Clothing Brands Winning on Instagram and TikTok, and What to Copy

Key Takeaways

• We read the TikTok profiles of 13 clothing brands on 29 October 2026: Gymshark leads on followers (6,691,586), Oh Polly on lifetime likes (217.4 million), and 10 of the 12 brands whose sites we could read run on Shopify, the exceptions being PrettyLittleThing and boohoo.
• Most brands win on one platform first: RIXO has 834,000 Instagram followers and 8,219 on TikTok, Represent 955,000 and 89,685, and Never Fully Dressed 2 million and 207,862, using FashionUnited's March 2026 Instagram index.
• Posting more is not the secret: Gymshark has the fewest videos of any account here with over a million followers (482) and the most likes per video, about 293,909, while Never Fully Dressed and boohoo have each posted over 2,500 and average under 5,000.
• Paid and creator programmes turn attention into orders: TikTok says Lucy & Yak's Video Shopping Ads delivered 1,916 purchases, and that Tu Clothing's 30 launch creators grew to over 200 and sold 92% of a pyjama range in seven days.
• Our own clients see the same pattern: all of them have Facebook or Instagram Shops connected and those bring more sales than TikTok, while one coffee client's TikTok Shop reached £2,375 in sales in its first six weeks with four creators posting affiliate videos. The campaign's own ROAS was negative, but the lifetime value of those new customers made it profitable.
• Every gifted, paid or affiliate post is an ad: the CMA's creator guidance was updated on 3 September 2025 and the ASA's advice, dated 6 August 2026, prefers a clear Ad label up front.

Quick Answer

The clothing brands winning on social in the UK right now include Gymshark, Oh Polly, PrettyLittleThing, boohoo, Lounge, Sézane and Motel Rocks on TikTok, each with close to a million followers or more, and Gymshark, Never Fully Dressed, Represent and RIXO on Instagram. What they share is not posting volume: it is one clear identity, one platform mastered before the next, customers and creators in the content, and launches, drops or live moments that give people a reason to watch. A Shopify brand can copy all of it with the free TikTok and Facebook and Instagram apps, a creator programme and properly labelled ads.

Table of Contents

• How We Checked the Brands
• 1. Gymshark
• 2. Oh Polly
• 3. PrettyLittleThing
• 4. boohoo
• 5. Lounge
• 6. Sézane
• 7. Motel Rocks
• 8. Never Fully Dressed
• 9. Lucy & Yak
• 10. Damson Madder
• 11. Represent
• 12. Finisterre
• 13. RIXO
• What the Winners Have in Common
• How to Copy It on a Shopify Store
• The Rules for Brand and Creator Posts
• Why Matters Perspective
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Thoughts
• Related Articles

Instagram and TikTok are where clothes are discovered in Britain. Ofcom's Online Nation 2025 report found Instagram reached 78% of UK online adults (38.5 million) in May 2025 and TikTok 56% (27.3 million), with TikTok's daily reach up 37% in a year to 10.4 million. TikTok's own fashion research claims 64% of its users have discovered new fashion products on the platform and 35% have bought something they first saw there; those are TikTok's figures. This article looks at 13 clothing brands doing it well, from Gymshark to RIXO, what each one does differently, and what a smaller Shopify brand can copy without a celebrity budget.

How We Checked the Brands

We read every brand's TikTok profile on 29 October 2026 and took the follower, like and video counts from the page data, which TikTok itself publishes. Instagram profiles cannot be read automatically, so Instagram counts come from FashionUnited's index of UK fashion brands on Instagram, published on 19 March 2026 from counts collected that month; brands not in that index have no Instagram figure here rather than a guess. We read each brand's homepage for its platform and its own pages for the claims we quote, and we label Shopify and TikTok case studies as those companies' own claims. Likes per video is our calculation: lifetime likes divided by videos posted.

The chart is the most useful number in this article. Gymshark and Oh Polly sit far ahead, and the next tier is not the brands that post most. Finisterre has published 153 videos and averages about 4,000 likes each, close to boohoo's average from 2,559 videos and more than double Never Fully Dressed's from 2,644.

