GONE are the days when men were considered second class citizens in the world of shopping. Not when the humble office shirt - more a uniform than an expression of personal style - has of late become a veritable status symbol.

Forget the neighbourhood tailored shirt or mainstream shirt labels bought in bulk - a current influx of upscale men's shirt brands is putting a fashionable spin to the concept of men's office wear.

With the entrance of labels such as Charles Tyrwhitt, Thomas Pink and most recently T.M.Lewin, all of which have roots in Jermyn Street - the place for gentlemen to shop in London - the choice is widening for Singapore men beyond the usual luxury labels like Zegna or Hugo Boss.

According to industry players, the vibrancy of Singapore's men's shirt market today is a response to a growing demand for the product. In an industry where 'classic' items such as shirts outsell their more fashionable seasonal counterparts like an 'It' bag, it is no wonder retailers are paying more attention.

'I believe that the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997 was the beginning of the rise of Singapore as the financial centre of Asia,' remarks R Dhinakaran, managing director of Jay Gee Enterprises that brought in T.M.Lewin. 'It meant a rise in the number of working executive men in Singapore, which in turn leads to a bigger demand for shirts.'

French shirt brand Alain Figaret certainly saw this potential when they opened their first Asian store in Singapore in 1996. The idea was to offer a luxury ready-to-wear product in a market that only had two options - cheap or tailored.

Its spokeswoman Nancy Goh explains: 'The shirt market in Singapore is very dynamic, mainly because it has an important potential customer base.

'With expatriates, tourists and businessmen that come and go, and local executives with very high living standards and purchasing power, we see it as one of the most important markets in Asia.'

A growing market with little quality offering was similarly what inspired FJ Benjamin to start local shirt kingpin Raoul seven years ago. 'I started Raoul in 2002 because I had gone to London, bought a few very expensive shirts and within a few months they were so tattered you would have thought I washed my shirts with knives,' recalls chief executive Douglas Benjamin. 'So I told my wife I wanted to start making men's shirts that can actually stand the test of time and all Raoul shirts can definitely do that.'

He adds that over the last five years, the local men's shirt market has not only grown by leaps and bounds in terms of size - Raoul now makes 40 times more shirts for men as compared to when they first started seven years ago - but also in terms of design awareness.

'When we started, we were very safe, only using standard designs and colours. A colour like purple, for example, was a no no!' says Mr Benjamin with a laugh.

'But after Raoul had built up a loyal customer base, people were coming to us and asking for more 'daring' colours and designs. We even produced shirts in purple and they sold out! Nowadays, we even make shirts with variations of checks and stripes because the market demands it. Who would have thought?'

It was on the back of a dressier culture that spurred British yuppie favourite Thomas Pink to open its first outlet in Takashimaya Department Store in October 2007.

'Men in Singapore are getting dressier. They want to look good but are not sure how to,' says Louis Chua, general manager of Trinidad Ventures that brought in Thomas Pink. 'Disposable income is also increasing and with constant exposure to external cultures, fashion demands and the need to feel confident, men tend to spend a little bit more on dressing up these days. Five years ago, if a garment had sleeves, pockets and buttons it was a shirt. Now, you need to have a certain cut, Italian fabrics, modern fabric designs. Men today want to attract attention and also ensure they give the right impression.'

Stylist Daniel Boey explains that Singaporean men are no longer as conservative as they used to be. 'I think now, more than ever, men are more aware of the cut of shirts,' he says. 'No longer do men just go about buying completely shapeless shirts off the rack, they are beginning to realise that cut and fit make a huge difference.'

He attributes the proliferation of men's fashion magazines such as GQ in Singapore as the reason why men are more shirt/fashion savvy these days. Says Mr Boey: 'In the past, men's magazines were deemed flouncy , flamboyant or both.

'But now, the trend is to give non-threatening fashion advice that people who are not in the fashion industry can adopt which accounts for why men in Singapore are not just more knowledgeable about what they wear but also pay more attention to what they want to buy.'

For those who are in the market for a well-fitted shirt but have no idea where to start, Mr Boey has the following few tips: 'Always try on the shirt. Just because you are a medium with a collar size of 15.5 inches for one brand doesn't mean it's the same for another brand. Different brands cut their shirts differently. Nothing irks me more than an ill-fitted shirt.

'Also, look at how the shirt is made. Shirts that are meant to be tucked in have a certain shape while shirts that are meant to be left out are cut straight across the bottom so if you try and tuck a shirt like that in, it would look boxy. So many men out there cannot make this distinction.'

And while the economic crisis has affected the men's shirt industry, players reveal that it is the shops offering value and quality for money that are holding their heads above water.

'Take a brand like Zegna for example. It is expensive but with good reason because every single thread is dyed before it is woven so you know the colour won't run. With a cheap black shirt, before you know it, it is grey,' explains Mr Boey on what makes a good buy. 'In times like these, I would rather pay a bit more for a well-cut, good quality shirt that would last me seven years than a cheap one that would last me six months.'

This article was first published in The Business Times .