Menswear to watch in 2011

New Year is as good a time as any to introduce new shopping habits. Too often do the gentlemen of the North West wrap themselves in the comfort blanket that is the Arndale Centre. Make it one of your resolutions to shop outside of the box and sample some of the hidden gems on offer in the Manchester retail sector.

A well-known Mancunian tailor has opened its doors, not only to footballers and legendary Bolton comedians, but to the average jean wearing Joe looking for assistance with a needle and thread.

Manchester’s Northern Quarter is a district heard of by many but known properly by few. The quirky boutiques and even quirkier back streets can be off putting to the high street shopper but I urge you to explore. A mere few steps from the Arndale Centre is Thomas Street on the edge of the Northern Quarter and here lies Oi Polloi, a gentleman’s oasis from fast-fashion that can offer shoppers, simplistic, durable and classic designs to be worn for years. Brands include Barbour, Dockers, Levis, their own brand and a recent collaboration with Mancunian yachting brand Henri Lloyd. The Oi Polloi sale is on now in store and online and hosts items with up to 60 per cent off - quite the excuse.

A little further north of the city is 25Ten Boutique in Rochdale, another independent gem that has recently moved premises into the town’s main shopping high street, Yorkshire Street, and added menswear to their range. The large store specialises in women’s wear for the party girl and the menswear department follows a similar theme with a formal and semi-formal offering, mainly from Lambretta. Shirts and formal trousers straight out of Footballer’s Wives can be sampled for reasonable prices whilst your lady friend can rummage furiously through the rails at the other end of the shop.

Looking for something high end? Luxury representation in Manchester does not just end with Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. On Spring Gardens, Hervia Bazaar is a small boutique with a capsule collection of designers from Comme Des Garcons to John Galliano. The luxury fashion store has been hailed by Vogue as the best designer independent, has caught the eye of Vivienne Westwood herself and has become one of the most exclusive fashion destinations in the North West. Owned and managed by Oscar Pinto-Hervia and in collaboration with Vivienne Westwood’s son and founder of Agent Provocateur, Joe Corre; the store is the epitome of elite fashion. The sale is on now, online and in store.

If sale shopping isn’t for you and you would rather mend and make do, make an appointment with the Denim Doctor. A well-known Mancunian tailor has opened its doors, not only to footballers and legendary Bolton comedians, but to the average jean wearing Joe looking for assistance with a needle and thread. Michael, of James Personal Tailor & Son, has set up the Denim Doctor in his father’s magnificent tailors on the second floor of James Binney House on Cross Street. Worn out, tired and thread bare jeans? The Denim Doctor can restore and revitalise for a fraction of the cost of another pair of designer denims. The service mirrors the tailor’s main bespoke service with private consultations and intricate care to ensure that your jeans are re-engineered to your exact specifications. Quite the bespoke service and well worth a try if you’re planning on getting another season out of those Levis.

Happy shopping.

Jordan McDowell runs Manchester fashion blog fashion-rambler.blogspot.com, the ramblings of a northern boy about everything from the fashion business to the fashion parties and all that is in-between.