By Nels Frye (That's Beijing)
Updated: 2008-02-20 16:17

With USD 177.2 billion in exports expected for 2007, China is the world’s largest producer of apparel and textiles. Risking their brand prestige, Burberry, Prada, and even Giorgio Armani have relocated some production to China. Despite all the rags made here –many of indisputably high quality –it remains difficult for men to find clothes and accessories that blend quality, style, and value. Without delving into the economic causes, which include taxation policies and domestic demand, let us determine which products should be bought here and which on trips to Europe or North America.

Affordable tailoring can make Beijing an excellent place to have suits custom-made, but Chinese wool suiting fabric sold in Daxin market, the Friendship store, etc. is inferior to English and Italian fabric in quality and style. Buy suiting fabric abroad, online, or use fabric imported by the tailor. Cheap plastic buttons ruin an otherwise good suit, so get horn ones abroad or at Muxiyuan. On the other hand, locally made tweed fabrics are quite durable and often attractive, just like the cashmeres, though the burning test must be applied to avoid acrylics. Visit Qinghe market in Haidian for the best selection and prices. For casual garments, serviceable linen and corduroy can be purchased at Daxin or Muxiyuan, at the South Third Ring Road. Shirting fabric is highly limited in China and styles are iffy, while imported fabrics are overpriced. Buy your dress shirts abroad, and have them altered here.

China invented silk, but Beijing is devoid of good ties at reasonable prices. Those “Kailong” and “Hermes” and “Ermenegildo Zegna” ties from the silk market are polyester and recognizable for their tackiness. Burn them now; nobody is impressed by the dozen-for-50-kuai deal. Good ties are from Italy. The same goes for shoes, though England, France and the USA are also strong producers. Leather is no cheaper in China than abroad and craftsmanship lags. Even men with small feet should buy their dress shoes abroad –unless the shoes are custom-made, in which case the leather is still often inferior.

Every major brand produces in China and evidence of this often surfaces at the “foreign trade” shops, but determining what is from the real factory can be challenging. Some brands with solid quality and decent selection currently available at the Zoo market and Ping’an Dajie are Fred Perry, Ralph Lauren, and Volcom and other streetwear labels. Please avoid cheesy brands like Energie though. “Paul Smith” is everywhere, but wearers stick out like wilted flowers. Even the rare genuine articles are licensed, lower-end product intended for the Japan market, and not the same Paul Smith found in the West. Paul Smith and every other designer brand should be purchased outside of China if one wants to escape the high luxury taxes and inferior selection. In conclusion: Go for tailoring and quality “foreign trade” products but not designer brands or the replicas of them.