The best shops for men in Singapore

A hot-blooded male may have a conundrum on his hands when asked of his favourite product from Superdry. And we can see why. Aside from offering an extensive range of apparel, footwear and accessories, the UK clothing brand successfully appeals to its Asian clientele by injecting a style of vintage Americana and Japanese-inspired logomania in its wares, later refined by British tailoring. Superdry’s vintage-washed graphic tees (from $49) and their attention-grabbing graphics are more popular out of the lot, but it’s unwise to overlook the likes of the brand’s sleek runners and roomy backpacks. The brand is also available via local e-retailer Zalora.

While Uniqlo has seemingly an outlet at almost every local shopping mall, it is the brand’s global flagship store in Orchard Central that you should drop by for all your style desires. From fashion powerhouses such as Tomas Maier and Alexander Wang to iconic cartoons of Doraemon and comic strip Peanuts, the Japanese apparel giant is no stranger to phenomenal collaborations, most of which are exclusively available at this very flagship outlet.

Spanning three levels, the Orchard Central extension houses its sought-after seasonal range and UT graphic collection on the first level, while the rest of the menswear sits on the third, alongside the kids and babies section. The latter is where you should head to for evergreen apparels, such as thermal innerwear, formal and casual outfits, active wear, and travel essentials. Male shoppers will also certainly take delight in Uniqlo’s affordable range of bottoms that includes jeans, chinos and joggers. Best part? Alteration is free!

If you gravitate towards the minimalist aesthetics that the Japanese are renowned for, then the fashion from Muji may serve you well. From crisp mandarin-collared shirts to comfortable khaki pants fitted with handy pockets, the apparel line-up is best describe to encapsulate both timeless style and functionality. Furthermore, the Japanese brand even offers comfortable footwear and accessories such as backpacks and cross body pouches to build your Bauhaus style identity.

A purveyor of smart-casual, heritage inspired apparel and a lifestyle destination for the discerning gentleman, Benjamin Barker has been responsible for making clothes that speak style and personality. Of course there are the sharp suits and smart dress shirts but for something more casual, they also have streetwear and lifestyle products in the store. A one-stop shop for the men who give a damn about aesthetics, Benjamin Barker is here to stay.

Didn’t you know? Wearing workout clothes without actually working out is considered a style, otherwise known as athleisure. Canadian brand Lululemon helps you get on board the trend with its fashionable active wear line, made with tech fabric to accommodate spontaneous trips to the gym. Lululemon’s men’s range plays it safe with neutral colours splashed on sleek silhouettes, while still obliging to the little details of stitching and graphics for personality. Other style goodies from the brand include polo tees, thermos hoodies, flannel shirts and bags and accessories. See, you don’t have to be into fitness to shop at Lululemon!

The real estate formerly known as The Heeren is now commonly regarded as the massive multi-levelled department store Robinsons. Climbing up to six floors, Robinsons brims with a myriad of shopping options (we’re talking at least over 380 brands) that ranges from apparel to homeware, alongside a handful of dining options. Head up to the fourth level of the departmental store and you’ll find the entire floor dedicated to the needs and wants of a gentleman. From casualwear from UK brand Casual Friday and Timex’s wristwatches to an entire footwear section just for men, Robinsons is indeed a place to be when there’s a call for a wardrobe overhaul.

The Union Jack on the floor serves as a gigantic welcome mat for visitors to the first Singapore outpost of the UK-based fashion boutique. Catering to both men and women, the clothes and accessories stocked at Jack Wills – including jeans, suits and pretty dresses – are all inspired by classic British aesthetics, so expect to find plenty of stripes, checks and florals.

Here’s where every young Singaporean male kick-starts his denim phase. Nudie, that brand you now see knock-offs of at pasar malams, is the big seller here, but we suggest you skip it. You’ll want to seek out Pure Blue Japan, Imperial Denim and APC instead. The latter tends to run in slimmer cuts (it is a French brand, after all), while Imperial jeans are heavy, sturdy and thick – which means you’ll literally sweat your balls off. The Pure Blues use far lighter denim, so go for those if you don’t want your denim to stank after five wears. 

Apparel, accessories and footwear from brands around the globe feature here, alongside an array of lifestyle goods. For raw denim aficionados, look out for pieces by labels like Engineered Garments, Human Made, Orslow, Ten C and Sync Made by Medicom.

The Spa Esprit Group's male counterpart to the brand's popular Strip and Browhaus concepts is an all-in-one space for men to get their head-to-toe treatments in a space that feels less princess palace and more superhero hideout. A small retail area is stocked with goods by Malin+Goetz, label.m, Geo F Trumper and a We Need a Hero house brand – so dudes don't have to wait until the next tune-up to hit up this Tiong Bahru joint.

Services-wise, haircuts ($40-$85) are administered by veteran scissorhands Janice K and Quester Ng, while an in-house team is responsible for colour work (from $75), treatments ($70-$180), shaves and trims ($15-$65) for wild moustaches and beards. Strip's expertise in hair removal is on full display, too, with the same menu of waxing ($9-$85) and IPL ($120-$1,926) services that cover guy-specific crannies. We Need a Hero also provides proprietary techniques to remove all that fur from the ears ($14) and nostrils ($20) – and plans are underway to launch facials for men.