1. Gymshark

@gymshark has 6,691,586 TikTok followers, 141.7 million likes and 482 videos, about 294,000 likes per video. Its bio reads simply "we do gym." On Instagram it has 8.4 million followers, the fifth most of any UK apparel brand in FashionUnited's index, and its about page claims a total social following of over 18 million and customers in over 200 countries across 14 online stores. Shopify's case study records £41 million of sales in 2017, when the brand had 5.1 million social followers, after it moved to Shopify Plus; its storefront today is a custom front end on Shopify.

Copy this: a three word identity and fewer, bigger videos. Gymshark has the fewest videos of the six accounts here with over a million followers and earns the most per post.

2. Oh Polly

@ohpolly has 5,479,127 TikTok followers, 217.4 million likes and 1,222 videos, about 178,000 likes per video, the most lifetime likes of any brand we checked. Its about page describes the business as social first and centred on Instagram and Facebook, says it was ranked the fifth most engaged UK clothing retail brand on social in 2019 (without saying by whom), and claims a combined following of 15 million across its brands in 2026. The TikTok bio is used like a shop window for the current campaign, and the profile links to its app. It sells through Shopify.

Copy this: build the range and the content together. Occasionwear made to be photographed and a bio that always names the current campaign.

3. PrettyLittleThing

@prettylittlething has 3,593,205 TikTok followers, 87 million likes and 1,572 videos, about 55,000 likes per video. Its bio promises "The Style Source for every kind of IT Girl", and its about page credits celebrity and influencer partnerships with much of its early growth, including a 2016 US launch event hosted by Kylie Jenner. Founded in 2012 by Adam and Umar Kamani as an accessories brand, it now runs a custom storefront rather than Shopify, and its site carries an Influencer Picks edit that mirrors the feed.

Copy this: an edit on your own site that matches what creators are wearing this week, so the click lands somewhere familiar.

4. boohoo

@boohoo has 1,431,390 TikTok followers, 11.6 million likes and 2,559 videos, about 4,500 likes per video. Its homepage promises "100s of new styles landing every day", and the feed matches that pace. The result is reach without much depth: over 2,500 videos average about 4,500 likes each, a fraction of the brands above. Like PrettyLittleThing, which boohoo lists among the labels in its Brand Room, it runs a custom storefront.

Copy this: the opposite. If every product gets a video, none of them stands out; pick the styles worth a story.

5. Lounge

@lounge has 1,377,748 TikTok followers, 15.6 million likes and 1,653 videos, about 9,400 likes per video. The bio says "Not just an underwear brand", and the week we checked it had just launched a named Christmas range. Shopify's case study says Lounge started with a thousand pounds in 2016 and grew to $70 million in revenue and 120 staff, handling 25 orders a second at the peak of Black Friday, and claims a 59% fall in its cost per new customer; the page is undated and the figures are Shopify's. It runs on Shopify Plus.

Copy this: name your launches. A named collection gives creators, ads and emails one thing to point at.

6. Sézane

@sezane has 1,366,842 TikTok followers, 21 million likes and 839 videos, about 25,000 likes per video. The Paris brand's bio is four words, "Your Parisian wardrobe.", and its bio link goes to a page of current edits. Its site refused our automated check, so we cannot say what it runs on. With 839 videos it averages about 25,000 likes each, the fourth best in this list.

Copy this: one line that says where the clothes belong in someone's life, then content that stays inside it.

7. Motel Rocks

@motelrocks has 972,460 TikTok followers, 9.1 million likes and 2,274 videos, about 4,000 likes per video. The bio promotes the current collection and links straight to the new arrivals rather than the homepage. Its about page tells the founding story of Will and Andy naming the brand after the motels they lived in on the road, says it is still independent, and credits both its online network and in person events. It runs on Shopify.

Copy this: send the bio link to the newest collection, and change it with every drop.

8. Never Fully Dressed

@neverfullydressed has 207,862 TikTok followers, 4.4 million likes and 2,644 videos, about 1,700 likes per video, and 2 million followers on Instagram, the eleventh most of any UK apparel brand in FashionUnited's index. Its TikTok bio leads with designed in house, inclusive sizing and female founded since 2009, and its site has a section headed "Our Customer Is Our Influencer". Shopify's case study reports average order value up 18%, international mobile conversion up 27% and international orders up 50% after it moved from Adobe Commerce to Shopify Plus.

Copy this: put customers of every size in the content, as the bio and the site both promise.

