Go big or go home

Double XL Founder/Director Adhisha Dahanayaka with Directors Priyan Senerath and Deminthe Dahanayake

A powerful brand that was birthed as a result of a personal struggle, Double XL has grown exponentially in the last decade, winning customer loyalty with its focus on comfort, style and quality. Having opened its doors in 2010, the label founded by Double XL Director Adhisha Dahanayaka has broken the stigma around plus-sized clothing with its empowering tagline ‘Beauty Comes in All Sizes’. Given its focus on customer convenience, Double XL recently launched the first-ever virtual shopping experience platform in Sri Lanka, going the extra mile in not only staying ahead but ensuring customer needs are anticipated and met. In the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic, the virtual shopping experience offers an ideal solution, especially given the extensive level of attention it offers clients. Following are excerpts of an interview with Adhisha on the Double XL journey:

Double XL Founder/Director Adhisha Dahanayaka

Virtual experience

Q:  What drove you to start DoubleXL, catering exclusively to plus-sized people in an industry that is only now slowly realising the importance of extending size ranges of fashionable clothing – a sea change from the largely shapeless clothes that were mostly on offer until the recent past?

What drove us to start this is the fact that I was struggling as a person all those years ago to find clothing that would fit me. It was such a disheartening experience to go out shopping, or I would just avoid it altogether, which is a common occurrence with many plus-sized individuals. This is how the idea for Double XL came about and we are grateful for the journey we have been on with our brand.

Q:  How has the store been received in Sri Lanka over the last decade since it commenced operations in 2010 and what have the key lessons been when catering to plus-sized needs?

Ten years is a long journey and, looking back, there was difficulty in positioning the brand; we were new and we were doing something that had never been done in Sri Lanka before. The simple act of going shopping was something we had to make our patrons comfortable with. We had to ensure that the customer was the main priority in everything that we did and I feel like our work speaks for itself. We have come a long way and our patrons have been on this journey with us.

Q:  You recently launched the first-ever virtual shopping experience platform in Sri Lanka; could you talk about the service and how it has been received?

The virtual shopping experience is a brand-new initiative to ensure that our patrons are comfortable with shopping online and finding the right fit. I’ve said this before, and I will keep saying it: Comfort is everything for our patrons and with the virtual shopping experience, we have a personalised experience, where we video call our appointments and help them pick out clothing that would best fit them in size; we even measure to ensure best fit and show what the article of clothing will look like on a mannequin so the customer can have a better understanding of the fit.

We then disinfect the clothes, and carefully pack them, and delivery happens on the same day for Colombo and its immediate suburbs, and for any of our patrons outside Colombo, delivery will be in two to three days; for international customers, usual delivery days apply. This whole experience has been a first in Sri Lanka and has really elevated the experience for our patrons. We look forward to continuing the service and providing our patrons with the best of choices.

Q:  The store’s tag-line is ‘Beauty Comes in All Sizes’ – to what extent do you apply this in reality at the store? What is the size range on offer?

Ten years ago, in the fashion industry in Sri Lanka, beauty did not come in all sizes. There was an obvious and alarming stigma against a plus-sized body, and that was something I worked hard to fight against. ‘Beauty come in all sizes and plus-sized bodies are beautiful’ is a message I had to drive hard to get the point across and I’m glad I’ve done it. We offer Large to 7XL and as a brand that specialises in plus sizes I know that my customers are happy with the range we offer.

Q:  What is the criteria you apply when selecting the clothes you sell? Plus-sized clothing has traditionally been shapeless, dull, mostly in dark shades and rarely up to date with current styles. How has your store looked to address and change this?

Again, the most important factor is comfort. In 2010 when we first introduced the brand we realised that the dark or solid colours would sell more rapidly, but that has changed dramatically in the past few years, from the styles to the fabrics and prints used. We have a massive collection of styles and options for formal wear, work wear and even evening wear. I do not believe plus-sized clothing has been shapeless and dull, but it is important to pick clothes in colours you look and feel your best in.

 Do you listen to your regular plus-sized consumers and apply their feedback in deciding what the store offers? If yes, what are the main requests and how have you worked to address them?

A: I love to receive feedback from my customers and feel it’s a valuable exchange, I need to be able to cater to their requests. A lot of the requests have been for prints, which I am happy to offer. I’ve gotten requests for cotton material to be used, and even requests for slippers and accessories, which have pushed me as a creator to provide the best for my patrons.

Q: How has the response been from the fashion industry – in your experience, have more local designers begun to include extended sizing, have they been receptive to suggestions and how have they responded to meeting the needs of plus-sized bodies?

 It’s been a long and welcoming change to see more local brands offering plus-sized clothing and it’s something I wholeheartedly love to see, as the growth of the industry means better fashion forward choices for the people.

Q: Coming to the models you work with, how has that experience been in an industry that constantly pushes the notion that slimmer is sexier?

 I don’t believe that is true. I like to work with real women with real body shapes and I love working with real customers. This gives Double XL value in its offerings and makes real people fall in love with their bodies.

Q: What would you list as the highlights over the last decade as an entrepreneur and what can we expect from you next?

We have built a powerful brand starting from scratch and I’m so proud of this journey. It’s a strong brand and I’m happy with the progress we have made fighting the stigma around body shapes. I’m especially happy with the launch of the DXL premier brand in 2018 and, even through a pandemic, we still have the ability to innovate and create a safe space for our patrons while providing them with the best, which is something Double XL will continue to do.

The Double XL Team

Double XL offers Large to 7XL