Online fashion in India fails on size charts, not on photos. Indian and international brands do not share a size 32. Measure a garment you already own, then match centimetres on the chart — ignore S/M/L until that matches.
Cotton and cotton blends survive heat and humidity. Rayon and viscose drape well in kurtas and anarkalis but need gentler washing. Occasion wear that looks identical in studio light can differ wildly in fabric weight; reviews that mention lining and see-through are the filter.
Returns are part of the purchase. If the listing is from a seller with a fussy return window, size-sensitive items (trousers, ethnic sets, shoes-as-fashion) become a gamble. Read two 3-star reviews before you trust a 4.5 average.
Colour shift is real on jewel tones and pastels. If colour is the reason you are buying, look for customer photos, not just the hero shot. Care labels matter: dry-clean-only festive pieces cost more over a season than a machine-wash cotton set.
Festival deadlines and courier delays are part of the purchase. If the function is next week, a size-sensitive piece with a fussy return window is a worse bet than a boring cotton set you can replace.
We write for humidity and wash-care, not for studio lookbooks. The grid still ships you to Amazon for the garment.
Festival weeks and wedding seasons are when size-chart laziness gets expensive. Courier delays plus a short return window is how a ₹799 kurta becomes a drawer. Measure first, order with buffer, wash as if humidity is the default.