What sizes should you keep in stock?

We spoke about how to find the right manufacturer. But once that’s sorted, the next question that always pops up is:

“We need to create a tech pack now. How many pieces should we make in each size?”

S? M? L? XL? XXL? What’s the right mix?

Now, this is one of those things that sounds simple – but the wrong decision can leave you stuck with dead stock or running out of your best-sellers too soon. This is where many new brands quietly lose revenue.

Now, after working with 1000+ brands since 2019, here’s what we’ve observed again and again:

The size ratio that works most consistently (for Indian fits and casualwear) is:

👉 S – M – L – XL – XXL = 1 : 4 : 4 : 3 : 1

Let’s say you’re making 1300 T-shirts. That would look like:

• S – 100 pcs

• M – 400 pcs

• L – 400 pcs

• XL – 300 pcs

• XXL – 100 pcs

This ratio isn’t random. It’s what we’ve arrived at after analysing thousands of orders across hundreds of brands – streetwear, minimalwear, corporatewear, you name it.

Of course, if your audience is Gen Z in urban cities, you may get more S/M orders. If you’re a 30+ audience brand doing polos or travelwear, L/XL might dominate.

There is no fixed, perfect size split-up. Even if you repeat your last batch of sales data, you will get a different result this time. You try to find the best match over the launches.

But wait, here’s something founders rarely think about:

What happens when you get the size ratio wrong?

Let’s do some simple math.

Say your actual ideal ratio is 4:4 (M:L). But by mistake, you stocked 20 M and 40 L.

Now, 20 customers buy Medium. Boom. M is sold out. But you still have 20 Ls lying around.

Here’s the problem: the next 20 people who wanted to buy Medium can’t. You can not put the product in draft until you sell 90% of the stock.

So now, you’re just… waiting for L to sell out. Which means you’ll never reorder stock. But you’re also missing at least 20 more sales that could’ve happened – if only M was still in stock.

What does that mean in numbers?

Let’s assume your margin per tee is ₹300.

That’s ₹300 × 20 = ₹6,000 in lost profit – from just one wrong size call.

And this happens every day in early-stage brands.

It’s like having money in your store, but locking the doors for half your customers.

Even worse?

When customers don’t find their size, they don’t just leave – they remember. And that “sold out” moment subtly reduces your brand’s reliability in their mind.

So what should you do?

Start with the 1:4:4:3:1 ratio if you don’t have past sales data.

And make sure your size guide is clean and clear. Because your size chart directly influences which sizes people pick – and how often they return items.

Also, this size mix is built assuming you’re using a standard Indian sizing (like S = 38, M = 40, L = 42, etc.). If you’ve built your own cut (say your M = 42), then adjust the ratio accordingly.

One of our clients uses a fit where their “S” starts at 40 inches, which is typically M elsewhere. As a result, their sales skewed differently, and they adapted quickly.

But the bottom line?

You don’t need to guess.

Start with a proven ratio → Watch your sales → Adjust smartly on your next batch.

Sizing isn’t just a backend decision. It directly affects:

✅ Customer experience
✅ Inventory management
✅ Repeat orders
✅ Brand trust
✅ Profit margins

So don’t sleep on it.

Get this right – and your launch becomes 10x smoother.