by Marcel Lee Pereira

MEN are a growing fashion and lifestyle consumer segment here, with more paying attention to what they wear and how they look.

Sales of men's clothes, shoes and skincare products have shot up between 10 and 30 per cent over the Great Singapore Sale period compared with the same period last year, retailers told my paper.

Some of them have expanded their range of men's products to cater to the increased demand.

Said Dr Jannie Tay, president of the Singapore Retailers Association: "There is increasing personal wealth. Men are able to indulge in their own appearance, like going to spas and spending on accessories.

"There is a growing trend of personal expenditure on fashion as well, and it's starting at a much younger age."

Four years ago, Mr Renton Quek, 34, a civil servant, started using premium skincare products by brands such as Origins, spending about $600 a year on moisturisers and facial serum.

He said: "At first I was self-conscious, especially when standing at a counter with the sales staff explaining the products. Eventually, you know what to get and grab it fast."

Other males like Mr Neeraj Sujanani, 33, an indoor air-quality auditor, have more practical reasons for maintaining their skin.

Mr Sujanani, an Indian national who has been in Singapore for over three years, started using Clarins facial products only after he arrived here.

He said: "I used to stay in the Middle East, but the weather is different here. It leaves my face very oily and sticky."

He spends over $100 on Clarins products each time he buys them.

"I was surprised that the results were quite good. The products are not sticky and leave the skin smooth," he said.

For more my paper stories click here.