Why many Indian designers are choosing to take a stand against ‘fat tax’

The concept of size is rarely spoken about in isolation in the world of fashion—the four-letter word often finds itself tethered to weighted debates. Valued at $2 billion, the plus-size industry in India is a burgeoning one, even if it remained unnoticed for the longest period of time. As brands try to match pace with the rising demand for a more inclusive spectrum of clothing sizes, the learning curve grows steeper. Indeed, the significance of size in the shopping experience found itself at the centre of debate this week as netizens took to Instagram to share stories of the surcharge being charged for plus-size clothing.

Dubbed as ‘fat tax’ in colloquial parlance, the term refers to the additional amount being charged to customers for outfits beyond a certain size. The matter came to light as industry watchdog Diet Sabya picked it up on their widely-followed Instagram handle. Real-life accounts soon began pouring in from people who had been at the receiving end of these surcharges, with many picking apart the rationale behind the decision—would people with larger feet be charged more for footwear in their size? Or would petite people be entitled to a subsidy? In a conversation over email, Diet Sabya shared, “After the conversation was started online, we picked it up and received an overwhelming number of responses. The general consensus is that designer stores expect plus-sized people to shell out 60K for being an XL or XXL.”

The true cost 

‘More fabric equals more embroidery equals more costs’ is the common refrain that customers over a certain size are met with. However, industry experts have reason to believe that the amount should be absorbed within the main cost, to begin with. Ragini Ahuja, the force behind Ikai, says, “We’ve never believed in charging a surcharge on specific sizes. Our label largely caters to one-sized clothing, which negates the need for charging people an additional amount on something that they have little control over.”

The math gets murkier as one moves towards the luxury end of the spectrum—the final digits inscribed on a price tag are rarely calculated purely on the basis of manufacturing costs. Ahuja confirms, “The additional embroidery and fabric often amounts to a mere 10 per cent of the cost. It is also essential to bear in mind that in the world of luxury, the price isn’t determined solely by the production cost. It is the sum total of the brand story, aesthetic and value that you are buying into. This surcharge might be understandable for smaller setups that operate on tightly controlled budgets. But in the bigger picture, when your karigars are already doing the work, some additional embroidery won’t make a drastic difference.”

The flurry of messages advocating for change bore fruit, as designer duo Gauri & Nainika became the first to wrote to Diet Sabya announcing that they would no longer be applying a surcharge for extended size clothing. When asked what motivated them to make the change, Nainika Karan explains that it wasn’t a difficult decision to make as they mutually agreed on it over a two-minute phone call. She says, “I called Gauri to discuss the stories being shared on Diet Sabya about the surcharge and the fact that we had it as well for outfits above a UK size 16 to compensate for the time and effort that went into customising the product. She agreed that it wasn’t something we believed in and it hadn’t felt right from the beginning, and we decided that we no longer wanted to continue with it.”

Within the conventional setup of a fashion label, these matters often fall under the purview of the costing department, she iterates. “This had been brought up a few times in the past, and we were aware that other designers charged an additional amount beyond certain sizes. We didn’t give it much thought at the time, but times have changed since then. We may not have been able to discuss this matter in detail five years ago and give it the importance it deserves, but we’ve now realised the implications of what it feels like to walk into a store and be asked to pay extra,” elaborates Karan.

She further echoes Ahuja’s sentiments, and says, “Our work involves evening wear, and we can’t speak for everyone, but the cost of luxury lehengas usually runs into lakhs—adding three-four kalis can be easily incorporated into the overall cost of the garment. Bearing in mind the volume of money being otherwise spent on shows, photoshoots and marketing, this surcharge can be absorbed into the cost.”

Following their lead, several other labels and designers have lent their support to the movement, from Fuel The Store to Nikasha. Diet Sabya believes that something as an Instagram post has the power to inspire real change; “We are here to start a conversation, however uncomfortable it may be. We believe a little nudge can go a long way. It's high time for designers pushing inclusivity across their social channels to actually implement it as well.”

The road ahead

While the fashion industry has been making greater strides towards representation for models across the size spectrum in runway shows, the optimism has yet to translate into everyday reality. Ahuja reminisces, “Personally, I’ve always had a difficult time shopping for clothes in my size as I have broader shoulders. I’ve grown up wearing my father’s and brother’s shirts because even the XL size available in stores looked small.”

So, what work needs to be done to make store aisles a more accepting place? For starters, she calls for greater representation of all sizes on the racks. “I can understand that a smaller size looks more flattering on a hanger, but I personally like having clothes available in my size to try on. If a boutique only has lehengas available in a size six, it is difficult to be asked to look at smaller sizes and imagine what it would like on you. It may not be possible to have every single garment available in all sizes, from XXS to XXL, but it would be helpful to have a few options available in different sizes so people have something to try on.” On her part, she has been working on making the shopping experience less intimidating for people of different sizes. “When we are presenting at fashion week, we ensure that we have bigger sizes displayed on our racks as well. This helps people have a better idea of what they are buying, instead of having to order at their own risk, which is what they currently have to do.”

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