9. Lucy & Yak

@lucyandyak has 141,287 TikTok followers, 1.2 million likes and 2,341 videos, about 520 likes per video. The bio lists employee owned, organic and recycled clothing, and Fair Wear membership. TikTok's success story, published in December 2023, says its Video Shopping Ads delivered 1,916 purchases and 2,653 new followers, that cost per acquisition fell 99%, and that the ad set optimised for add to cart was ten times more profitable than the one optimised for purchases; those are TikTok's claims. The brand mixes styling, behind the scenes and customer content, and sells through Shopify.

Copy this: test what you ask the algorithm to optimise for, not just the creative. Lucy & Yak's biggest gain came from the event it chose.

10. Damson Madder

@damsonmadder has 97,084 TikTok followers, 875,415 likes and 1,609 videos, about 540 likes per video. The brand was born in spring 2020, describes small batch production as the heart of the business, and writes its about page in the founder's first person. Its bio, "Designed in London, made to last.", does the positioning in six words. It runs on Shopify.

Copy this: a founder's voice. Young brands win attention by sounding like a person rather than a label.

11. Represent

@representclo has 89,685 TikTok followers, 644,291 likes and 896 videos, about 720 likes per video, and 955,000 followers on Instagram. Its about page credits a 2021 hoodie drop with the momentum behind its growth and describes a 2022 Manchester pop up that drew over 2,000 people with overnight queues, a first community day for 50 customers, and a collaboration released as a one hour online drop. The TikTok bio is three cities: London, Manchester and Los Angeles. It runs on Shopify.

Copy this: drops and real world moments. A queue outside a pop up is content no studio can make.

12. Finisterre

@finisterre has 28,506 TikTok followers, 616,787 likes and 153 videos, about 4,000 likes per video, and 269,000 followers on Instagram. The bio, "Creating lasting products for those who share our love of the sea.", sets a theme it never leaves, and the site links a podcast alongside the social channels. Shopify's case study says around 30% of revenue comes from its shops. It is a B Corp and runs on Shopify.

Copy this: a strong theme and patience. Finisterre's 153 videos earn more likes each than Never Fully Dressed's 2,644 or Motel Rocks' 2,274.

13. RIXO

@rixo has 8,219 TikTok followers, 45,140 likes and 431 videos, about 105 likes per video, but 834,000 followers on Instagram, the thirtieth most in FashionUnited's index. The gap is the point: RIXO is an Instagram brand, and its site invites customers to post as #humansofrixo, showing the brand "in real life" through their styling, interviews and events. It runs on Shopify.

Copy this: master one platform before chasing the next, and give customers a hashtag that puts them on your site.

What the Winners Have in Common

• One platform first. RIXO, Represent and Never Fully Dressed are Instagram brands with far smaller TikTok accounts; Gymshark is the rare brand that leads on both.
• Fewer, better posts. Volume does not compound on its own: Gymshark has posted least of the big accounts and earns most per video, and Finisterre's 153 videos earn more each than Never Fully Dressed's 2,644.
• A reason to watch. Named launches, limited drops, pop ups and live selling turn a feed into an event; TikTok says TikTok Shop LIVE grew 55% in a year and that over 6,000 live sessions now run every day in the UK.
• Customers and creators in the content. Never Fully Dressed and RIXO feature their customers; Tu Clothing grew 30 launch creators to over 200 through TikTok Shop's affiliate programme and, by TikTok's account, sold 92% of the range in seven days.
• Paid behind the organic. Lucy & Yak and Gym King both used TikTok ads to turn attention into orders; TikTok says Gym King's purchases rose 198% year on year.
• An identity in one line. "we do gym.", "Your Parisian wardrobe." and "Designed in London, made to last." each do the job of a brand book.

Sources: TikTok Newsroom, 4 August 2026, TikTok on Tu Clothing and TikTok on Gym King; all three are TikTok's own claims.

How to Copy It on a Shopify Store

The plumbing is free. Shopify's Facebook and Instagram app, built by Meta, syncs products to a Facebook and Instagram shop, supports shoppable posts and ads and sets up the pixel; it is rated 3.9 from 5,805 reviews. The TikTok app, built by TikTok, syncs products to TikTok Shop, sets up the TikTok pixel and brings TikTok Shop orders into the Shopify admin; it is rated 4.8 from 16,030 reviews. Both were read on 29 October 2026.

