On a rare dry day ahead of Halloween, five stylish Mancunians talked through their outfits, with second-hand bargains and vintage finds dominating the looks.
Hanna's £2 dress and boho influences
Hanna, a 25-year-old yoga teacher and tourism professional visiting Manchester for the first time to see her boyfriend, wore a second-hand dress bought for about £2 from a monthly restock sale at her local vintage store in Hungary. She also highlighted a jacket she described as another second-hand bargain find, saying: "I really love this jacket, I get loads of compliments on it."
Her cardigan was from Asos, her boots were Blundstones, and her bag came from Depop in the US. Her style inspirations included Stevie Nicks, anything boho or hippy aligned with the 1960s, and the film Practical Magic, with brown as her preferred autumn colour.
Jack's vintage military coat and comfort-first style
Jack Oakes, a 25-year-old copywriter, was collecting set pieces from an event he had hosted at Renae. He wore wide-leg joggers he has owned for years, noting the manufacturer had stopped making them. His favourite coat came from a vintage military shop in Brussels, described as warm and comfortable with useful pockets, worn over a pastel grey-pink rugby polo recently found in Manchester.
Jack said comfort was his main priority when dressing, drawing inspiration from his dad's old wardrobe, which he described as "football hooliganism, C.P., Stone Island era Manchester." He also discussed events he hosts under the handle @homingpigeon__, including a listening session at Renae with the theme "euphoric," featuring records from old house music to Led Zeppelin and the Bee Gees.
Holly's suede jacket and charity shop skirt
Holly, 35, head of performance marketing, wore a real suede jacket from the Zara sale reduced from £140 to £80, layered for warmth. Her skirt was from M&S, bought at a charity shop in Sale for about £5, and her Adidas Munchen trainers came from Selfridges on sale for about £50, chosen for the yellow matching the jacket.
She also wore a black and white striped snood from Asos, her primary choice for unpredictable weather when she does not want to carry an umbrella. Her style icon is Mary Quant, known for her famous black bob, which Holly said she is aiming for with little flicks in her hair.
Briannah's Barcelona finds and Poppy's vintage layers
Briannah Butler, a 20-year-old history and politics student, wore a coat and skirt from Lefties in Barcelona, estimating the skirt at £25 and the coat at £15, alongside Doc Martens and an H&M shirt. Her inspirations were Hailey Bieber and singer Justine Skye, with her looks changing between bold and simple.
Poppy, a 19-year-old English literature student, wore an elbow-patched denim jacket from a charity shop in Shrewsbury bought when she was about 15, a knit vest from British Heart Foundation, a skirt from Vinted, shoes from Shoe Zone, her mum's tights, and her dad's old football leg warmers. Her bag was a gift from her partner's mother-in-law from Trader Joe's. Her style inspirations were Helena Bonham Carter and her nan, who she said loves "really weird, out-there clothes."
