make sure it fits them even if they gain a little more weight. XL and XXL sizes are the first ones to fly off the shelves,” says Umang Chhabra, manager of a retail multi-brand apparel outlet on Mall Road.

Ladies, smirk not, for it is not only in the men’s apparel category that these sizes are popular. When Bathinda Tribune spoke to another apparel brand outlet, selling denim and tops for females, the findings were almost similar. “Ladies have this unique habit of trying to fit into a T-shirt, top or denim which is a size smaller. Unlike men, they don’t like their clothes to prove that they are gaining weight. Young girls, who must still be in school, are also on the heavier side. While in the metropolitan cities, 28 is our most selling size for women’s denims, in Bathinda, size 32 is the most in demand. In many cases, it goes up to 34 as well,” says Sumit Singh, owner of a denim retail store at a city mall.

“Our obsession with size zero is limited to our thought process. We may look at actors like Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan and wish we were as thin or healthy as them, but when it comes to following the strict diet and fitness routine, we falter. On an average, if 50 persons take membership of our gym in a month, out of them at least 10-15 don’t turn up again after a week. No wonder girth sizes are increasing fast here,” says Sundar Chowdhary, owner and instructor of a gym on Bibiwala Road.