DressMonkey is the pet project of two 24 year-old American males currently living in Shanghai. What started in 2003 as separate individual pursuits for a deeper understanding of the ways in which international business and cultures collide quickly transgressed into one mutually intoxicating love/hate relationship with their jobs, fashion and all things Chinese.

One worked as an IT consultant for a Fortune 500 company where he spent 12 hours a day behind a computer punching in numbers for field data queries with machine-like efficiency and eating KFC for lunch everyday. The other worked as a business development manager for a Chinese logistics company where he not only was oddly treated like royalty simply for being the only foreigner in the organization but also witnessed quite possible every single fashion faux pas known to man (or, in this case, only known to Westerners) thanks to his colleagues.

Finally, one day in early 2006, the highly overworked and underpaid consultant and the culturally confused and fashionably frustrated BD manager quit their jobs and decided to start a company that addressed what they felt had become a growing need in this world for young professionals like themselves: the creation of a more respected (recognizable) and fashionably-dressed “office monkey.” Alas, DressMonkey was born.

Men’s Vogue hit newsstands last fall, and the vibe since its release screams it’s so fashion. The word surrounding Men’s Vogue is that it:

”...speaks to the sensibility of a guy no longer driven by his libido and earlier ambitions, but (who is) much more about having a family, wanting to master things and wanting to really know in depth about things.”

Personally speaking, I find that a domestic bank account carries more significance than an offshore one. And I continually find myself with raging boners at work for no apparent reason. Does this mean I am still 'driven by my libido and childish ambitions?' It appears that Condé Nast’s new mag is not for everyone. It doesn’t seem to be too interested in the young male professional demographic, and thus may be best not purchased by the Dressmonkeys of this world.

Foreigners in China looking this good should be against the law

I had another meeting today with a manufacturer that supposedly specialized in men’s jackets and dress shirts. I bussed it down south to a town called Jiaxing about an hour south of Shanghai on a recommendation from a former colleague of mine that I check out the production lines of a factory of a personal friend of his. I hoped to utilize my friend’s guanxi (the Chinese term for personal relationship) so I happily agreed to the meeting.

So, I arrive at the factory and walk into a huge showroom filled with women’s garments and accessories: fur boas, leather tote bags, silk scarves and the like. "This is all nice stuff, but where is your suit production happening," I asked? Turned out that the factory my friend’s friend operates only makes women’s clothing. Not only that, but they couldn’t come close to providing the kind of custom production for individual orders that we’re looking to do and that I was told could be met. It was a complete waste of time and money! A tough day for DressMonkey no doubt.

Esquire is holding competitions for the best dressed real man in America.. Winners will be featured in the September 2006 issue of Esquire. Kudos to those who polished off their Italian Moreschi’s and headed down to the participating Macy’s department store to enter. May the man with the greatest fashion persona win.

We at DressMonkey find it laughable that the competition holds as requisites both “classy dress” and “real man,” as if quality of ones threads determines his degree of male legitimacy. Do “real men” wear Pinstripes or pullovers? Surely the men that tend Uncle Jack’s farm sit at home and scoff at Esquire’s criteria for its competition and the the men that win it.

There’s no better way for contestants to wear personal style on their sleeves than with your own DressMonkey blazer. You design it, you rock it, you love it. So, here’s my little PR pitch to all DressMonkeys out there in cyberspace:

Wear your personalized DressMonkey blazer at this year’s Esquire Best Dressed competition, take a picture of yourself rockin it before the judges and send it to us along with a short personal note. We’ll then not only glamorize you and your delectable fashion persona on our website, but better yet offer you a 50% discount on your next DressMonkey purchase.

I’ll see you at Macy’s.