Women’s kurti & kurta size chart (India)

M is 38 — a 38-inch garment bust. That holds on twelve of the fourteen size charts Siaraa publishes. The two exceptions are wider-cut tops whose M is a 40-inch bust. Note that 38 describes the finished garment measured across the chest, not the body it is meant for.

Size 38 means a 38-inch garment bust, which is size M on most Siaraa charts. The numbers step 2 inches at a time, so 34 is XS, 36 is S, 38 is M, 40 is L, 42 is XL and 44 is XXL. Two wider-cut tops in the catalogue start at 36 inches instead, and on those 38 is size S.

42 is XL on twelve of Siaraa's fourteen charts, where the run is 34 at XS through to 44 at XXL. On the two wider-cut top charts, which start at a 36-inch bust, 42 is size L instead. The chart printed on the product page is the one that applies to that garment.

On Siaraa, XXL is a 44-inch garment bust on twelve of the fourteen charts. The two wider-cut top charts run higher: one reaches 46 inches at XXL and the other 47 inches. Indian sizing is not standardised across brands, so a 44-inch XXL here will not necessarily match an XXL elsewhere.

XS is a 34-inch garment bust on most Siaraa charts, and 36 inches on the two wider-cut top charts. XS is also not made in every style — it is offered on some kurtas, kurtis and tops, but kurta sets, dresses and co-ord sets are made S to XXL only. The size selector on the product page shows what actually exists in that style.

It depends which column you are reading, and this is a common mix-up. On Siaraa's standard charts the bust run stops at 44 inches at XXL, so a 46 is usually the front length — the shoulder-seam-to-hem measurement of a full-length kurta, kurta set or dress — rather than a bust size. The one place 46 is a bust figure is a single wider-cut top chart where XXL measures 46 inches.

On Siaraa they are garment measurements, in inches. The Bust figure is the finished garment measured across the chest, not the body it is intended for. Three of the fourteen charts also publish a separate To Fit Bust column, which is the body measurement the garment is cut for. Comparing the two columns on those charts shows the garment measuring 0, 2 and 4 inches more than the body respectively, so there is no single amount of ease that applies across the catalogue.

Use a soft tape, wear the underclothes you would wear with the kurti, and keep the tape level with the floor for every measurement. Measure the bust around its fullest part, the waist around the narrowest part of the torso, and the hips around the fullest part of the hips and seat. Take across-shoulder from the tip of one shoulder to the other across the back, which is much easier with someone helping. Then compare those numbers with the chart on the product page.

Every style is made in S, M, L, XL and XXL. XS is offered on some kurtas, kurtis and tops — 24 of the 53 live styles — but never on kurta sets, dresses or co-ord sets. The size selector on a product page is the authority on what is actually available in that style.

Front length is the finished garment measured from the highest point of the shoulder seam straight down to the front hem. It is what separates one garment type from another: across Siaraa's charts it runs from 17 inches on a co-ord top to 46 inches on a full-length kurta, kurta set or dress. Two garments can carry an identical bust row and still be completely different clothes.

Because each chart belongs to a garment, not to the brand. Twelve of Siaraa's fourteen charts run from a 34-inch bust at XS to a 44-inch bust at XXL in 2-inch steps. One runs 36 to 46 inches, and one runs 36 to 47 inches with a 44.5-inch XL, so it does not even step evenly. That is why the chart on the specific product page is the one to read.

Siaraa offers 5-day returns, and shipping across India is free. Check the size chart on the product page before ordering, since it is the chart for that exact garment.