The World's Most Fashionable Cities - How Did Yours Rank?

Posted Jul 2nd 2009 at 1:46PM by Katie Hintz-Zambrano (Subscribe to Katie Hintz-Zambrano's posts)

Did your city make the most stylish list? Photo: Image Source

Think you live in the most stylish city in the world? If you're a Parisian, you'd be right!

That is, according to the just released Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index report that ran on Forbes.com.

The report is the result of surveying 10,000 people from 20 countries and asking them to rank 50 different cities based on their stylishness (factors include multiculturalism, nightlife and general buzziness).

Of the esteemed Top Ten, the "fashion capitals" rounded out the coveted 1-4 spots: Milan, New York, and London -- in that order -- following Paris. Not a huge surprise. But the rest of the list was what we were really interested in.

Rome ranked #5, Los Angeles #6, Tokyo #7, Madrid #8, San Francisco #9, and Barcelona held up the rear.

With West Coast designers pumping fresh new blood into the American fashion scene (not to mention Silicon Valley's contribution of the iPhone to the world!), we're happy to see that La La Land and SanFran make the cut.

But what do you think? Did the respondents get it right? What's your take on the Top Ten Stylish Cities? (Austin, speak up!)

Tags: cities, fashionable-cities, forbes, milan, Most-fahsionable-cities, most-stylish-cities, new-york, paris, stylish-cities

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Paige 7-02-2009 @ 4:43PM

DALLAS, TX
1. our blondes are legendary
2. Northpark (we have a Warhol, don't tell me this isn't the nicest mall you've ever experienced!) and the Galleria.
3. SMU students are stylish beyond their years
4. the city is teeming with illustrious boutiques
5. birthplace and headquarters of God's gift to fashionistas, NEIMAN MARCUS
6.diversity

while i appreciate your shout out to the lone star state, i must object to your suggestion of Austin as "most fashionable". The capital city should be considered a great place to live, a great place to go to school , enviromentally friendly, a place to eat fabulous food, and the live music capital of the world, but it is far too granola and indie rock (rather than boho chic) to be considered "most fashionable".

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otool 7-05-2009 @ 11:29PM

Dear, truly you need to get out more..your Highland Park bubble is showing.

otool 7-05-2009 @ 11:33PM

Dear, truly you need to get out more..your Highland Park bubble is showing.

Kevin 7-06-2009 @ 1:13AM

But everyone knows that a blonde i TX gets her blonde hair naturally, FROM A BOTTLE! After all, Texicans love Mexicans!!

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hd 7-05-2009 @ 8:15PM

LA home of MEN that think nothing of going to the store in their Pajamas .. and yes I mean the 10 dollar ones that are generaaly worn by people in the hospital and little children ... and I am talking ADULT MEN. There are a few areas where people dress up but it no longer suprises me to see a person in an expensive resturant, a major formal event, or church sporting worn out sneakers, dirty sweat bottoms and a worn out t-shirt,worn at a gym with sweat stains and holes in it ... next to a non a-lister that is in a suit or tux ... Billings Montana residents dress better at the slaughter house than most Angelenos.

Jenny 7-05-2009 @ 8:22PM

I live in Austin and would be so sad if my favorite city made this list. I love that there is not a place in Austni I can't be comfortable in jeans - I'm not talking $300 jeans, I'm talking $80 Calvin Kleins. I love being able to strut my fashionable clothing when I travel frequently to NYC, LA and Dallas. But I love being comfortable and going to the grocery store in real work out clothes.
No, Austin should not be on this list and really doesn't want to be on this list!

Hillcounty 7-05-2009 @ 10:02PM

Austin, Fashionable? Whats fashionable about an ugly burnt orange tshirt with a siloette of a longhorns head, fashion sense is not what Austin has.....

