Are DC Men Poorly Dressed?

One oft-repeated trope about DC is that the men (and women) are poorly dressed. But is this really the case?

Every time I take the subway in New York, I like to play a game where I try to spot the well-dressed people, and I can tell you, most of the time there are at best 1-2 per car. And New York is the supposed style Mecca of the country. I think it's fair to say that most Americans are not well dressed. 

So how does DC stack up? "Well-dressed" is pretty subjective, but I'll give you my entirely unscientific opinion based on my casual observations over the years:

• First, without question, it's improving. There's a menswear renaissance going on worldwide, and DC is not immune to it.
• Overall, I'd say DC is a dressier city than most, predominately due to the sheer number of people engaged in traditionally more formal occupations: lawyers, staffers, lobbyists, etc.
• While DC is dressier than most cities, this shouldn't be confused with well-dressed. A well-worn navy blazer with brass anchor buttons that's been in heavy rotation since Titanic was playing at the multiplex is both dressy and not particularly fashionable.   

This is a subtle distinction that is lost on a lot of the population and is best represented by this Venn diagram:

For the third year in a row, DC has been ranked the fittest American city. Men's clothing in 2016 is at its slimmest in decades. Suffice to say, DC men are physically more likely to be able to wear the most up-to-date fashions than any other city in the US.