To think the average Londoner is better looking?

[raelech]

I’m from a town near Manchester. Often go to towns nearby and into Manchester. There are all sorts of people of course.

I am currently in London and I can’t get out of my head that the average person here is much more attractive than the average person outside of London. I can’t place why. Is it that people here have more dosh for skincare?😂

It's more diverse / international and more people are educated to a higher standard. So better diets and more fashion awareness.

I worked in London for 30 years. Unfortunately during that time I was not amazingly good looking, but the upside is that I haven't got uglier since moving away. The thing that has happened (much to my surprise), is that I have got older. Now when I go up to London, I notice how much younger most people are. That's obviously because most people are going to (central) London for work, so are working age, and not the high end of that, as by that time they are burnt out and heading for the provinces. That could account for all the beautiful people.

London is full of people from other countries so not sure whether you mean exclusively the British ones, or you are comparing with all the Italians, French, Spaniards, Russians etc.

in any case, people walk a lot in London so they tend to be slimmer.

Really? I couldn't wait to get away from London having lived there for 10 years. I hated it and never go back to visit. I don't think I'm uglier now although I am definitely older.

I have a friend (male) with a Canadian partner (male). When they first got together (London), he would occasionally take his Canadian partner to Canal St in Manc and say, ‘see, it could have been a lot worse than me…’

I haven’t read the full thread but there was a study on this and in general people who are more attractive are more successful and gravitate towards London and the south east, I think I heard it being discussed on the radio or on a podcast.

I think this nails it, at least for the fashionable areas of London anyway.

Londoners are (on average) younger, slimmer and richer than the rest of the country. All things that make it easier to be attractive.

They are slimmer due all the walking I guess.
They seem to eat better. More choice and money.
The dress sense is usually well put together and you get many individual styles.
Loads of confidence.

I think there's something in the walking more and being slimmer. I spent a week in London once and ate out every day, loads of cake and snacks. Walked an average of 25,000 steps a day compared to my usual 7000/8000 and lost 2lbs in a week!

My local authority had the highest incidence of adult obesity in the UK according to one survey by Public Health England a few years ago.

I can believe that it might still be the case. Whenever I go into town I do see a lot of very overweight people.
It will be due to deprivation, poor job prospects, lack of good public transport and poorly educated people.

It’s true and if you want to see the best of the best visit Canary Wharf. The women are so stylish and slim and beautiful! And presumably intelligent as working in the banking sector

I think weight is a key part of it. On my school run most of the parents are on the slimmer side. When I go up to the E Midlands to see family I can’t help but notice that people are heavier overall, even quite young children and teenagers.

Statistically more attractive children get attention from teachers - reflected in grades- and potentially earning power?
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167268123001567

I remember going home to NW town from a home county uni. It was shocking, and depressing when noted, how much more care and attention wealth let you give your looks and health. Little things too- no one carried a water bottle with them in the NW- at least not 30 years ago.

Yes we live in Devon and even though the area is fairly average and not the worst by a long stretch, the public are a bit depressing to look at tbh. So many of the kids wander around slightly overweight, pasty and wearing a Fortnite blanket hoodie even as outdoor wear.

I lived in London for ten years at the start of my career. Everybody was young and slim
and vibrant. I remember seeing the lifestyle of people on Canary Wharf as they met for drinks after work.

I decided I would never afford my own home in London as a single person. About 12 people around my age all left our workplace at the same time to move back home too. There was always a high turnover of staff.

So all the ageing broke people don’t live in London any more. We are all in the sad rundown towns. (Not exactly as the town I live in now is lovely but with an older population. However the neighbouring town is shockingly awful with a lot of unemployment, homelessness, poor health and social problems.)

I would think the young and beautiful would be attracted to living in London with all its opportunities especially when they are young and building a career and social life. My profession attracted a lot of Australians and they were certainly healthy and energetic.

Oi I’m from Canning Town and I’m gorgeous! 😜

I live in London and I am really ugly, so no, it's not true.

Oh yes definitely. I left London and moved North-fatter and not so well dressed. And the attractive ones look very ‘done’. Saying that, I live near Manchester and the city centre always has attractive people.

Or put this question the other way around. Then it’s very easy to see how fucked the country is economically outside London after governments since the 1980s who have focused on London and the Home Counties.

When I go outside London, to the non-affluent small towns or to the non-retirement money and non-tourist money non-picturesque small towns, so many people who look knackered and ill and ground down. Only people who live there would ever go to these places. The poverty is causing obvious ill health and disability. Much of which a thriving local economy could have avoided.

These are the consequences of a very unbalanced economy towards London and the SE. The glaring lack of decent jobs outside of the expensive metropolitan areas. Plus the high cost of living applicable all over the country has really hit people who are least able to afford it.

Well said @CurrentHun

Little things too- no one carried a water bottle with them in the NW- at least not 30 years ago.

TBH I don't understand the obsession with carrying water around with you all the time. I don't, and I am well hydrated. I can get water from the water dispenser at work, and I am otherwise not usually out of the house all day every day - just a couple of hours to shop, and don't feel the need to keep drinking all the time.

It’s true and well-known. There’s lots of comedy about it (e.g. ‘He’s a Scarborough 10… or a London 6!)

Comes down to a few things IMO:

• Out of towners may get dressed up going into London, especially if it’s an event or important meeting. I certainly do
• Looking sharp is normal, it’s considered desirable in many work settings, many more professional jobs and jobs in industries where looks matter, pressure to look the part. In my northern town I hugely stand out with how I dress and look, in London I just blend in
• No driving everywhere so people get their step count in without trying too hard, thus much less obesity. Younger people also have small basic homes so often want to be out doing things whereas I find relaxing at home is the norm up here
• Attracts some of the most competitive and ambitious people in the world, so of course they’re competitive in the looks department and often obsessive about exercise
• Lots of single competitive people in their 20s, they all leave other places to go there
• If you’re in a wealthy area, access to the best fashion/ beauty/ … at your fingertips and lots of leisure time. It’s not quite the same in the poor areas of London. In Knightsbridge I have felt fat and ugly unless I’ve made an effort!
• Huge focus on consumerism in everything, which can of course manifest in tuning oneself

I notice such a big cultural difference between being in London and being in the north. I used to live in the wealthy conservative West London parts (Kensington) and my republican housewife look was absolutely fine there. Living in the north I look far too put together and colourful for here, people are generally very edgy and want to look like they don’t care at all how they look. It’s very uncool here to be open about caring how you look. Obviously you also have the more dressy culture of hair and lash extensions/ fake nails, but it’s a little different to how it’s done in London IMO.

@DollydaydreamTheThird

I hate London. Everyone is so rude. If you dare to talk to a stranger they look at you like you've just curled one out on the pavement in front of them.

Try substituting "London" for "Leeds/Bristol/Birmingham/Manchester/Glasgow..." and people would rightly jump on you for being a bigoted snob. Why is OK to slag off a city of millions of people? How can every single person in a city be "so rude"?

Such a palpably stupid comment....

The few times I've been to Italy/Venice I've been stunned by how beautiful, beautifully groomed/handsome the men are. Probably the women, too but I was too busy looking at the men. Ordinary men were walking around looking like film stars. I remember a policeman was just standing on the street corner doing not very much, but his uniform was immaculate and he was devastatingly groomed and handsome.... you get the picture.

I bet not so many Italian men have beer bellies and plumbers cleavages.

@ElleintheWoods yet on the Style and Beauty threads where out of towners want to visit London and ask for style advice they are told that they will stand out if they are smart as most Londoners dress very casually all the time.