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 goods 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 seeks the proverbial needle in a haystack, and the plus-sized 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, clothing for sale in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is 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 with average builds, but plus-size clothing remains very hard to find.
Clothes labeled with all international sizes are found in Vietnamese stores, but they cannot be trusted. Travelers have often reported finding, for example, sizes XXL that were equivalent to sizes medium or large elsewhere. The Vietnamese invariably try on each item of clothing before purchasing and visitors are strongly encouraged to do the same. Many local people have their clothes 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. Stretching from north to south, from temperate to tropical, its long and narrow shape provides a land for all seasons, filled with fascinating physical, cultural, and historical features. It also offers a wide range of handmade artifacts with a unique aesthetic appeal. Their women’s clothing, in style and quality, should interest even the most demanding buyer. Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, this promise will extend even to those voluptuous visiting ladies seeking the plus-size tag.