• Fibre content: what it is made of, largest first. Elastane means stretch; viscose may shrink; polyester dries fast but can pill.
• Care symbols: can you wash it at home, or is it dry clean only? See Part I, Care and fibre labels.
• Size: the size and, sometimes, the body measurements it was made for.
• Maker and country of origin.
• Marks: Silk Mark, Handloom Mark, Khadi Mark, and international marks such as OEKO-TEX or GOTS; what each proves is explained in Part I.
• Online: the same details should be in the product description. If fibre or care is missing, ask the seller before buying.

1. Wear or bring the shoes and undergarments you will use.
2. Do the sit-reach-bend test: sit, squat, reach, stride. See Part III, Fitting issues: how to diagnose, and the waist.
3. Look at the back in the mirror: waist gap, seat folds, hem.
4. Pinch any loose cloth: if pinching fixes it, an alteration probably can. If it does not, the cut is wrong for you.
5. Check the inside allowance if you plan to alter.
6. Note fit problems on your phone when trying several pairs (the D&D ebook’s sticky-note trick).

Before you order:

• Compare the garment chart with a trouser you own.
• Read reviews for fit words: “runs small”, “long in the leg”, “thin cloth”.
• Look for photos from buyers, not only the brand.
• Zoom into the cloth photo; read the fibre content.
• Read the return or exchange policy first: how many days, what condition, whether tags must stay on, whether some items (innerwear, sale, customised) cannot be returned.

When it arrives:

• Open it carefully; keep the packet and tags.
• Photograph it on arrival, including any fault.
• Try it on indoors, clean, with socks; do not wash, alter or wear it outside until you decide.
• Do the quality check in Quality checks for ready-made trousers and your own work.
• Start any return well inside the time allowed.

• Free size salwars and Patialas use a nada or elastic, so the waist adjusts; check the length and mohri width.
• Churidars are sold long for ruching; check the length suits your leg and the calf width suits you.
• Unstitched, semi-stitched and stitched sets: unstitched means dress material for a tailor; semi-stitched usually needs fitting; stitched is ready to wear, often with some seam allowance for adjustment. Read the description carefully.
• Kurta pyjamas for men often come in chest sizes; check the pyjama waist and length separately.

• Women: look for curvy, petite or tall ranges if standard sizes fit one place and not another; these are shapes, not judgements on bodies.
• Men: waist labels are often smaller than the real waist; measure the trouser. Choose slim, regular or relaxed by the seat and thigh.
• Children: buy by height; choose adjustable waists, deep hems and reinforced knees; check for safety (cords, small buttons). See Part III, Children’s trousers: safety.
• Pregnancy: maternity panels and adjustable waists; buy for the later months.
• Seated and adaptive wear: look for higher back rise, side openings and easy closures; specialist brands exist in India and abroad.

1. Measure a trouser you love and keep the numbers on your phone.
2. Size by the hip, alter the waist.
3. Double flat measurements.
4. Read the return policy before adding to the cart.
5. Buy two sizes only if the return policy allows, and return one promptly.
6. Look for the garment chart, not just “S, M, L”.
7. Read the fibre line; it predicts shrinkage and stretch.
8. Buy children’s trousers at the lower end of their height range for growth room.
9. Photograph the packet and label on arrival.
10. Plan the alteration before buying: hemming is easy, letting out may not be.
11. What professionals do differently: they judge the cloth and cut in photos, and ignore the size number.

Same size, different brands, different fit

1. Use measurements, not size numbers.
2. Keep notes on the brands that fit you.
3. Prevention: compare garment charts with a trouser you own.

The colour differs from the photo

1. Check in daylight; screens and shop lights change colour.
2. Return within the policy if it does not suit.
3. Prevention: read buyer reviews and photos.

It arrived with a fault

1. Photograph the fault and the label at once.
2. Contact the seller or platform through their help page, within the time allowed.
3. Prevention: check on arrival before cutting tags.

Between two sizes

1. Choose the larger for the hip, and take in the waist.
2. Choose stretch cloth if the smaller size is close.
3. Prevention: check the inside allowance before buying to alter.

Too long in the leg

1. Hem it; see Shortening, lengthening and re-hemming to the right break.
2. Look for petite or short lengths next time.
3. Prevention: check the inseam on the chart.

It shrank after the first wash

1. Check the label; contact the seller if it was washed as instructed.
2. Let down the hem if there is allowance.
3. Prevention: read the fibre content and care label.

The return was refused

1. Ask the seller or platform, in writing, for the reason.
2. For questions about your rights, contact the National Consumer Helpline or a lawyer; this course does not give legal answers.
3. Prevention: read the policy and keep tags and packets until you decide.

• “I’m always a size 12.” Sizes vary between brands and even styles.
• “Online returns are always free.” Policies differ; read them.
• “Children’s sizes by age are exact.” Height is far more reliable.
• “Free size fits everyone.” It fits a range; check the length.

For earning: if you sell trousers, a clear garment chart with rise and inseam, real photos and an honest fibre line reduce returns. Ask a lawyer or the Legal Metrology office about what your labels and listings must show.

For teaching: ask learners to measure a trouser flat and choose a size from three real brand charts; compare the answers.

• Can you measure a trouser flat and double the widths?
• Do you know a body chart from a garment chart?
• Can you convert a UK women’s size to US and EU?
• Do you size children by height?
• Do you read the return policy before buying?

Quiz

1. What is UK 14 in US and EU sizes, typically? Answer: US 10, EU 42.
2. Why choose by the hip? Answer: the waist is easier to take in than the hip to let out.
3. What do EU children’s sizes show? Answer: height in centimetres.
4. Where do consumer rights questions go? Answer: the seller or platform, the National Consumer Helpline, or a lawyer.

• Body chart: the body measurements a size is made for.
• Garment chart: the trouser’s own measurements.
• Inseam (inside leg): crotch to hem.
• Free size: one size with an adjustable waist.
• Unstitched set: dress material to be tailored.

• Main source: D&D’s own trousers ebook, chapters 18, 39, 49, 52 and 62 (buy for the larger measurement; quality signals; self-diagnosis in the trial room), widened to India, children and online buying.
• Conversions are typical, not standards; brands differ. Teacher to check against Part IV’s charts.
• The National Consumer Helpline is run under India’s Department of Consumer Affairs; check its current contact details on the official website. No legal advice is given here.