Sizing is where most first-time wholesale orders go wrong — not because the product is faulty, but because the size run doesn't match how a manufacturer's sizing actually runs, or doesn't reflect what a retailer's own customers actually buy. Here's how to think about it before you place an order.

Sizing isn't standardised across manufacturers

Unlike, say, shoe sizing, there's no single body that enforces identical bra or panty measurements across every Indian manufacturer. A "32B" from one supplier and a "32B" from another can fit slightly differently, because band and cup construction vary by pattern, not just by label. This is exactly why requesting a physical sample — not just a size chart on paper — matters before committing to a bulk order.

Reading a bra size chart correctly

A typical size chart lists two measurements per size:

  • Band size — measured snugly around the ribcage, directly under the bust. This is the number (32, 34, 36, etc.)
  • Cup size — the difference between bust measurement and band measurement, translated into a letter (A, B, C, D...)

When you're comparing size charts across two suppliers, compare the actual centimetre or inch ranges behind each label, not just the label itself. Two "34B" listings can cover different real measurement ranges.

Panty and brief sizing

Briefs are usually sized either by waist/hip measurement bands (S, M, L, XL) or by numeric sizing that maps loosely to those bands. Numeric sizing tends to be more precise for reorders since it's easier to track which numeric sizes are actually selling, rather than relying on broader letter bands that can mask a shift in demand between, say, M and L.

Planning your size run: the 80/20 pattern

Across most everyday innerwear categories, a large share of unit sales cluster around two or three "core" sizes in the middle of the range, while the smallest and largest sizes sell in much smaller volumes. A commonly used starting split for a first order, subject to your own customer base, looks roughly like this:

  • Core sizes (the 2–3 middle sizes): the majority of your order quantity
  • Adjacent sizes just above/below core: a moderate share
  • Extreme sizes (smallest and largest available): a small trial quantity

Track your actual sell-through by size for the first two or three reorders, then adjust the split based on real data rather than assumption — every customer base skews slightly differently.

Ordering equal quantities across every size feels "safe," but it almost always means overstocking the extremes and running out of your core sizes mid-season.

A quick pre-order checklist

  • Request the supplier's size chart with actual measurements, not just labels
  • Order a sample in your expected best-selling size before committing to the full run
  • Weight your first order toward core/middle sizes
  • Keep simple sell-through notes by size for your first two reorders