"The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) also created a cultural discontinuity," Yu said. "During this period, people were expected to wear clothes of a certain style and a certain color."
As an example of the pride that men used to take in their personal appearance before the Cultural Revolution, Yu cited the elaborate descriptions of garments worn by male social elites in Dream of the Red Chamber, a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) novel by Cao Xueqin.
More recent historical examples of well-dressed Chinese men, said Yu, include Gu Weijun (1888-1985), a diplomat during The Republic of China (1912-1949), and Zhou Enlai (1898-1976), the first premier of The People's Republic of China who was highly praised for his elegant taste and refined manners.
"These days however, there isn't a single Chinese man who is known around the world for his charm," said Yu.
On the contrary, my dear
Han Bing, a 27-year-old financial worker in Beijing, said he disagreed with the opinion that Chinese men were poor dressers, especially when compared to men in Western countries.
"When I was living in the UK or traveled to the US, I saw a lot of men who also didn't care about their looks and who were poorly dressed," said Han.
He also took issue with Yu's opinion that men in China dress too casually in public.
"As long as it isn't somewhere that has a stated dress code, and the person's attire doesn't expose parts of their body that make other people feel uncomfortable, then it's fine," he said.
Sally Bennett (pseudonym), a 29-year-old teacher in Beijing who is originally from Australia, also disagreed with the view that Chinese men were poorly dressed compared to Western men.
"In my own country or in the UK, I've seen some guys wearing pajamas or walking barefoot in shopping malls," said Bennett, who is engaged to a Chinese man. "While in China, the men I know, they all care about their appearances and try to look good all the times."
Chinese men also tend to quite chivalrous, in her experience, said Bennett. "Take my fiancée, for example. He always holds my hand, opens doors for me and kisses me on the forehead when we're waiting at the bus station," Bennett said. "I think whether a man has good taste and manners are decided by his upbringing and educational background. It's not a problem of nationality."
Although Bennett conceded that there weren't any Chinese celebrities who had the global sex symbol status of David Beckham or Brad Pitt, she said it didn't mean that Chinese men were not attractive. "Personally, I quite fancy the Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat."
Looking the part
A number of courses have sprung up in the country to rectify the perceived problem of Chinese men's poor fashion sense, and to teach men how to dress appropriately according to the image they hope to portray.
Yang Xin, who teaches one such monthly course for She Fashion Image Design in Wuhan, Hubei Province, said that they had 40 students in the first year when their courses started in 2012, but they now have around 120 students per year.
He Meng, 36, took a course with She Fashion Image Design last August, after starting his own Internet business.
"After I started my own business, I realized that the way I dressed and comported myself was not appropriate for large business meetings and negotiations," said He.
During the course, He was persuaded to switch from cream-colored and loafers to darker colored suits and shoes, which would give him a more assertive, authoritative presence. He also learnt how to choose belts and cuff-links for different social occasions.
"I also learned how to conduct myself, including my tone of voice and my way of speaking," said He. "I can't quantify how much of an effect it has had, but I believe I've gotten more business due to changes in my dress and comportment."
On a broader scale, Yu said that he expected the general level of Chinese men's dress and comportment to improve as China continued to prosper economically.
"I think a person's taste is the reflection of his cultural background," said Yu. "As China's economy and cultural atmosphere continue to develop, people's tastes and social manners will surely follow."
As for men who wanted to make a change now to be ahead of the curve, Yu recommended first buying a tailored suit.
"Two years ago, when I was 30 years old, I bought my first ever tailored suit," said Yu. "Only since that moment have I felt like a real man."