Robert Locke 7-05-2009 @ 11:41PM

Jenny. What makes a city is not what you want it to be but what it wants you to be. That is called standards and most Americans who are self-indulgent to an extreme, don't understand that. I live in a small Polish town where all the women on the street are presentable. It's like a Frenchman once told me. I want my wife to dress well because it is a reflection my status in the community if she doesn't.

jenny 7-06-2009 @ 12:06AM

Robert - That's exactly my point and I couldn't agree with you more. I've lived in Austin for more than 20 years. It wants to be exactly what it is - "granola", casual, reflective of the outdoorsy lifestyles of it's young population. It wants me - begs me to be casual and relaxed. By this I don't mean sloppy and unkept, just not Paris-runway fashionable.
When I travel to high fashion cities I dress the part. I pull out my vinage Versace and Prada. I love it. But when I'm in Austin I relax. My husband is in a high profile job and I am expected to dress in a certain manner, but it's nothing like I would dress in LA or NYC.

yobibs 7-15-2009 @ 5:42PM

so what's your point ?

Melinda 7-05-2009 @ 8:43PM

I love Paris. I see the Acai Berry Craze is hitting there too. It's becoming fashionable and in all kinds of stuff over there, of course wine is yummy too. I use the Acai-eez brand Acai berry and get the Buy 3 Get 1 FREE at http://www.Acai-eez.com/

Lee S.Santos 7-06-2009 @ 8:53AM

hum...Paris is no surprise but Lisbon for me should be amongst these cities,specially when comes to man`s fashions..

Jon 7-05-2009 @ 9:08PM

Pittsburgh, PA...home of the G-20 summit and the best looking ladies with the best looking legs anywhere

olivia 7-06-2009 @ 12:39AM

I LOVE THE LIST IM NOT SUPRISED PARIS WAS NUMBER ONE BUT THAT ROME NEW YORK AND LA ARE THE MOST FASHIONABLE CITYS I HAVE EVER SEEN.HERE IN ATLANTA WE HAVE VERY VERY FASHIONABLE WOMEN WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS BUT WE DO HAVE FASHIONABLE WOMEN WHO LIVE HERE IN TOWN! BUT PARIS NEW YORK AND ROME IS WHERE I WANNA GO SOMEDAY FOR FUN AND OF COURSE FASHION! PAIGE SORRY BUT F******************CK YOU SAYING DALLAS HAS LEGENDARY BLONDES IS STUPID YOULL DONT HAVE ANY LEGANDARY BLONDES ALSO WE HAVE A NIEMAN MARCUS HERE ALSO DALLAS GAVE US MEAT BUT MOST OF ALL IT GAVE US DESTINY'S CHILD.YOU HAVE A NIEMAN MARCUS SO F*****************CKING WHO GIVES A SH******************************T WHAT WE HAVE ON HERE AND OUR ONE HERE IS THE ONE IN THE SOUTH THAT MATTERs!

george 7-05-2009 @ 9:51PM

Do I think they got it right? Oh, please! It depends on what your criteria are. If "multiculturalism" equals stylish, then Paris sure has got it. But that's not my definition. I love Paris -- for its architecture, its beautiful parks and boulevards, its monuments, its superb layout. But for its beautiful, stylish people? Uh, uh! No way. There aren't very many "French" people left in Paris anyhow. And while the women do obviously pay much more attention to their looks, the men are often total slobs. It seems to be assumed that looking good is a female thing, but men don't have to care, so they don't even try.

george 7-05-2009 @ 10:04PM

To give you an idea of the obsession in Paris with women's looks (and their indifference to men's), I went shopping in several of the biggest department stores, searching for some men's hair tonic. No such thing! Despite miles of aisles of women's hair care stuff, they were mystified what I wanted. They had no idea. Finally, someone got a bright idea and directed me to a tiny section of men's razors and shaving creams. No, that was NOT what I wanted! That was the ENTIRE men's display.
Looks, to them, mean women's looks. The men are sloppy slobs and don't give a damn. (And a good many "Parisians" nowadays aresn't even French at that.)

otool 7-05-2009 @ 10:06PM

Dallas 1.Blonds are from a bottle 2.Warhol is from New York 3.SMU is fake education 4.Boutiques are imports from the top 4 cities 5.Neimans Downtown is half empty sadly 6.diversity,you must be including you maid 7,there are more plastic surgans than stop signs 8.please dont moved to Austin.