Established in 2010, Double XL was a brand of its own, uniquely catering to the plus-size population of Sri Lanka for the very first time. Over its past 11 years of existence in the industry, the label has now grown and become consonant with a flagship store for plus-size fashion, housing a number of brands.
The brand continues to break boundaries with the recent launch of their “virtual shopping experience”. Speaking to The Morning Brunch, Founder/Director Adhisha Dahanayaka gave us some insight into the thought process behind this venture.
“Called the ‘virtual shopping experience’, we launched it about two weeks ago due to the prevailing pandemic situation in the country, as many customers are reluctant to physically visit the stores and try on clothes.” She also noted that, for plus-sized people, the size is of utmost importance, as they need to find the perfect fit. So, with the option of physically visiting stores unadvisable at the moment, they launched the virtual shopping experience.
Dahanayaka stated that this is the first time in Sri Lanka that a fashion brand launched such an experience. She further stated that due to the pandemic, they lost footfall by quite a significant amount, so this venture was a great way for them to recover and have sales pick up, while still offering their customers a flawless service.
Describing this experience, Dahanayaka explained that the process is very simple. Their customers have to call the hotline and obtain an appointment; once that is done, an agent will get in touch with them via video call. “We offer a very personal shopping experience to our customers. On call, they will be given a tour of the store and customers can choose whatever article of clothing that catches their eye.”
Once a customer has spotted an item of interest, the agent can measure out the outfit to ensure that it will fit, and if needed, even place it on a dummy for the customer, so they can get an idea of what the clothes will look like on them. After the customer has made their selection, they can choose to make the payment online or on delivery, and the clothes will be packaged and delivered right to your doorstep. This is a very interesting and convenient concept for many, as your shopping can be done from the comfort of your own home, with a very personal touch.
Dahanayaka commented that this concept has been successful for clients from the Maldives and India as well; this contributes to their goals for the future of becoming a globally available and recognised brand.
“With this concept, we are trying to give our customers a realistic shopping experience; maybe not 100% realistic, but if they can at least feel 75% of what they would if they were to shop in store, which I think we have achieved, then I would call this concept a success,” Dahanayake commented, adding that the only difference from shopping in-store would be that the customer is not able to feel the texture and material of the product before purchasing. For most of their customers, this isn’t a dealbreaker, as Double XL has maintained a very good quality for all their products, so wear and tear is not something their customers need to worry too much about.
She also observed that before the pandemic, they would have a lot of customers from outstation, as Sri Lanka does not have a very large market for anyone plus-sized. The pandemic has made inter-district travel very difficult, and many people are unwilling to come to Colombo these days, so Dahanayaka added that this concept is perfect for those customers as well.
Taking us back to 2010, when the brand was launched, Dahanayaka talked about the reasoning behind establishing Double XL: “Being a plus-sized person myself, it was incredibly hard to find clothes that fit and looked good as well. I was going through a lot of issues because of the lack of options, which is when I saw the demand for plus-sized clothes.”
Founding the store with the support of her husband Priyan Senarath Gamage and brother Deminthe, her fundamental idea was to infuse the key elements of comfort, design, and style into quality manufactured apparel. Double XL was launched to fill the gap in the fashion industry that neglects to cater to anyone that is plus-sized, of any gender.
“I started this just to break the stigma around plus-sized clothes. I didn’t feel too good about myself as we didn’t have options for clothes nor was there anything that looked nice to wear, so keeping that in mind, I was determined to launch this for everyone that has experienced the same thing I went through,” she commented.
When asked about Double XL’s plans for this year, she mentioned that they would be celebrating their anniversary on 26 March, so customers should keep an eye out for some exciting news.
The Double XL premium brand, available at One Galle Face Mall, also launched its activewear and swimwear range recently. She also added that the online website is doing quite well in terms of sales, which is a positive point for the virtual shopping experience, as they can see that there is a demand for online shopping.
Dahanayaka invites everyone to try this virtual shopping experience, promising good service and high-quality products through her brand.
