Guide to Sell Men Apparel in China

[2025] In China, men’s apparel dominates the apparel market, one of the crucial and crystal reasons is the population of Chinese males overwhelmingly overweight the one of Chinese female.

Menswear accounts for 43.6% of the clothing industry’s total sales value. The men’s garment market is expected to grow from nearly RMB 500 billion in 2015 to more than RMB 1800 billion .

How to Sell Men’s Apparel in China: Personalized Tips from a Chinese Marketer

The men’s apparel market in China is growing rapidly, driven by increasing disposable incomes, evolving fashion trends, and a rising interest in personalized style.

However, success in this competitive space requires a deep understanding of Chinese male consumers and a tailored approach to marketing. Here are actionable tips from a local marketer to help you sell men’s apparel in China effectively:

1. Understand the Chinese Male Consumer

Chinese men are becoming more fashion-conscious and willing to invest in quality apparel. Here’s what they care about:

Style and Fit: Chinese men are increasingly interested in tailored, well-fitted clothing that reflects their personality.
Quality and Brand Story: They value craftsmanship, premium materials, and brands with a strong heritage or unique story.
Versatility: They prefer clothing that can transition seamlessly from work to casual settings.
Influence of Trends: Younger men (Gen Z and millennials) are heavily influenced by global fashion trends, K-pop, and streetwear.

2. Leverage Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) for Discovery

Xiaohongshu is a goldmine for men’s fashion. It’s where Chinese men go to discover new brands, get styling tips, and read reviews.

Create Aspirational Content: Post high-quality photos and videos showcasing your apparel in stylish, real-life scenarios. Think urban streetwear, office-to-evening looks, or travel outfits.
Collaborate with Male KOLs: Partner with male fashion influencers who resonate with your target audience. They can showcase how to style your pieces and highlight their quality.
Encourage UGC (User-Generated Content): Run campaigns encouraging customers to share their outfits using your products. Offer incentives like discounts or giveaways.

3. Use WeChat as Your Personalized Hub

WeChat is more than a messaging app—it’s a powerful tool for building relationships and driving sales.

Develop a WeChat Mini-Program: Create a seamless shopping experience where users can browse, customize, and purchase your apparel. Include features like virtual try-ons or personalized recommendations.
Leverage WeChat Groups: Build exclusive groups for your loyal customers. Share styling tips, behind-the-scenes content, and early access to new collections.
Personalized Messaging: Use WeChat’s CRM tools to send personalized messages, such as birthday discounts or tailored product recommendations.

4. Embrace Douyin (TikTok China) for Viral Appeal

Douyin is a fantastic platform to reach younger male consumers who love trendy, visually engaging content.

Create Short, Stylish Videos: Showcase your apparel in action—think runway clips, styling tutorials, or influencer collaborations.
Leverage Native Ads: Use Douyin’s algorithm to target men interested in fashion, fitness, or lifestyle content.
Launch Challenges: Create branded hashtags or challenges that encourage users to showcase their style using your products.

5. Partner with the Right KOLs

KOLs are essential for building trust and credibility in the men’s apparel market.

Choose Niche Influencers: Collaborate with male KOLs who specialize in men’s fashion, grooming, or lifestyle. They often have highly engaged audiences.
Focus on Authenticity: Let KOLs share their genuine experiences with your brand. Authentic reviews and styling tips resonate more than scripted ads.
Leverage Micro-Influencers: They may have smaller followings, but their recommendations often carry more weight with their loyal fanbase.

6. Highlight Personalization and Exclusivity

Chinese consumers, especially men, value personalized experiences and exclusive offerings.

Offer Customization: Allow customers to personalize their apparel, such as monogramming or choosing unique color combinations.
Launch Limited Editions: Create exclusive collections or limited-edition pieces to drive urgency and desirability.
VIP Programs: Reward loyal customers with early access to sales, personalized styling sessions, or exclusive events.

7. Build Your E-reputation on Zhihu

Zhihu is where Chinese consumers go to research brands and products. A strong presence here can boost your credibility.

Answer Fashion-Related Questions: Share expert advice on men’s fashion, styling tips, and trends to position your brand as an authority.
Showcase Customer Testimonials: Highlight positive reviews and success stories from satisfied customers.
Address Concerns Proactively: Respond to any negative feedback or questions promptly and professionally.

8. Tap into Bilibili for Community Engagement

Bilibili is a great platform to connect with younger, fashion-forward men who value community and authenticity.

Create Long-Form Content: Share behind-the-scenes videos, styling guides, or interviews with designers.
Engage with the Community: Respond to comments, participate in discussions, and show your brand’s personality.
Collaborate with UPers: Partner with Bilibili creators who specialize in men’s fashion or lifestyle content.

9. Focus on Key Shopping Festivals

Chinese consumers love a good deal, especially during major shopping festivals.