Then the work. All of our clients have Facebook or Instagram Shops connected and they bring sales, more than TikTok, with beauty and cosmetics brands doing best on Facebook Shop. On TikTok, creators beat brand posts: one coffee client's TikTok Shop reached £2,375 in sales in its first six weeks with four creators posting affiliate videos, and the lifetime value of those first time customers made a campaign with a negative ROAS of its own profitable. And the videos keep paying after they post: creator videos cut Halo Coffee's cost per sale on Meta by 27% between 2018 and 2021, and adding a series of creator videos to Awake Organics' product pages, with other social proof, lifted add to cart rate by 23%. Our guides to user generated content, selling on TikTok Shop and Instagram Shop for Shopify cover the set up step by step, and our monthly social media plan turns it into a routine.

The Rules for Brand and Creator Posts

Every one of these tactics involves someone being paid, gifted or given a code, and the rules are clear. The CMA's guidance for content creators, updated on 3 September 2025, treats money, commission, discounts and free products as payment whatever the creator's size, says tagging a brand or using a discount code is not enough, and wants the label up front, not buried in hashtags. The ASA's advice on recognising ads, dated 6 August 2026, prefers the single word Ad and says gifted and affiliate on their own have been found unclear. The brand shares responsibility, so put the label in the brief.

Why Matters Perspective

Our view is that fashion founders copy the wrong part of these brands. They copy the volume, a video for every product every day, when the numbers say the winners post less and make each post count: one identity, one platform done properly, and moments worth filming. The second mistake is treating social as separate from the store, when the brands above link every bio to a collection, tag every product and run ads behind their best organic posts.

We run social, creator and paid social campaigns for Shopify brands from Brighton. We are a Shopify Select partner with Verified Skills across development and marketing, and a Klaviyo, Recharge, Awin, Meta and TikTok partner. Retainer clients are billed one month in arrears and are not tied into long contracts, and development projects carry a 3 month guarantee. If you want help building yours, see our social media marketing agency page or email us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which clothing brands have the most TikTok followers?

Of the brands we checked on 29 October 2026, Gymshark had 6.69 million TikTok followers, Oh Polly 5.48 million, PrettyLittleThing 3.59 million, boohoo 1.43 million, Lounge 1.38 million and Sézane 1.37 million. Oh Polly had the most lifetime likes, at 217.4 million.

Which UK clothing brands are most followed on Instagram?

FashionUnited's March 2026 index of UK apparel brands ranks Victoria Beckham first with 33.5 million followers, then Burberry with 20 million, Jimmy Choo with 13.5 million, Alexander McQueen with 13.0 million and Gymshark with 8.4 million. Never Fully Dressed has 2 million, Represent 955,000 and RIXO 834,000.

Is Instagram or TikTok better for a clothing brand?

Instagram reaches more UK adults, 78% against TikTok's 56% in Ofcom's May 2025 data, but TikTok's daily reach grew 37% in a year. Most of the brands in this article built one platform first, so start where your customers already spend time and add the second once the first works.

How often should a clothing brand post on TikTok?

Neither TikTok nor any study we found sets a frequency that guarantees reach. Among the brands we checked, Gymshark posted the fewest videos of the large accounts and earned the most likes per video, while brands with over 2,500 videos averaged under 5,000 likes each, so quality and a reason to watch matter more than volume.

How do I sell clothes on TikTok and Instagram from Shopify?

Install Shopify's free Facebook and Instagram app, built by Meta, to sync products to a Facebook and Instagram shop and tag them in posts, and the free TikTok app to sync products to TikTok Shop and manage its orders in the Shopify admin. Both also set up the platforms' tracking pixels.

Do clothing brands have to label creator posts as ads?

Yes. The CMA treats money, commission, discounts and free products as payment, so a creator's post about a gifted or affiliate product is an ad and needs a clear label up front. The ASA prefers the word Ad and has found gifted and affiliate alone unclear. The brand shares responsibility with the creator.

Final Thoughts

Thirteen brands, two platforms, one lesson: the winners are clear about who they are and where they win, and they give people something worth watching. Copy the identity, the patience and the plumbing, not the posting schedule.

For the numbers behind the platforms see our UK social media statistics, and for fashion specifically our fashion ecommerce guide.

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