Football fan and vintage enthusiast Melissa Johnson, who cohosts the podcast Wise Men Say, told me how she loves vintage clothes because she's fascinated by the story behind them - and I love Steal Their Style for exactly the same reason. It's so interesting to me to discover what people do for a living, or their hobbies and interests, and how that might be reflected in the way they dress.
Out in the Northern Quarter again this week, I was lucky enough to meet a shoe designer, a Lithuanian artist and male fashion influencer, as well as Sunderland lass Melissa, stylish Sam and a gig-goer on their way back from a The 1975 gig.
There's been a real mix of looks, too, from leopard print coats and leather blazers to vintage dresses and statement scarves. While some items have been bought new from the likes of ASOS and Lazy Oaf, it seems shoppers are largely opting for more sustainable options and second-hand finds in 2023.
And, with shops like Cow, Blue Rinse and Oxfam Originals on our doorstep, you don't have to look far to find a fun, affordable and environmentally conscious outfit in Manchester.
For those unfamiliar with our weekly fashion feature, it sees Reporter Bethan Shufflebotham hit the streets of the city centre to stop six of the best dressed shoppers and ask them about their look. Here are our top outfit picks for this week, and how you can Steal Their Style.
Lucy Howarth
Shoe designer Lucy, from Rossendale, was giving me some serious coat envy with this leopard print number from Lazy Oaf. The 39-year-old was in town for some fabric shopping and costume design meetings, bringing some fun patterns and colours to the Northern Quarter.
She said: “This is a bit of a roll out of bed outfit - last night's Steve Madden trainers and my gym kit underneath as that’s where I’m going later. I’ve also got on my Lazy Oaf coat and fleece because it’s freezing.”
She paired the look with a £6 Primark beret and Tatty Devine scarf, adding: “I love a good pattern. I am a full time shoe designer so I’m looking at clothes all day long. I’d say I don’t really stick to brands but I must secretly do, as I love Lazy Oaf and bright colours.”
Melissa Johnson
Footie podcast co-host and vintage fashion enthusiast Melissa Johnson was visiting Manchester from Sunderland for a spot of shopping and a comedy gig at the Apollo.
The 30-year-old was a vision of beauty in a mix of authentic and reproduction vintage, caught stepping out of Northern Quarter’s ‘Cow’ - one of the most popular vintage shops in the district.
Explaining how she got into vintage fashion, in particular her love of the 1930s to 1950s, she said: “I always wanted to do things a bit different and I loved watching old films with my gran at the weekends like Some Like It Hot.
“I used to wear my nan's old fur coats from the attic and my grandad's old donkey jackets from working on the ships.”
Melissa particularly loves the idea of the stories behind vintage pieces, adding: “I did fashion journalism and the history was so amazing. I just got obsessed with it. I love when you find treasures and I wonder what the story is behind it. Who had this bag before me and where did they take it and what was their story?”
Melissa had purchased the ‘very special’ 1950s gold bag from a seller on Etsy, specifically for a trip to Las Vegas. She paired it with some reproduction vintage shoes, and a dramatic hat from Little Shop of Gorgeousness and Fripperies.
Both her dress and coat are from Revival Vintage, worn with a datemaker style 1950s cardigan from House of Foxy.
She added: “I love a 1940s style, I love the excitement of trying to treasure trove and I don't mind reproduction as there are so many good brands out there doing it. I wear 1930s to 1950s, some days I like a land girl or rockabilly look but other days I love a 40s wartime style.”
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Lauren Hague
Lauren Hague was heading home from a night in Leeds where she’d just been to see Manchester rockers The 1975 for the third time in a week. You may even recognise the 19-year-old English Literature student from our Facebook Live from the queue at AO Arena a couple of weeks ago.
The teenager cites frontman Matty Healy as one of her fashion inspirations, and, as well as the three arena shows, she’d also copped a ticket to the intimate show at Gorilla, too.
She said: “This is just the outfit I wore last night. They’re my favourite band and I did it last tour too.
“My wardrobe is heavily music inspired, my inspiration is Matty Healy, I also love Courtney Love, anything leather, and also Alexa Chung - who doesn't want to raid her wardrobe?”
Lauren had worn a Motel Rocks jacket, purchased second-hand on Vinted for £15, with a Zara skirt for £25, and a Bershka blazer, bought for £20 on Vinted, complete with a pair of Dr Martens.
Luke Heywood
Fashion influencer Luke Heywood moved to Manchester in 2021 from a small town in Shropshire - and loves how inclusive the city is when it comes to styling.
The 30-year-old, who loves unisex clothing, said: “Being on Instagram has helped personalise my style. I wear a lot of men's and women’s clothes, but I’ve not always had the most positive response from the way I dress.
“Being from a small town in Shropshire if I went out in this - which isn't really that out there - then I’d get quite a negative reaction but in Manchester no-one bats an eyelid. I could come out in a dress and it would be nothing new, it’s great. That’s definitely one of the reasons why I wanted to move here.”
Luke wore an ASOS coat for which he paid £60 in the sale, along with a blanket scarf from Zara man, a green colour matched hoodie and Nasty Gal jeans, with his ‘trusty’ Buffalo trainers.
He added: “Pinterest is my go to, I'm scouring it all the time for inspiration. I also love vintage shops and the high street, too. I mainly wear clothes that I want to wear - I don't really follow trends.”
Sam Brook
Dressed up for a trip to the barbers was Sam Brook, aged 38. The Yorkshireman has moved to Withington, and says the suburb is a ‘cool place’ to look for styling inspiration.
He wore a pair of Solovair boots with Maharishi trousers purchased from eBay, with a jumper from Grailed, imported from Ukraine, and a coat from Didsbury’s Cancer Research charity shop, at a very modest £12.
He said: “I find Withington quite a cool place to look for inspiration. I've always liked clothes, I usually dress quite colourfully so this is a bit of something different to what I normally wear.”
Tomas Demisevicius
Originally from Lithuania, artist Tomas moved to Manchester in 2016, and says in doing so, he’s ‘found his tribe’. He added: “It’s an up and coming arts scene with lots of gigs, I really love it.”
The 29-year-old is a big fan of sustainable fashion, and wore clothes that were either from outlets, vintage shops or eBay.
He said: “My coat is Rag and Bone New York from Woodhouse Clothing outlet, and my shoes are also from there, and they are Barbour. The jeans are vintage from eBay, my t-shirt is vintage and cost £5 and my necktie was £3 from Blue Rinse.
“I love to shop secondhand for ethical reasons. There are so many great pieces you can find that are less impactful on the environment that are unique and quirky.
“I get inspiration from the people around me, TV, films, I really like Antoni from Queer Eye, that’s a style icon for me.”
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