The common perception seems to be that men pay no attention to their clothes; they might as well dress in the dark as they just throw on a pair of pants and a shirt!! Nothing could be more incorrect. Men take as much trouble over their clothes as women. In fact they can be really fastidious about some things like the crease of their pants, the length of their shirt sleeves, the width of the cuff, the shape of the collar, their belt and socks and shoes to name just a few.

Men have realised that they are also judged by how they look, so it's best to make the right impression.

Clothes for men has become a big business, it has moved from the men's tailors to men's clothing retail chains and boutiques, and now online clothes shopping has made life easy for the busy executive. abof, an online fashion retailer (''all about fashion'') has decided that its target audience ranges between the ages of 18 to 35. This being a discerning age group, the clothes need to be of the latest fashion trend, the fit good, the prices competitive, and the turnaround time between order and delivery as short as possible.

While the quality of the clothes is of paramount importance' competitive pricing plays a big role in the choice of one's online retailer. GST's impact on e-commerce is yet to be seen but that should even out the tax element of variable pricing.

abof and other online retailers have realised that with the paucity of time people rather do one stop shopping than going from shop to shop, site to site; so besides clothes, they also cater to shoes and accessory needs. You find a good selection of footwear, wallets and belts to choose from. Some even offer a selection of jewellery. They have smartened up, and offer style consultants to chat with. These consultants help you create a look, help you mix and match.

Since men today value self-expression and the freedom to make their own identities rather than fit into a mould, rules of fashion are few, though quality and fit and value for value remains the biding principle.

Ethnic Indian men's clothes have a huge global market. With the vast NRI community overseas the frequency of culture based social events has multiplied. There was a time when people used to buy their Indian clothes when on vacation in India and there were those who used to make a special trip to shop. It was quite difficult to keep up with the ever-changing fashion trends. But with online shopping, all these hurdles have been surmounted.

Men's grooming products seem to be finding favour in the markets; customers are looking for more choices. With people travelling more, their exposure has increased, and they are aware of what is available in other countries. While, thanks to the World Wide Web, the world is their shopping mall, they would still like the products they want available closer home; they don't want to wait weeks or even days while the goods are in transit, online shopping to the rescue!

All in all online retail and men's fashion make a good fit.