Scouting Manchester for the most fashionable shoppers, it was all of the women who were dressed to the nines, this week. We love a bit of girl power.
One thing I love about getting to chat with people in the city is discovering their story or what they’re getting up to for the day. Nobody is ever just pottering in Manchester - there’s always somewhere fun to be or exciting to do.
One shopper was out enjoying some margaritas with her friend, while another happened to be out celebrating her birthday. A group of friends - who were all beautifully dolled up - had been out for bottomless brunch, and another lady had used an app to borrow someone else’s dog for the day.
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Chatting to these well-dressed women, I found out that one woman had altered her own dress after finding it secondhand a few sizes too big, while another's outfit cost approximately £500 in total.
And where people look for inspiration varies from person to person too, with one of this week’s shoppers in love with Molly-Mae Hague’s look, while another individual looked to bands like Wolf Alice.
Here are the six most stylish shoppers I spoke to this week, and how you can Steal Their Style.
Anne Burns
Visiting a friend in Manchester, Dr Anne Burns had been for a couple of margarita cocktails sporting a leopard print dress she altered herself.
The civil servant used to live in the city while she was studying for her PhD, and talked me through her upcycled outfit.
She said: “My dress is from New Look but I bought it from eBay in a size 18 and then cut it down to my size on my sewing machine. I had to do so much to it and take out the elastic, reset the shoulders and take up the hem because I couldn't find it in my size.
“I’d been looking for the dress for ages, and I paid more for it than it was new. It was about £30 new and I paid £40 for it second hand - just don’t look at the seams.”
And it’s not just the dress that Anne made her own mark on, having dyed her sandals a brighter shade of red. The 43-year-old added: “My shoes are from Hotter which is generally for ladies over 60, I believe. I wanted them to be red so I had a go at dying them myself.”
Meanwhile, Anne’s sunglasses were from Oxfam, in Sheffield, where she now lives, and her bag was from the New York public library.
On her style inspiration, she joked: “I have dressed like this for 25 years, I just love leopard print.” Her friend added: “Her style is like 1990s Manic Street Preachers and Dita Von Teese in the mid-00s.”
Helen Caddock
Helen and her partner were out looking for a spot to grab some lunch when I spotted her green midi dress from the corner of Deansgate and King Street.
The 43-year-old, from Rainhill, St Helens, wore a £49.99 Zara dress with Ted Baker pumps, which cost £85, and a headscarf from H&M.
She added: “They’re the brands I typically shop with. I’m a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to social media so I do a lot more physical shopping because I like to feel the product and check the quality.
"Zara is always pretty spot on and I have quite a lot from there in my wardrobe. I wear quite a few midi dresses and jeans with pumps where you can wear it casually or dress it up.”
Since spotting Helen wearing this dress, I've actually seen three other people styling it in Manchester too - proving it really is a hit with shoppers!
Cara Kealy
Walking up from St Peter’s Square to Peter Street, Cara was walking little pooch Tilly to a café to get some work done. The 28-year-old freelance music photographer lives in London, but was in Manchester visiting her boyfriend.
She added: “I've just got off a tour so I'm chilling for a week and using BorrowMyDoggy to borrow Tilly, it’s my first day out with her today and she’s been keeping me company.”
The content creator was sporting a Brandy Melville skirt which she’d picked up the previous week in Italy for 38 euros, with a top from the same fashion house, too.
She added: “My boots are Dr Martens which I got from eBay and my bag was £4 from Primark and I haven't stopped wearing it, it fits everything I need in it.”
Cara enjoys creating juxtaposed looks, taking inspiration from bands like Wolf Alice, whose lead singer, Ellie Rowsell, does very well.
She added: “I’m obsessed with Wolf Alice and Ellie’s style so matching pretty things with like, ugly boots, to give some contrast I love.”
Lucy Macdonald
Out for bottomless brunch with three of her friends - two of whom are getting married this month - Lucy wore a hot pink co-ord for her time in town.
The 29-year-old, from Preston, said her outfit cost around £500, most of which was for her Chloe branded trainers.
She added: “I’m wearing a Zara suit, ASOS top and Chloe trainers. The outfit cost around £500, but a great deal of that’s the trainers.”
Chloe likes to follow influencers on Instagram to help her find style inspiration, adding: “I follow a lot of the girls that advertise for Zara, because I like to see the outfits on real people.
“I love the suit because it’s really bright and I can wear the pants with something else and the blazer with jeans and make it a bit more versatile too.”
Jasmin Stanley
Celebrating her 24th birthday, Jasmin Stanley cites Manchester’s own Molly-Mae Hague as inspiration for her look.
The birthday girl, from Wrexham, was staying in the city for two nights and was spotted wearing a PrettyLittleThing outfit.
She said: “My dress and belt are from PLT and the shoes are from Primark - and my bag is too. Green is my favourite colour, my wardrobe is a mix but I do like a monochrome look.”
She added: “I love Molly Mae’s style so I look to her for style inspiration. I don’t mind shopping at places like PLT and Primark because you can get some really good things there for quite cheap. I save photos on Instagram and videos on TikTok for inspiration too.”
Nahla Sal
Fresh off her shift at the in-patient pharmacy at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Nahla, aged 19, paired jeans with a vibrant knitted vest over a must-have white shirt.
The intern loves a bargain and never pays full-price for anything - even carrying a bag of sale H&M purchases with her.
She said: “My Converse were £95 new but I found them cheaper on Depop for £60 and saved a bit of money. My jeans are from River Island and were also on sale for £17.
“My mum got my shirt from Costco and then I layered over this vest from Sainsbury’s, and I love the orange colour for summer.”
Nahla has always lived in Manchester and says she takes inspiration from ‘people I pass every day’. She added: “Living in Manchester everyone dresses well and I try to dress my age and fit in with the culture, too, I’m always looking for a bargain. Today I got some jeans and a cropped collared shirt from H&M in the sale, as well”.
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