Let us start with the thing you are actually thinking.
What if it doesn't fit?
It is the only real reason people hesitate before ordering a blouse online. You can see the fabric, you can see the embroidery, you can see the price — but you cannot see whether the armhole is going to cut into you or whether the length will sit right. And once it arrives, you are stuck with it.
So here is the whole process, explained without any marketing around it. What we need from you, what we do with it, how long each stage takes, and what happens when something is wrong.
The eight measurements we need
You do not need a tailor for this. You need a soft measuring tape, a well-fitting blouse you already own, and about ten minutes.
1. Bust (around) Measure around the fullest part of your chest, keeping the tape parallel to the floor. Common mistake: pulling the tape tight. Keep it snug but able to slide.
2. Waist (blouse waist) Not your trouser waist. This is just under the bust, where the blouse ends. Common mistake: measuring at the navel. That number is far too low for a blouse.
3. Shoulder From the tip of one shoulder to the tip of the other, across your back. Common mistake: measuring over the top of the arm instead of stopping at the bone.
4. Blouse length From the shoulder seam down to where you want the blouse to end. Common mistake: guessing. Measure an existing blouse you like the length of.
5. Sleeve length From the shoulder seam to where the sleeve should finish — cap, elbow, three-quarter or full. Common mistake: measuring with your arm bent. Keep it straight and relaxed.
6. Around arm Around the widest part of your upper arm. Common mistake: skipping this one. It is the single most common cause of a blouse that "fits" but feels tight all evening.
7. Front neck depth From the base of your throat down to where you want the neckline to sit. Common mistake: measuring from the shoulder. Start at the hollow of the throat.
8. Back neck depth Same idea, down your back from the nape. Common mistake: going deeper than you are comfortable with. Once it is cut, it cannot go back up.
How to measure yourself at home
A few practical things that make the numbers accurate.
Wear a well-fitting bra while you measure — the same style you plan to wear with the blouse. A different bra changes the bust measurement by an inch or more, and an inch is the difference between comfortable and not.
Use a blouse you already own as your reference. For length, sleeve and neck depth, measuring a garment that already fits you is far more reliable than measuring your body. Lay it flat, measure it, send us those numbers.
Ask someone to help with the shoulder and back neck. Those two are almost impossible to do accurately alone.
Send us photographs if you are unsure. A picture of the blouse you are using as reference, laid flat with the tape on it, tells us more than a number ever will. WhatsApp them to +91 98044 62075 and we will confirm before we cut anything.
The 14-day timeline
Here is where those two weeks actually go.
Days 1–2 · Measurements confirmed We go through your numbers, flag anything that looks unusual, and confirm the design, colour and neckline with you. Nothing is cut until you have approved this.
Day 3 · Fabric cut Your blouse is cut to your specific measurements — not to a size chart. This is the point of no return, which is why we confirm first.
Days 4–11 · Hand embroidery The longest stage by far, and the one nobody sees. A karigar works the aari or zardozi by hand, motif by motif. A moderately worked blouse takes around forty hours of this.
Day 12 · Lining and finishing Lining, hooks, piping, seam finishing. This stage decides whether the blouse holds its shape after six wears or three.
Day 13 · Quality check Measurements re-checked against your numbers, embroidery inspected, loose threads removed.
Day 14 · Packed and dispatched Wrapped and shipped, with tracking sent to you.
Delivery time on top of that depends on where you are — usually two to four days across India.
What if it doesn't fit?
The honest answer: it occasionally happens, most often when the measurements were taken in a hurry.
If something is off, message us with a photograph of the blouse on you after delivery. We will tell you straight away whether it is an alteration we can do, and the alteration will be free.
When 14 days isn't enough
Durga Puja falls on 16–21 October 2026. Fourteen days of stitching plus two to four days of delivery means custom orders need to be placed by roughly the 28th of September to be safe.
If you are past that, you have two good options.
Ready-to-wear. Our readymade blouses are already stitched, quality-checked and ship immediately in sizes 32 to 48. Pick your size and it is done.
Start with the fabric anyway. Choose a blouse piece now and get it stitched to your measurements. Even if it misses Puja, wedding season begins immediately afterwards — and you will already have something ready.
Bridal and heavy occasion pieces
If you are ordering a wedding blouse or anything with dense handwork, allow 2 to 4 weeks.
The embroidery alone can run past a hundred hours, and a bridal piece deserves a fitting round in the middle rather than a single quality check at the end. Brides who come to us at the last minute are the ones we most often have to turn away, which nobody enjoys.
Note for Sarla Creations: confirm the bracketed bridal turnaround above before publishing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send a photo of a design I saw elsewhere? Yes. Send it on WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly whether we can make it, what it would cost and how long it would take.
Do you stitch on fabric I already own? Yes
What if I don't know my measurements at all? Send us a photograph of a blouse that fits you well, laid flat with a measuring tape across it. We will work from that.
Do you ship outside India? Yes
Is COD available? Yes, along with free shipping across India.
At Sarla Creations, every blouse is cut and hand-embroidered in our own studio in Salt Lake, Kolkata — which means the person who takes your measurement and the person who stitches your blouse work in the same room.
