Seventy-six percent and rising: that’s how many Chinese urban males bought clothing in 2010, with 24 percent regarding clothes as 'important purchases', according to Chinese market researchers CTR. The trend continues as global consultants Frost & Sullivan predict that sales will hit CNY539.9 billion (USD81.7 million) by 2013, with an annual growth of 15.8 percent.

Li Ning Co Ltd, one of the country's leading sporting goods manufacturers, launched its Urban Sports line last June. The range, which is aimed at young professionals, includes styles that can be worn at work and during exercise.

Current trends favour both form and function. Big names like Ermenegildo Zegna, Gieves and Hawkes, Dunhill, and Hugo Boss all enjoying tremendous success, according to a report by the Li and Fung Research Centre in Hong Kong. At the same time, the popular mid-market Zara brand currently counts its Chinese market as "essential", according to a spokesman for Inditex Group, its Spanish parent company.