Most boutique clothing in India is made after you order it. That is why the piece you wanted at the exhibition is not in a box behind the counter, and why the label asks for a measurement before it asks for money. Made to order is a better deal than it looks, a slower one than people expect, and a confusing one the first time. This guide explains how it works at a studio label, in the order you will meet it: choosing, sizing, waiting, receiving, caring.
We make everything to order ourselves, so this is written from the cutting table as much as from the sources. Where timelines and policies are quoted from other labels, they are sourced and dated.
- Made to order means the piece is cut and sewn after you confirm it. Made to measure means it is cut to your measurements. Most studio labels do the first for everyone and the second on request.
- Timelines in the sector run two to four weeks for everyday wear and 45 to 60 days for heavy occasion work; one Jaipur label takes measurements over WhatsApp before cutting. Ours are delivered within India in two to three weeks.
- Sizing is where most problems start. Ask whether the piece has ease built in (then take the smaller size) or runs true, and give measurements, not a size, if the label asks for them.
- Made-to-order pieces are usually not returnable, which is fair; what you should expect is a size exchange or an adjustment, a care note and a named person to write to. Some labels allow fourteen days on unworn pieces with tags.
- The first wash is part of the making for natural cloth: unbleached cotton and linen soften with it and shrink a little, most of it the first time, so wash cold and gentle and buy shapes with room.
Made to order, made to measure, bespoke
Made to order: a standard pattern in a standard size, cut and sewn when you order. The label holds cloth, not stock. This is how most studio labels work, including us.
Made to measure: the standard pattern adjusted to your measurements before cutting: a longer sleeve, a dropped hem, a wider body. Many labels do this on request for a small charge or none; one Jaipur label describes the route as sending your measurements on WhatsApp for a custom fit.
Bespoke: a pattern drafted for you from scratch, with fittings. Rare in womenswear outside couture and bridal, and priced accordingly.
Knowing which one you are buying tells you what to expect. A made-to-order piece in a one-size shape will fit the way the sample fitted at the exhibition. A made-to-measure piece will fit the measurements you sent, so send good ones.
Sizing: ease, measurements and one-size shapes
Two labels can both say "size M" and mean different things. The difference is ease, the room built into the pattern beyond the body measurement. One label advises sizing up when you are between sizes; another says take the smaller, because its garments are drafted with ease built in. Both are right about their own clothes. The only safe question is: how much ease does this piece have, and is it meant to be worn loose or close?
One-size shapes sidestep the problem. A boxy shirt, a kaftan or a straight kurta can be cut so that one size fits a range, and the best labels say what the range is. Ours say XS to XL, and we mean it: the shoulder is dropped, the body is wide, the sleeve is kimono or balloon, and the length is the one measurement that might need adjusting, which we do.
If a label asks for measurements, give them in centimetres over a fitted garment: bust, waist, hip, shoulder to hem, and sleeve length from shoulder. Some designers send a measurement sheet after the order is placed; fill it in the same day, because the piece is not cut until they have it.
How long it takes
Published timelines across the sector cluster into two bands. Everyday wear, meaning cotton and linen shirts, kurtas, kaftans and dresses, takes two to four weeks from confirmation to dispatch. Heavy occasion work, meaning embroidered lehengas and the like, takes 45 to 60 days, and some labels quote a shorter window of two to four weeks for lighter sets. Domestic shipping after dispatch runs one to four business days; international three to ten.
At Korra Vastrra, pieces are delivered within India in two to three weeks of the order being confirmed. The confirmation is personal: Arti replies on WhatsApp with payment details and a date, and that date is the one to hold us to.
Paying, returns and adjustments
Studio labels usually take payment in full or a deposit before cutting, by bank transfer or UPI; the cloth is bought and the tailor's time booked against your order. Because the piece was made for you, returns for change of mind are usually not offered, and that is fair.
