It’s been another busy week at Manchester Christmas Markets and not even the rain could dampen the festive spirit on Thursday afternoon as shoppers sipped mulled wine and picked up Christmas gifts for their loved ones.
People travel from all over to see the Manchester Christmas Markets, and this week, I chatted to people from Burnley, Huddersfield and Leigh, but the shopper who had travelled furthest came all the way from Switzerland!
As always, I was on the lookout for the best outfits, and with the markets often prompting people to wrap up in their favourite knits and pull on their favourite boots, I didn’t have to look very hard. In fact, the hardest part was picking ONLY six people.
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Let’s hear it for the boys this week, with Ruben and Bryan both looking fantastic in their smart jackets and sweaters, while ladies Elizabeth and Nicola both looked stunning in their New Look coats.
New Look was a very popular brand with four items, including jumper dresses and jackets being purchased from the high street retailer. One shopper wore head-to-toe H&M, while another opted for high end brands like Gucci and Acne Studios.
So let’s dive right into another weekend read of Steal Their Style - Christmas Markets edition. Here were the most fashionable visitors we spoke to for the second week of the Manchester extravaganza.
Phoebe Devlin
Officially our youngest Steal Their Styler is Phoebe Devlin, aged 17, who was visiting the markets from Burnley. The teenager was sampling some of the food offerings in Piccadilly’s Winter Gardens, and loved Eat Greek’s halloumi fries, describing them as ‘amazing’.
Phoebe wore a River Island burgundy jacket, with funky trousers from H&M, River Island boots and a Primark top.
She said: “I love a 70s look. I love ABBA, Cher and anything like that, they’re icons. I love flared pants and tops for a bit of retro and drama. If I had to sum up my wardrobe there’s a lot of patterns and colours with a 70s vibe.”
Ruben Costa
Wearing head-to-toe H&M was retail worker Ruben, 29, who works at the high street store on Market Street.
Ruben said he loved the brand before he started working there, and now gets the extra benefit of staff discount.
He said: “This jacket was an online return so was 50 per cent off, trousers also were a return. It’s a very good way to get a great deal and we always get to see the returns before they’re put on the shop floor for a reduced price.”
He describes his personal style as eclectic, varying from grunge to preppy. Ruben added: “I loved H&M before I worked there, but now I find more stuff I really enjoy since working there and it’s really good quality.”
Bryan Lou
All the way from Switzerland was designer fashion fan Bryan, who had travelled to Manchester with friends for a long weekend to see a drag show and visit the markets.
The 32-year-old wore a fun, colourful outfit, which was potentially inspired by style icon Harry Styles.
Bryan said: “The jacket is Jil Sander, sweater is from JW Anderson, my scarf is Acne Studios, the pants are Gucci and the sneakers are Nike.”
If anyone was wondering, the cheapest men’s Acne Studios scarf is £110, and I’m not sure I even want to Google the price of the Gucci pants. It’s safe to say that Bryan loves his brands, and it pays off - you can’t deny he looks very well dressed.
He said: “Everyone loves fashion these days, I always like Timothy chalamet’s style and Harry Styles, too.
“I love to have fun with my fashion, my wardrobe is a mix of Japanese, British and Italian - i love a mixture of those styles.”
Elizabeth Nuttall
Spotted leaving the Porky Pig stall, Yorkshire pudding wrap in hand, was new mum Elizabeth Nuttall, from Huddersfield. The 30-year-old was visiting the markets for the day with a friend, and said it was the array of food stalls that brought them to the city centre.
She looked fab in a New Look jumper dress paired with three-year-old Dorothy Perkins boots and a New Look jacket, which she paid £45 for.
She added: “The hat I had to buy from Primark today to try and protect my hair. My fashion has changed since becoming a mum, I prioritise comfort and affordability now.
“I don’t like anything too tight. I love my jackets - it makes an outfit more exciting if you have a great jacket, my wardrobe is caving in because I have so many.”
Tracy Smith
Also opting for a jumper dress - a potential trend for winter 2022 - was Tracy Smith, who was on a girly trip out to the markets with her mate. The 39-year-old, from Manchester styled her New Look knit with a Next coat which was £85, Office boots for £65, and a Michael Kors bag.,
As a mum of a six-year-old son, Tracy likes to wear comfortable but stylish clothes in order to still be able to ‘run around after the kids’.
She said: “There are three of four influencers I follow on instagram who aren't necessarily famous but I’m easily influenced by influencers. I look at what they've got and where they've got it from and try to replicate that. And a lot of them are young, busy mums like me.
“I love a comfortable, easy to wear look for running around after the kids. I like to look comfortable but stylish. I like that athleisure wear look but i would wear something oversized over the top, too.
“I’m getting older now and there are some things I wonder if I’m too old for now, so my style has definitely changed over the years.”
Nicola Isherwood
Finally, enjoying a prosecco at St Anne’s Square was Nicola, aged 30, from Leigh, who visits the Christmas markets with her friend every year.
She also, like Elizabeth, wore a New Look coat, pairing it with a long Bershka dress and some Asos own brand boots, which cost around £45 last year.
She added: “My bag is Steve Madden - I just got it from Macy’s in New York, we went there for a week.
“I like 90s grunge and that style with long dresses and chunky boots. The 90s style has all come back around recently. I really like Megan Fox’s style at the moment. I wouldn’t be as brave as her, but she does have a great wardrobe and can get away with anything.”
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