Stitch Fix reveals UK's fashion preferences by county

Ever thought you could tell where a person was from just by the outfit? Well, now the online styling service has the data to prove it

Online personal styling service Stitch Fix has unveiled how fashion preferences vary across UK counties, using data amassed through its sophisticated technology, alongside additional data from YouGov.

Using its unique interactive experience, Style Shuffle, which allows customers to rate clothing items with a simple thumbs up or down, through this, Stitch Fix has amassed an impressive 30 million data points on Brits’ styling preferences. From this, they have revealed that where you live really does have an impact on what you wear, with clear fashion trends emerging across the UK.

What's more, the 30 million data points that have been analysed reveal a UK fashion landscape that significantly differs according to where you live.

Menswear and womenswear by county

Of course, this might not be a surprise to everyone – in fact, a YouGov survey of England and Scotland has revealed that 43% of Brits feel like where they live affects their sense of style – but just which trends come up top where in the UK provides a fascinating insight into the varied tastes across the country.

In Greater London, for example, men regularly opt for what some would consider a hipster look – think indigo blue jeans, white tees, beanies and bumbags – while menswear preferences in the West Midlands are markedly more bold and colourful. There, Hawaiian shirts, patterned shoes and pastel shorts have proved popular.

The results for womenswear are similarly wide-ranging. Women in Cambridgeshire tend to choose long floaty skirts, silk shirts and ballet pumps, whereas women of Cheshire are big fans of animal print – zebra, in particular.

“We’re seeing microcultures of fashion emerging in ways that haven’t previously been identified,” explains Rich Simmons, Lead Stylist at Stitch Fix UK. “As a company fuelled by style and data, it’s incredibly interesting for us to see these county-specific nuances come to light," he adds. "We love playing a part in the style journeys of our customers.”

How it works

Stitch Fix's extensive knowledge of its customers’ sartorial likes and dislikes is at the heart of the online styling service’s super-convenient offering.

All you need to do is fill out a Style Profile detailing the important stuff (including size, fit and pricing preferences), take part in their interactive game, Style Shuffle (the more you play, the more personalised the stylist’s edit can be) and you’ll be assigned a stylist from Stitch Fix’s expert team.

Your personal human stylist will then consider the clothing items selected by the smart algorithms and choose a Fix of five items tailored specifically for you, accompanied by a styling note and visual cards to help you put great outfits together.

The styling fee is just £10 – which can be taken off any of the items from the Fix you decide to keep. The items will be selected from a huge range of womenswear and menswear brands – Whistles to Scotch & Soda, and Scandi brands such as Baum and Pferdgarten and Tiger of Sweden, plus plenty more – and if you decide to keep all five, you even get 20% off.

To find yourself a personal stylist for £10 and book your first Fix, head to stitchfix.co.uk