Yorkshiremen are officially among Britain’s best-dressed as formalwear demand peaks
People living in Yorkshire are among Britain’s biggest suit-lovers, according to new data released today.
The data, from online formalwear specialist Dobell analysed more than 215,000 suit sales across the UK and found that London led the rankings with around 5.6 suits sold per 1,000 residents. The South and South-East followed with around 3.5 suits per 1,000 people, while Yorkshire followed closely with 3.2 suits sold per 1,000 people.
The figures come as retailers report a surge in demand for formalwear ahead of the summer wedding and racing season.
The numbers point to a growing appetite for tailoring as workers return to offices and consumers increasingly dress up for weddings, race meetings, parties and other special occasions.
Mike Dobell, founder of Dobell, said Britain was seeing a clear revival in formal dressing after years dominated by casual fashion.
“We’re seeing a real return to dressing smartly,” he said. “People want to look their best again, whether that’s in the office, at weddings or for major social events.”
He added: “Customers are investing more in clothing that helps them feel confident and make an impression. Tailoring is becoming important again.”
Britain’s biggest suit-loving regions
Dobell ranked UK regions by the number of suits sold per 1,000 residents. The full ranking is:
London: 51,225 suits sold, approximate population 9.1m, equal to around 5.6 suits per 1,000 people
South and South-East: 33,170 suits sold, approximate population 9.6m, equal to around 3.5 suits per 1,000 people
Yorkshire: 17,668 suits sold, approximate population 5.6m, equal to around 3.2 suits per 1,000 people
East of England: 19,849 suits sold, approximate population 6.5m, equal to around 3.1 suits per 1,000 people
Wales: 8,522 suits sold, approximate population 3.2m, equal to around 2.7 suits per 1,000 people
North East: 7,010 suits sold, approximate population 2.7m, equal to around 2.6 suits per 1,000 people
Midlands: 26,842 suits sold, approximate population 11.2m, equal to around 2.4 suits per 1,000 people
North West: 18,005 suits sold, approximate population 7.7m, equal to around 2.3 suits per 1,000 people
Scotland: 12,824 suits sold, approximate population 5.5m, equal to around 2.3 suits per 1,000 people
West: 9,155 suits sold, approximate population 5.0m, equal to around 1.8 suits per 1,000 people
Ulster / Northern Ireland: 3,007 suits sold, approximate population 1.9m, equal to around 1.6 suits per 1,000 people
South West: 6,660 suits sold, approximate population 5.8m, equal to around 1.1 suits per 1,000 people
Border: 1,842 suits sold, approximate population 1.8m, equal to around 1.0 suits per 1,000 people
Across all regions analysed, Dobell recorded 215,938 suit sales.
Mr Dobell said the trend reflected changing workplace habits as more employers encouraged staff back into offices, even on a hybrid basis.
“People may not be in the office five days a week anymore, but when they do go in, they want to look polished and professional,” he said. “There’s definitely been a move away from ultra-casual dressing.”
The retailer said demand was also being fuelled by a packed calendar of weddings, race meetings and summer celebrations.
With the UK entering peak wedding and racing season, Mr Dobell expects suit sales to climb even higher over the coming months, particularly for lightweight tailoring and occasion wear.
“We’re right on the eve of one of the busiest periods of the year for formalwear,” Mr Dobell said. “Customers are already shopping for weddings, race days and summer parties, and we expect another major uplift in sales as the season gets fully underway.”
The company said many shoppers were looking for versatile suits that could be worn across multiple occasions, from office meetings to formal summer events.