Closet encounters

There was a time when a bloke's allocation of wardrobe space was directly apportioned to his housework contribution. Ergo, not much. No offence, guys, but let's face it.

How times have changed. We may still be none too thrilled with the idea of domestic duties, but give us a man-closet and it's happy days. As Melanie Charlton, New York's closet designer to the stars, points out, the Mr Bigs of today have as great a wardrobe need as Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw. "Of course," says Charlton, CEO of Clos-ette, "closets are the ultimate man cave for a man who loves clothes, watches and accessories".

Charlton's clients spend hundreds of thousands of US dollars on a place to put their sartorial kit, and it seems that in Hong Kong we are not much different.

Interior designer Monique McLintock, of Monique McLintock Interiors, says: "Guys want well-designed and organised spaces, just like girls. Believe it or not, guys have a lot of shoes. Men want to have outfits match their shoes and have their fair share of man-bags."

We also have closet predilections, she says. "Every man has a certain way they hang up their slacks, store their ties, organise their cufflinks and stack their shirts. Men are very particular when it comes to how clothing is stored. They often come to me with photos of a retail store they want their closet to look like."

Hong Kong men can give New Yorkers a run for their money when it comes to wardrobes, McLintock says. "I have had men who have told me they have more than 100 pairs of shoes. Getting dressed has become more of a joyful experience than a chore. They like to take time to select the perfect cufflinks and tie."

One recent wardrobe project, completed for a "billionaire bachelor" (a thirtysomething Asian developer living on The Peak), involved a walk-in closet fitted to display his sunglasses, caps, ties and cufflinks "so that he could see them when pulling together an outfit".