I'm not going to say whether bulking or lean is the best. All I will say is that when I was bulking, I got noticed a lot more. When I was cutting, I had to wear a S or even an XS to show off my muscles. Or those muscle shirts or a tanktop. That's the only way my gains were visible. Even my barber noticed I had shrunk and wondered if I had gotten sick. No, I was just starving myself to bring in my cut sculpture.
Be lean if you're going to be able to show off your body more, especially at places like the beach or photography. Bulk is better for scenarios where you're wearing more clothing. That's where bulky guys shine. Bulky guys also do good in real world situations. For instance, guys and girls will be less likely to threaten or pull up on a bulky guy. Or when there's danger or some kind of stressful situations, weak men and women tend to move toward the bigger guy for safety. Being tall helps, too, but skinny tall is not going to get you anywhere.