Over the past few decades, Vietnam has become a leading clothing manufacturer and its many large and small garment companies produce a wide range of fashionable suits in all fabrics, styles and price ranges. The country is also becoming a popular tourist destination, so one might expect that local shops would be eager to sell clothing to visitors, and visitors would be interested in taking home quality products from their home country. . However, the short stature of Vietnamese men and women, and the low proportion of overweight, is reflected in the stock of most clothing stores, with a range of standard sizes in which even the average Westerner looks for the proverbial needle in a haystack, and the plus size visitor searches in vain.
The Vietnamese people are among the smallest in the world and this has become a national concern. In December 2014, the Vietnam Sports Authority launched a program to develop people’s physical strength and height. This will no doubt change over time, but at the moment, clothes on sale in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are almost exclusively in sizes for people of short stature and normal weight. At only ten percent overweight, even in urban areas, there are hardly any plus-size people by Western standards. The expansion of tourism has persuaded some stores to cater to taller people of average build, but plus-size clothing remains very hard to find.
Clothes labeled with all international sizes can be found in Vietnamese stores, but they cannot be trusted. Travelers have often reported finding, for example, XXL sizes that were equivalent to medium or large sizes elsewhere. Vietnamese people invariably try on every garment before buying and visitors are strongly encouraged to do the same. Many local people have their clothing made to measure by a tailor and for a visitor with a few days to spare this is the best option. It is usually the only option for the plus size person.
As a tourist destination, Vietnam ticks almost all the boxes. Its long and narrow shape, stretching from north to south, from temperate to tropical climate, provides a land for all seasons, full of physical, cultural and historical features of fascinating interest. It also offers a wide range of handmade artifacts with unique aesthetic appeal. Your women’s clothing, in style and quality, should interest even the most demanding buyer. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, this promise will be extended even to those voluptuous visiting ladies seeking the plus size label.