Chorlton's Object, Native Youth, Oi Polloi and more - here's our spring shopping list
I’ve re-emerged from my winter slumber a wild woman in marigolds. It’s officially springtime, so you’ll find me furiously cleaning the gutters while balancing precariously on a ladder for the next week or so. There’s also the annual wardrobe clear out. It’s out with the grey uniform and in with the floral prints.
I know what you’re thinking - ‘floral patterns for spring? Boring! A fashion cliché!’ I hear you. Yet this year florals have been given a major reboot. Much more than your seasonal failsafe, they’ve been toughened up; they’re rugged, cool and ‘spliced’ (whatever that means). Seen on major SS/18 catwalks, florals come in patchwork and all types of shapes.
Expect a major colour boost in stores this spring too, with ‘Gen-Z yellow’ replacing ‘millennial pink’ as the colour of the moment. Also note loose silhouettes, wide leg trousers and the sheer joy of wearing clothes you don’t need to iron.
To welcome in the new season, I’ve scoured the city for some of the best fashion and lifestyle pieces from Manchester-based boutiques and online stores.
Organic cotton dress, Beaumont Organic - £120
During the spring/summer months, I tend to dress all loose and fancy-free. This candy-striped organic cotton dress by eco-fashion site Beaumont Organic is the ideal summer throw-on: a relaxed fit, great to look at and true to the brand’s eco ethos, made with 100% organic breathable cotton.
Comes in sizes small to large - Shop online or via the store at 49 Hilton Street, M1 2EF
Printed bandeau midi-dress, Lavish Alice - £75
I need an evening dress that could both work in a stylish city-slicker bar in Spinningfields to a beach side bar somewhere in the Caribbean. This dress by online outfitters Lavish Alice has transatlantic potential. This season, they’ve unveiled a springtime dress that'll make you think of Hawaii. In sizes 8–18, the fitted bandeau style midi-dress comes in a flattering pale burnt orange with navy Hawaiian floral print.
Hexagon glass wall display, Form Lifestyle store - £45
Everyone with a Pinterest account and home filled with fern plants will know interiors are a big thing on the ‘net of late. Relatively new to the Northern Quarter, Form lifestyle store offer a great selection of home and lifestyle pieces. Their hanging baskets are a personal favourite. The hexagon glass wall display box is a great wall fixture. Add potted plants with overgrown ferns, for the full Instagram-worthy effect.
Tropicamo trousers, Native Youth - £35
Manchester-made online brand Native Youth have released a solid summer collection made for leisurely days. Take these wide leg ‘Tropicamo’ trousers - high on the waist and long in the leg - they’re the perfect lounge pant yet pretty enough to wear around town. I’d dare to wear the full outfit for a full-on tropical treat.
Sizes extra small to large - Shop
Gardenia Kimono, Neon Rose - £21
I really adore a floral-print kimono. Thrown over a white t-shirt and pale blue denim jeans, they help to elevate an everyday spring outfit. This one by online brand Neon Rose is a great addition to bohemian ensemble (a bike with basket full of flowers entirely optional). An oversized fit, the kimono comes in sizes 8 to 16.
Shop online
Gold necklace, Hoochie Mama - £80
Fashion folk call it ‘gold hardware’ – simple, contemporary style gold jewellery you can pile on and wear with every outfit. Manchester-based jewellery brand Hoochie Mama sells gorgeous elegant 18 carat gold-plated jewellery. The gold rings have become my personal signature.
Oyster 350 Adidas, Oi Polloi - £100
‘We’re not sure being stuck on a Stagecoach bus will ever make it to the Olympics, but if it does, we’re pretty certain the athletes will be wearing these glorious trabs,’ say Oi Polloi. I’d agree. The OP team have sourced these ‘ultra rare’ 350 Oyster trainers, a remake of a collection Adidas released in the 70s and 80s.
Shop online or via the store at 63 Thomas Street, M4 1LQ
Stoneware vase, Object - £26
The duo behind Chorlton’s Object Style are known for their great eye for, well… objects. Such as this grey and cream stoneware vase, designed in Denmark by Bloomingville. Just fab.
Shop online or via the store at 519 Barlow Moor Road, M21 8AQ
Velvet corduroy jacket, Lanigan & Hulme - £190
Royal Exchange menswear boutique, Lanigan and Hulme, have sourced this excellent cornflower blue Witham Coach jacket. The colour, shape and fabric are all a nod to the 70s. Costing £190, it’s constructed from 100% cotton velvet corduroy and sourced exclusively from British mills whilst the jacket itself is made in London.
Shop online or via the store at 9 Royal Exchange Arcade, M2 7EA
Polly yellow linen sundress, Object - £120
They're calling it 'Gen Z' yellow - the colour of spring, daffodils and, um, teenagers with burgeoning Instagram careers. Regardless, if you're from a slightly older generation this stunning yellow dress from Object Style is bound to suit most people. Made with 100% organic Baltic linen in a flattering loose fit, the dress is ideal for days and nights out in Chorlton.
Shop online or via the store at 519 Barlow Moor Road, M21 8AQ
