This shrink-resistant cotton model from India's Mandhana has long sleeves, an embroidered collar, ceramic buttons and two flap pockets. Price is $9.

New designs have better fabric blends, finishes and treatments. Anti-creasing and perfume-releasing models are offered.

Suppliers of men's dress shirts in India and China are using new fabric blends in their breathable, shrink-resistant models.

While a number of makers continue to employ CVC, others are mixing a larger percentage of polyester to come up with soft men's dress shirts that do not shrink easily.

Some suppliers are adding bamboo fiber to their blends in releasing odor-resistant designs.

Yarn-dyed, plain, dobby, checked and printed styles in classic or formal designs are offered. Finished products undergo anti-creasing, stain- and water- repellent, antibacterial, perfume-releasing and enzyme treatments to enhance their functionality.

Further, buyers may request for Teflon, easy-care, soil-release, peach, wool, rubber and wrinkle-free finishes.

In India, where most companies have vertically integrated spinning, weaving and processing units, cotton in its varying qualities is used for men's dress shirts.

One company interviewed, Mandhana Industries, uses cotton pure or blended with linen, viscose or polyester. Pure and polyester-blended viscose are adopted as well.

Men's dress shirts from this supplier come in uncluttered styles. Yarn-dyed varieties in high-end giza and pima are the best-sellers. Models are subjected to three-way brushing and peaching, with particular attention paid to buttons, stitches and embroidered patterns.

Midrange models are between $6.50 and $9.50, while the high-end varieties can go for as much as $30.

Aside from its cotton models, Donear Industries offers polyester-viscose and polyester-cotton blends. The company's mill manufactures 14 million meters of fabric annually.

Men's dress shirts from Donear, priced at $7.50 to $8.75, come in yarn-dyed, dobby, striped and checked styles. The company offers anti-creasing, stain-repellent, anti-bacterial, perfume-releasing, fire-retardant and enzyme treatments.

Men's dress shirts from The Rai Saheb Rekhchand Mohota Spinning and Weaving Mills Ltd come in plain, checked and striped varieties. Models are mainly in 100 percent cotton or polyester-cotton and polyester-viscose blends.

Teflon, soil-release, oil- and water-repellent, fire-retardant, rubber, peach and wool finishes and effects are applied on request. Men's dress shirts from this supplier are between $8.75 and $15.

Gangotri Textiles manufactures its own fabric for its dress shirts. These include Feather Touch, Matrix and Freedom.

The first has Lycra for stretch, while the last uses a compactly woven fabric that makes it resilient, comfortable and ultrasoft. True to its name, Matrix has unique structural patterns.

Men's dress shirts from Gangotri are available checked, striped or plain. Prices range from $8.75 to $15.

In China, suppliers of men's dress shirts are blending different types of fiber to come up with more functional models. Most companies interviewed in this report offer hypoallergenic models that use azo-free dyes.

Hangzhou Ouqi Co. Ltd's shirts are in 100 percent polyester, CVC or blends with 55 percent cotton and 45 percent polyester. The cotton-polyester mixture combines the advantages of the two materials, resulting in a product that is soft and has anti-shrinkage features.

New models from Hangzhou Ouqi are bundled with matching ties. Prices, which are between $1 and $3, may increase by 5 percent in the next year to reflect adjustments for yuan revaluation.

Jiangsu Botai Group Co. Ltd uses mainly 100 percent cotton because of its breathability and environment-friendly features. The company is planning to release men's dress shirts in a T/C blend that costs 5 percent less than pure cotton.

Jiangsu Botai sources its fabric from Zhejiang and Jiangsu, while accessories are purchased in Zhejiang, Guangdong and Fujian.

The company's R&D specialists are focused on exploring new materials.

Shaoxing Sanye Textile & Garments Co. Ltd uses 100 percent cotton for its men's dress shirts. Twill, dobby and oxford are offered. Models in solid colors and printed designs are available. Only azo-free dyes are used in the company's processes.

Shaoxing Sanye focuses mainly on the midrange and low-end markets, offering designs from $1 to $2.50. The company is intent on cutting down its 10-day sampling time to three to five days.

Men's dress shirts from Yangzhou Joyo Clothing Co. Ltd are made of 75 percent cotton and 25 percent polyester. The resulting models are soft and do not shrink easily.

Low-end dress shirts are priced at $1 to $2, while midrange models are between $2 and $3.

The company sources its materials in Zhejiang.

ISO 9001:2000- and 14001-certified Zhejiang Wanshida Garment Co. Ltd offers azo-free models in T/C, corduroy, cotton oxford, ramie and 100 percent cotton.

The company sources fabric and accessories in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, respectively.

Men's dress shirts from Beijing Dahua Tiantan Garments Co. Ltd use only azo-free dyes. Prices range from $1 to $4.50.

The company sources fabric in Zhejiang, Guangdong and Shandong, while accessories are purchased in Guangdong and Hong Kong.