Where can I buy Topman now that the high-street shops have closed?+
Topman is now a British online-only men's fashion retail brand operated by ASOS, so the main route is online through ASOS rather than a dedicated store. The brand went into administration in late 2020, all its high-street shops closed, and ASOS bought it on 1 February 2021 and relaunched it online-only. From February 2026 a national partnership also puts Topman on offer in six John Lewis stores, alongside johnlewis.com.
Is Topman good quality for the price?+
Topman has long sat in the trend-led, accessibly priced men's high-street tier, and its recognition reflects that: it was nominated for Menswear Design of the Year by the British Fashion Council and won Best High Street Retailer at the 2007 FHM Fashion and Grooming awards. Treat it as on-trend, fashion-forward menswear at a high-street price rather than heritage tailoring, and judge each piece on its own. For trend pieces and everyday staples it has a solid track record; expectations should match the price point.
What is Topman, and how is it different from Topshop?+
Topman is the men's fashion brand and the counterpart to its womenswear sibling, Topshop. When Topman launched in 1978, an executive described it as more of a brother to Top Shop than a son of Burton, which captures the relationship well. The two have been run together for decades, went into administration together, and were bought by ASOS together, with Topman covering the men's side of that shared identity.
When and by whom was Topman founded?+
Topman was founded by the Burton Group, later renamed Arcadia Group, in 1978. It was launched as Burton drove to win a larger share of the men's fashion market amid declining sales of traditional men's tailoring, built along the same lines as the company's successful womenswear arm. So it began as Burton's answer to a shifting menswear market at the end of the 1970s.
Who owns Topman now?+
Topman is operated by ASOS, which acquired it out of administration on 1 February 2021. The ownership has since shifted further: on 5 September 2024 ASOS announced it had sold a 75 percent stake in Topshop and Topman to the Danish company Bestseller. So today Bestseller holds the majority stake while ASOS retains the rest and continues to operate the brand online.
How did Topman end up online-only?+
Its parent, Arcadia Group, went into administration at 8pm GMT on 30 November 2020, and all the physical shops closed. ASOS then bought the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands out of administration for £265 million on 1 February 2021, paying an extra £65 million for stock, but it took the brands and not the roughly 70 stores. That deal is exactly why Topman relaunched as an online-only retailer.
How does Topman compare to ASOS own-label or Zara for menswear?+
Since Topman now lives inside the ASOS ecosystem, the practical difference is curation: Topman gives you a focused, trend-led men's range, while the wider ASOS site spans hundreds of brands and a broader price spread. Against a vertically integrated rival like Zara, Topman is squarely high-street fashion built for of-the-moment looks rather than a fully in-house supply chain. Choose Topman for a tighter trend edit; browse the wider ASOS catalogue when you want maximum range.
Is Topman coming back to physical stores?+
Partly. Through a national partnership from February 2026, Topman is on offer in six John Lewis stores, and the brand is also available to shop at johnlewis.com. That is a concession-style return rather than a revival of standalone Topman shops, so the brand stays primarily online while gaining a physical foothold inside John Lewis.
Has Topman done any notable collaborations or charity work?+
Yes, a couple stand out. In 2008 Topman collaborated with the new label The Look Presents, created by rock-fashion author Paul Gorman and Soho boutique owner Max Karie. And in 2011 Topman worked closely with the Teenage Cancer Trust, collaborating with children from the charity to produce a range of sunglasses they designed, supporting the Rock your Shades campaign. Both reflect the brand's youth-culture and music-leaning sensibility.
Why does Topman lean so young and trend-driven?+
That has been baked in since launch. Topman was created in 1978 as the men's equivalent of Topshop, which targeted a young customer, and it was conceived to chase the fashion-led end of the men's market rather than formal tailoring. Even the brand's history reads as youth-first, including a notorious 2001 moment when a brand director described the core clientele in blunt terms. The throughline is a deliberately young, fashion-forward positioning.
