For those of you who don’t like to read long, geeky stuff, here is the round-up. Support small clothing businesses, Suhail and the gang are really fun, the clothing is well made, but not like “Neapolitan bloke in a shed smoking, doing one stitch a day” levels of well made, and the fit and shapes aren’t for everyone… I now want Radio Bombay as my signature fragrance.
I run my own clothing brand (obviously… I hope) and I really like supporting other small clothing brands from around the world, in the same way that proper bands like listening to other music to be inspired by other creatives and think, “Well I could never do that, but I can do this.” So, over 3 months ago (more on that later), I made an order for a pair of Masters pants, the blouson and a shirt. I also got an off-menu shirt made that I saw on their Instagram, which was nice.
I’ve been aware of Garuda SS from India, led by the, at times abrasive but always informative, Suhail, for about 5 years, whilst they were experimenting with more technical fabrics and cuts. It was sort of like Acronym met a few other brands and created something fun. It wasn’t very me, but I loved the videos and the way they spoke about clothing. Over more recent years they have started using more natural fibres and hand-loomed Indian fabrics, which is definitely more my shtick, so after a bit of consideration, I took the plunge and here is how it went.
The Quality
Garuda makes all their clothing in-house using tailors and machinists in their studio, which I love. It is mostly made to order, with some stock ready and waiting to go, but that stock doesn’t seem to be held in big quantities. I ordered my stuff in late March and received it in early June. Apparently I managed to order when everyone else in the world ordered, so what should’ve been 4-6 weeks ended up being closer to 8. However, I got email updates and the lovely Gary is always on hand via WhatsApp for a chat. The package was sent with UPS and, because it came from India, there were import duties that needed paying before delivery. However, being clothing enthusiasts, I am sure we are all well aware of this!
Each garment comes in its own bag saying who inspected it, with spare buttons and a little user manual. I especially liked the sample of Durga’s ‘Radio Bombay’ fragrance on a little card in with the clothing. I like knowing stuff like this, but now onto the quality. Is it as good as they say it is? In short, yes. If I go too deep into construction, please feel free to skip to the next section, but seeing as this is such a huge part of the brand it is important to highlight.
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The shirts are largely overlocked, which was a bit of a surprise as we tend to use French seams on our more expensive shirts. However, the fabrics Garuda use on these two shirts are hand-loomed and, as a result, can be very tricky to deal with, so I completely understand why. This isn’t mass-made overlocking, there is definitely a level of care and attention to detail, but not the top-tier hand finishing you see from “we are only a shirt brand” brands. The blouson and Masters pants use a 4-needle overlocker, which is a much higher quality finish all round. The armholes are bound on the blouson with lots of fun detailing that makes it very wearable and great looking. The additional zips for you to add and take away liners etc. using the modular concept are super nice too.
The trousers have a run-and-fell inside leg, or it is gone over twice with a single needle, either way, a great finish. A robust canvas is used, not in a Carhartt, “I’ll fix your truck whilst I drink Coors Light” way, but definitely in a “this will last me years” way. On the subject of fabrics, the hand-loomed fabrics on the shirts are beautiful, unlike anything I have ever seen, and are a real joy to wear. Construction is great and the fabric choices are incredibly well considered. They feel miles ahead of anything you’d get from the big brands, without disappearing down the rabbit hole of needless details that sometimes Iron Heart etc. do (which, to be fair, I also love).
The fit
Garuda have a whole ideology about how the body should be shaped and shrouded, which is another reason why I like them. I think unless you just want to add their clothing to your collection without wearing it (which I wouldn’t blame you for), I’d spend a bit of time looking at their size charts and the model photos to see if that fit is for you, as this is not straightforward 2026 fashion stuff. I love the ideology, the way that things can be shaped to your body, I love the ties on the trousers, shirts and jackets, which mean that they can all be worn in different ways regardless of your shape.
I have a size 2 in one shirt and a size 3 in another and, because of the oversized nature of them, I can barely tell the difference between the two, which is no bad thing. Suhail looks great in wide-leg black trousers, but you may not, and I probably don’t, but they are exceptionally comfortable to wear and I don’t need to worry too much about having an extra slice of cake and my trousers not fitting anymore. The shirts are big, but balanced well and feel super elegant. The blouson is by far the most traditionally wearable piece and even Suhail himself says that this is the best introduction to the brand. I love the hand-embroidered name badge that you get as a free extra on the blouson too. I got TRiCKETT so I can pretend it is an official collab.
Overall, if you want to dress in a fun, interesting way that supports craft, fun and can start a conversation, then this is definitely for you.
Will I be popping out to a local supermarket in full Garuda? I might wear the jacket if it’s cold or the blue shirt if it is warm, but otherwise, it might be a bit much for East Lancashire.
Will I spend an embarrassing amount of time standing in front of the mirror stroking the fabric? Absolutely.
So if you’ve been thinking about trying Garuda and fancy wearing something genuinely different, I’d say go for it. I don’t think you’ll regret it. And if your wardrobe is a bit more conservative, they’re still worth following. Suhail has a habit of making you appreciate the clothes you already own, which feels like a pretty good outcome for everyone.
One final thing. I paid for all of this myself, Garuda have absolutely no idea I’m writing this and I wasn’t asked to. I just think it’s important to support small clothing brands doing interesting things, because we’d all miss them if they disappeared.