What you should expect instead: an exchange for size where the label sells sized pieces, an adjustment where the label cuts to measure, and a clear note on what counts as a fault. Some labels allow fourteen days from delivery on unworn pieces with tags; read the policy before you pay. Our own rule is simple: size exchanges within seven days of delivery, unworn, with the tag, and we fix anything that is our fault.
Receiving the piece: the first wash
Natural cloth that has not been pre-shrunk at a mill will move on the first wash. The best published figures are for linen: about 4 per cent typically and up to 10 per cent in poor conditions, most of it in the first wash, driven by heat and sudden changes of temperature. Unbleached cotton behaves the same way. So: cold or lukewarm water, mild detergent, no bleach, separately for the first few washes, line dry in shade. Embroidered and cutwork pieces go in a mesh bag and are dried flat. The cloth comes out softer than it went in; that is the point of kora cotton, and the reason a studio piece gets better with age.
Ten questions to ask before you pay
- Is this made to order or made to measure, and can the length or sleeve be changed?
- What size range does a one-size piece fit?
- How much ease is in the sized pieces: loose or close?
- What is the cloth, and has it been pre-washed?
- Is the surface work by hand or by machine?
- Who cuts and sews it?
- How many days to dispatch, and how many to deliver?
- What is the exchange or adjustment policy?
- What is the care note?
- Who do I write to if something is wrong, and how fast do they reply?
A label that answers all ten without hesitation is one you can order from. Ours are answered on every product page on the rail and in the questions at the foot of the home page.
Made-to-order timelines in India, 2026 (published label policies and ours)
| Kind of piece | Typical time to dispatch | Shipping after dispatch |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday cotton and linen (shirts, kurtas, kaftans, dresses) | 2 to 4 weeks | 1 to 4 business days in India |
| Lighter occasion sets | 2 to 4 weeks | 1 to 4 business days in India |
| Heavy embroidered occasion wear | 45 to 60 days | 1 to 4 days in India; 3 to 10 abroad |
| Korra Vastrra pieces | Delivered in India in 2 to 3 weeks from confirmation | Included |
Questions people ask
What does made to order mean for clothing?
The piece is cut and sewn after you confirm the order, from a standard pattern in a standard size. The label holds cloth rather than stock. Made to measure goes a step further and adjusts the pattern to your measurements before cutting.
How long does made-to-order clothing take in India?
Two to four weeks to dispatch for everyday cotton and linen, 45 to 60 days for heavy occasion work, then one to four business days of domestic shipping. Korra Vastrra pieces are delivered within India in two to three weeks of confirmation.
Can I return a made-to-order piece?
Usually not for change of mind, because it was made for you. Expect a size exchange or adjustment instead, and a clear fault policy. Some labels allow fourteen days on unworn pieces with tags. We exchange for size within seven days of delivery, unworn, with the tag.
Should I size up or down for a made-to-order piece?
It depends on the ease built into the pattern. Labels that cut with ease say take the smaller size; labels that cut close say size up when between. Ask how the piece is meant to sit, and give measurements rather than a size if the label asks for them.
What measurements does a designer need?
Bust, waist, hip, shoulder to hem and sleeve length from the shoulder, in centimetres over a fitted garment. Fill in a measurement sheet the day you receive it, because the piece is not cut until the label has it.
Related guides
Sources
- Gulabo Jaipur, Good to know (measurements over WhatsApp for a custom fit): gulabojaipur.com
- Mayyur Girotra, product and dispatch pages (45 to 60 days standard dispatch; 2 to 4 weeks for lighter sets; shipping windows): mayyurgirotra.com
- Ciceroni, Dispatch timeline: ciceroni.in
- Rooh Collective, How does made to order work: roohcollective.com
- Myrah Penaloza, What to know before you order (ease and sizing; fourteen-day window): myrahpenaloza.com
- Myrah Penaloza, What is made to order clothing: myrahpenaloza.com
- Parachute, Does linen shrink? (shrinkage figures): parachutehome.com
- Coulange 1918, How to maintain linen (heat and thermal shock as the shrinkage drivers): coulange1918.com
- Eileen Fisher, How to care for linen and cotton: eileenfisher.com