It may be a sign that the man's suit has become virtually as universal as the English language: Posh British brand Savile Row has opened a grand shop in Bangkok.

Offering its renowned tailor-fitted suits for the Thai gentleman, the store is on the second floor at CentralWorld Plaza. Shirt prices hover around Bt1,080 and suits Bt18,500.

Jeffrey Doltis, the managing director and, in 1983, its co-founder, was in town for the opening, where he claimed the suit has become a matter of convenience for men.

"The suit is the easy way of dressing when men go to work or to evening events. They want to look smart, but don't want to draw too much attention, except for a splash of colour on the tie or shirt."

Men have loved casual attire for decades, of course, but formal dress is making a comeback, Doltis said.

"Today even the young people who don't wear a suit and tie to work will put them on in the evening when they go to a restaurant or the clubs. So the formal suit is very much a fashion items nowadays."

The Savile Row look is a slimmer cut than the Italian, which Doltis regards as "loose and a bit boxy".

The shirt collars are more cut away, not quite so bulky.

The company, headquartered in the heart of London's West End - on famed Savile Row, of course - strives to provide luxury clothes at affordable prices.

Apart from the exquisitely tidy design, it stresses quality fabrics.

The shirts are cotton or a silk-cotton blend, with a finishing that guarantees comfort. "It should be soft and comfortable to wear so that you almost don't know you're wearing anything," Doltis said.

White collars on coloured shirts, he noted, are back in fashion at the moment, 40 years after they last "made the scene".

Doltis recommends nice accent tones, so that not everything is "classic".

At least some colour in the jacket lining or the tie is a way of expressing your personality or mood, he said. This season, orange and green are in.

But, ultimately, the key is to be neat and smart.

"My company shares the belief that the 21st century is the century of Asia," Doltis said. "Asia is going to be the engine of the world economy, not Europe. The attitude towards work and business here is much more forward-looking than in Europe.

"We decided in the late '90s that Asia would be the main area for our expansion over the next 50 years."

Japan is Savile Row's biggest Asian market, with 700 outlets. There are 20 in India, but in the next two years that number will jump to 200, Doltis said. The company's turnover across Asia now stands at about US$70 million (Bt2.5 billion).

Savile Row is now sold in nine Southeast Asian countries through Thai associate Cassardi International Ltd, whose chairman, Boonnam Boonnamsap, points out that, along with quality, Thai textile manufacturers' strongest advantage is in tourism.

"We have more than 12 million tourists a year coming to relax and to shop in the region," he says. "We have the same brands and same high quality, but cheaper prices. Even with a stagnant economy, as long as we have tourists we're all right. Almost six out of every 10 purchases are made by tourists."

Kupluthai Pungkanon

The Nation