The research team at Men’s Flair, a men’s fashion blog, set out to discover just that by analysing over 70 cities through three key factors: fashion-related Google searches, Instagram hashtag engagement, and the availability of charity shops.
These elements were combined into a total score, with each factor weighted accordingly. Google searches (40%) were examined for terms like “best clothing stores,” “vintage shops,” and “men’s fashion trends,” while Instagram engagement (40%) was based on city-specific fashion hashtags such as #LondonFashion and #StreetStyleManchester. Charity shop availability (20%) reflects a city's commitment to thrift shopping and sustainable fashion.
Belfast lands in 12th place with a fashion profile that leans heavily into sustainability and subtle flair. With 4.15 charity shops per 10,000 people, the city embraces second-hand shopping in a big way, offering plenty of opportunities for stylish wardrobe updates without breaking the bank. Its Google searches (4,340 per 10K) and Instagram engagement (296 hashtags per 10K) are modest but balanced, painting a picture of a city that’s more about understated style than shouting about it online.
Meanwhile, Glasgow is the ultimate fashion city in the UK, ranking in first place thanks to its strong online fashion presence.
Croydon ranked second, having the highest no. of Google searches for fashion-related terms (13,635 per 10K people), while Newcastle, Manchester, and Bournemouth completed the top five.
Oxford and Leeds ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, while London, despite being home to London Fashion Week, world-class designers, and an endless list of high-end boutiques, only ranked eighth. Edinburgh and Walsall rounded the top 10.
On the flip side, Bexley, Nottingham, Slough, Sutton, and Newport ranked at the bottom, as the least best-dressed cities in the UK.
Top 10 list of the best-dressed cities in the UK:
| Rank | City | Fashion Related Google Searches per 10k people | Fashion Related Instagram Hashtags per 10k people | Charity Shops per 10k people | Best-Dressed Score |
| 1 | Glasgow | 6,866 | 16,649.07 | 2.37 | 68.76 |
| 2 | Croydon | 13,635 | 82 | 2.94 | 52.20 |
| 3 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 10,412 | 131 | 4.11 | 47.70 |
| 4 | Manchester | 9,000 | 3,975 | 2.05 | 43.36 |
| 5 | Bournemouth | 5,383 | 91 | 4.58 | 34.36 |
| 6 | Oxford | 5,509 | 93 | 4.38 | 33.82 |
| 7 | Leeds | 7,039 | 840 | 2.64 | 32.46 |
| 8 | London | 5,692 | 6,829 | 0.26 | 32.07 |
| 9 | Edinburgh | 6,458 | 734 | 2.82 | 31.24 |
| 10 | Walsall | 4,046 | 40.55 | 4.71 | 30.69 |
| 11 | Aberdeen | 4,091 | 209 | 4.37 | 29.74 |