Business suits have become the top choice for Chinese men, with two of every three frequently wearing suits, the Shanghai Morning Post reported today.

According to a survey of 1,428 men between 20 and 45 from six large Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, one-third of the interviewees have at least one suit and another one-third have two or three suits.

Nearly 65 percent of the respondents frequently wear business suits.

More than half of the respondents care most about the brand of suit, followed by color and material quality, according to the survey.

Department stores and specialty shops are the main places where domestic men purchase suits, the survey indicated.

Fashion-buffs nowadays wear suits reflecting their own personalities, with casual suits gaining popularity among Chinese men, said a survey analyst.

Some young men like to wear T-shirts without ties under their suits to add a new flavor to the traditional business suit, the analyst said.

(China Daily November 1, 2003)