Singles’ Day (11.11): Offer exclusive discounts, bundles, or limited-edition products to capitalize on China’s biggest shopping event.
618 Mid-Year Sale: Use this event to clear inventory and introduce new collections.
Lunar New Year: Launch special collections or promotions tied to the holiday season.

10. Localize Your Brand Story

Chinese consumers want to connect with brands that understand their culture and values.

Incorporate Chinese Elements: Use subtle nods to Chinese culture, such as colors, patterns, or motifs, in your designs or marketing.
Celebrate Local Festivals: Create campaigns around Chinese holidays like Mid-Autumn Festival or Dragon Boat Festival.
Highlight Sustainability: Many Chinese consumers, especially younger ones, value eco-friendly and sustainable practices.

Remember, the key to success is consistency and authenticity. Take the time to build relationships, listen to your customers, and adapt your strategy to meet their evolving needs. With the right approach, your men’s apparel brand can thrive in China’s dynamic and lucrative market.

Branding is the key

Brands in China have to be active on their Reputation. Chinese buy “trust” and no Trust no Business.

Many Brands actually suffer from a Reputation Problem. Chinese will spend a lot of time to search for Brand information and Consumers Feedback. They prefer to buy a Brand that Consumers recommend, so negative comments would bring the business tons of trouble.

Chinese men’s consciousness of clothing fashion is awakening

There is a fact that these days Chinese men are willing to expend much more their money on apparel than ever. For example, a white-collar usually spends about 2,000 yuan (£225) on a regular coat or shirt, and will happily part with more than 10,000 yuan for a quality business suit.

They believe in a working environment and even for some important occasions, professionals need to know how to dress, as it may have a big bearing on how others perceive you. Therefore, being well turned out will allow one to stand out, as it portrays a positive and professional image as well as showing the person is prepared. And it also shows one’s respect for others. Awareness of what is appropriate dressing and grooming also has been a key point of appreciation and promotion by the employer.

Young Chinese male consumers’ perspectives to apparel alters

Chinese consumers are willing to spend more on quality, which creates an overall growing trend for the average purchase value to increase. The men’s market was previously concentrated around historical brands and experienced a steady growth from the 90s.

While the menswear market is showing the most promising potential in the Chinese clothing industry, specific segments of consumers will constitute the major stakes. Brands will need to adapt their marketing models to take advantage of the consumer preferences from the various segments.

Looking for new styles of clothes

The Chinese menswear is obviously becoming more and more fashionable. The business casual wear is increasing in popularity, and the design is more and more creative and fashionable, taking influences from Japanese, Korean and European styles.

What is more important is Chinese consumers are definitely looking for new style of clothes, such as European brands can show a kind of elegance in their minds. The growing trend for business casual wear, especially for the Chinese millennial has further undermined the sales of men’s suits. The workers, such as professionals or managers, are the strongest buyer of business casual wear in China. The university-aged, however, are also expected to be a great potential for the country.

How to sell men apparel in China

More convenient to sell on e-commerce platforms

Choice1: Tmall. Tmall is the most reputable cross border e-commerce platform in China. Chinese people trust Tmall because this platform galunteer to sell consumers only with quality and authentic goods.

A Tmall.com storefront is essential to the China retail strategy of leading global businesses. It’s the most effective way for China market penetration. However Tmall is not a cost effective solution and require a big investment for most of Fashion Brands. And the main problem with Tmall is build a successful store take time and need good branding.

Choice2: WeChat. WeChat is the most popular social media with more than 80 million daily users. It’s the perfect place to communicate with your consumers and publish contents. You also have to know that WeChat provides to brands an e-commerce part. You can build your own e-shop and sale directly on the platform.

Other Choices: You can now sell on LittleRedBook.

The social purchase platforms open the gate of the E-Commerce for Fashion Brand. And you can also try to sell through Daigou. Daigou is powerful in China, because they distribute fashion brands to their community. Nobody is really able to estimate this Market Size, but can reach 50% for some Brands.

Be visible and ranking high on SEO

Baidu is the most famous and used online search engine in China. Baidu accounts for more than 80% of market share in SEO in China. Baidu became the most important search engine you need to include in your SEO strategy if you want to succeed on the Chinese market. It is a kind of success if your brand is very visible and rank on the top in SEO.

To be visible on Baidu, key words are the key, but they have to be in mandarin because your consumers will always try to find information using mandarin key words.

In addition, your website needs to be hosted in china if you want to be ranked on Baidu. Notably, all your contents have to be responsive design because Chinese users are very connected and surf a lot on their smartphones.

Need a cost effective TP (Tmall Partner) to sell in China?

We are an Official Tmall Partner e-commerce Agency. Our Services: E-Commerce, Search Engine Optimization, Advertising, Weibo, WeChat, WeChat Store & PR.

Gentlemen Marketing Agency is specialized in the digital marketing in the Chinese market. Do not hesitate to contact us if you want to discuss any projects in China.

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