I had never really stopped to think about whether or not my outfit matches my hair - until I dyed it copper earlier this month, which all of a sudden made a surprising difference to my wardrobe. I've found myself leaning into an Autumn palette, with lots of 70s chocolates, tans and beiges, but when you start talking about seasonal palettes, you enter a whole other arena.
On TikTok, users have been using a series of cool and warm toned palettes to try and work out if they are a spring, summer, autumn or winter palette. There's lots of science and colour theory behind it, but it basically sets out to find out which colours look best on you and make your skin glow.
But when it comes to hair, I suppose it does make sense to see it as an extension of your outfit. For many, it's a form of self-expression just as much as your clothing, and this week, not one, but two of the shoppers I stopped said they love their look to match their hair.
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Every week, I head into Manchester city centre and speak to a number of people about what fashion means to them, and every week I see some amazing outfits I scour for on Vinted at a later date. On Tuesday, I spoke to six shoppers about their outfits - some of which cost £10, while others cost over £200.
With the sun smiling fondly over the city this week, here are the six people we stopped, and how you can steal their style.
Kenzye Lou Roberts
A vision in neon yellow and orange, I’d have had Kenzye down as a Paramore fan heading to their show at the AO Arena that evening, but instead, she was just on her way to work at the young people’s mental health charity 42nd Street.
The 22-year-old, from Swinton, believes that ‘life’s too short to wear boring clothes’ after only wearing black in her initial teenage years.
She said: “I used to wear everything black because of my own mental health. I was on a mental health ward when I was 14 and it was then I realised ‘I’m here anyway’, I might as well wear what I want.”
Her outfit featured an orange pleated co-ord from Boohoo that cost ‘no more than £30’, alongside an UGG scarf costing £45 in the sale, Jordan’s for around £100 and a bag from Monki.
Inspired by huge stars like Harry Styles, Lizzo and ‘old school Lily Allen’, Kenzye loves to wear yellow to match her hair, which has been vibrantly dyed in this shade for six years.
Courteney Deutschmann
Vintage finds and neutral colour palettes make up 27-year-old Courteney’s wardrobe. She was spotted on Stevenson Square in a long black ribbed dress and classic beige mac which could easily be mistaken for Burberry - but it’s actually vintage St Michaels.
She said: “I was desperate for a vintage Burberry jacket and I couldn’t find one that didn’t need repairing. I found this jacket at a vintage fair for £45 and it looked so similar. I absolutely love it.”
She styled the coat with a black Kos dress, H&M rollneck, some £60 boots from Dune and a Marc Jacobs tote for around £200.
She added: “I like my wardrobe to match my hair, usually with a pop of colour on my nails.
I love Skims and Kim Kardashian’s colour palette, although I’m not a big fan of shapewear itself. I also really love out there designers like Jacquemus, but I wouldn’t wear it, it doesn’t match me.”
Douglas Wilson
Teenager Douglas Wilson admits his outfits typically turn some heads, especially in his hometown in Buxton. The 18-year-old might’ve been mistaken for David Bowie back in the 70s, but surprisingly, the late star is not on his list of style inspirations.
Wearing a shirt and trousers from Madcap England and a £20 charity shop jacket, he completed the look with a hat from Glastonbury, which cost £30.
He said: “I like the late 60s hippy thing and a bit of 70s African culture too. A lot of people say I dress like Bowie, I don’t look to him for style inspiration but I do like his music. I really like vintage, old and different acid vibes. I probably turn a few heads when out and about, particularly at home, but Manchester has a really friendly atmosphere.”
Shama Elitawna
Mum-of-one Shama, from Stoke-on-Trent, was visiting Manchester with her 17-month-old little girl, sporting a fun colour blocking knit and contrasting denim mini skirt.
The 30-year-old said: “My jumper is from Lily Vintage in Chester and the skirt was £22 in H&M. The boots are from Zara and I think the tights were from Primark.
“I don’t really have any inspiration for my outfits, I just dress for myself. I’m a recent mum, my daughter is 17 months old, but I don’t think my style has changed since I became a mum. I tend to start with wardrobe basics and then build an outfit around them.”
Jacob Ward
Singer and musician Jacob Ward said his outfit - excluding his trainers - cost around £10.
The 24-year-old, who performs with Stoke/Manchester-based band Mercury - loves to shop secondhand, but tends to opt for new shoes that he can pair with all of his outfits.
Jacob, who works at the Northern Quarter’s Koffee Pot, said: “Everything apart from socks and shoes are from charity shops over the years, mostly ones in Stoke. They’ve got the best stuff - especially Longton.
“Collectively everything cost around £10, with the shoes probably £120. I usually buy some new shoes and then wear them with everything. Then keep an eye out for pre-loved stuff after that.
“I take inspiration from a lot of music and skateboarding culture - rock music, grunge. Sometimes a bit cute, sometimes a bit metal. Manchester has a lot going on and it’s definitely changed the way I think about dressing, it's way more metropolitan and way more experimental.”
Alice Tissier
Finally, there was fashion and design student Alice, who loves to rifle through the racks of the Northern Quarter’s vintage shops.
The 20-year-old, from Nottingham, has an ‘arty’ vibe, and styled an outfit worth more than £200.
She said: “The skirt and jacket are both from Jaded London, the skirt was around £60 and the jacket about £150. The top was my grannies though, so that was free. My bag is from a charity shop so that was £4, and then I have my Adidas trainers.
“I usually shop at vintage shops but get the odd piece new. The vintage shops in Manchester are really good, and Afflecks is great too. Random pieces stand out to me, I have to be in the mood but I really like to root through all the rails to find the best pieces.”
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