With a population of over 1.33 billion, the 7th largest country in the World, India has a mix bag of shapes and sizes. To cater to the country’s need, Indian apparel and fashion industry has evolved in the past couple of years and offers an array of product types in all sizes possible. The apparel and fashion market of India is progressing with every passing day and is expected to reach at US $ 115 billion by 2026 and lingerie shares some chunk of it. With an easy access to global trends and increase in the purchasing power of the Indian masses, ample number of choices are available for the plus size women.

Gone are the days when finding plus size lingerie was a challenging task, choosing the right kind of lingerie for plus size women is rather difficult. Here are a few key factors shared by Mr. Akhil Srivastava, Managing Director, PARFAIT India, to be kept in mind while shopping for plus size lingerie.

Know your size: The first step towards buying a correct lingerie is to know your size. Plus sizes are not to the band size of your breast, it is the cup size that counts. It is imperative to know that wearing a cross size is no solution to getting the right size, like most sales people will try to sell to the customers if their preferred style isn’t available in the size they want, for eg, if you are a 34D, then 36C is not the size you should be opting for. Always get your correct size measured before buying a new set of lingerie. You can check your band size by calculating the circumference of your upper chest to the starting part of your bust and similarly, cup measurement can be found by measuring around your back over your fullest part of bust. Nothing can make a woman happier than finding the right size of lingerie in their preferred style. Wearing smaller lingerie can make you look slimmer is a myth, it rather spoils your body shape. Ill – fitted lingerie can leave marks on your skin and affect the blood circulation if your lingerie is extremely strained.

Lingerie Should Compliment Your Body: The type of lingerie one selects should depend on the body type. Every lingerie from bra to bottoms or swimwear are available in different variations. A bra could be semi-cup, full coverage, strapless, multiway or demi – cups; choosing the right type depends on your body type and the kind of outfit you want to pair your bra with. Similarly, bottoms also come in different styles like bikini, hipster, and high waist etcetera.

Get the Material Right: Opting for lingerie basis the fabric and material is important and lingerie these days is available in all kind of fabric like cotton, hosiery, polyster, satin and fishnet amongst others. The fabric can be chosen keeping the weather and outfit in mind. During hot and humid days, one should go for hosiery or cotton lingerie to absorb the heat. For those romantic date nights, go for the styles available in satin to leave an impression on your partner. Choosing the right material also depends on the outfit, never go for a fishnet underneath a basic tee and rather choose a plain hosiery bra. However, all type of material might not suit every plus size body type, so one has to choose the material appropriately.

Go for Colorful Lingerie: Color defines your personality and you should try different colors always. Most of the women prefer wearing traditional colors like white, black and nude. However, they should consider buying various colors which will reflect their mood. Just like we buy colorful outfits, buying colorful lingerie can be fun too. Wearing bright and vibrant lingerie boosts inner confidence and will make you come alive.

Know your style: Style of lingerie varies person to person and plus size women should remember that every lingerie can not necessarily suit them. You should be very careful before choosing their lingerie style just the way you do with your other outfits. Look for the center gore (the little area between the breast cups and the underwire), it should remain tighter to the skin to keep your breast from slipping. You should make sure that your lingerie is comfortable and provides complete support.So once you understand your style, you can easily find the desired lingerie.

Embrace your curves: No two body types are same, and no body type is perfect. Curves should not be hidden and rather should be flaunted. As beauty and personality is not subjective, it’s relative. No matter how curvy you are, you should always opt for comfortable and supportive lingerie.

Lastly, you need to speak up. Let the sales representative know your preferences, so that they can suggest the right kind of lingerie but don’t just go by their word, make your choice wisely and appropriately.