It is everyone’s favourite time of year – wedding season. And graduation season. And it is the summer of sport. And all your friends are hosting fancy garden parties now we have a bit of sunshine. Basically, it’s the season of suiting.
If you’re super popular (like I am) you may find yourself at a wedding or event every other weekend this summer and it can be a lot. How do you stand out from the crowd? Will your ex be there? How will I afford it? Well, this is where M&S comes in.
The wonderful team at M&S invited me in to try out their 1-to-1 suit fitting service at their Trafford Centre store.
With another six weddings to go this year, I jumped at the chance to find the perfect suit for me, and something more summery than my usual kegs.
And in case you’ve not been yet, the new M&S is well worth the trip – it’s absolutely massive.
I was welcomed by the fantastic Sagvan, who took me through the different styles they had to offer, with a refreshing array of colours and pastel hues to choose from, the choice was fantastic.
The suit section at the stunning new M&S Trafford Centre store. Credit: The Manc GroupThe suit section at the stunning new M&S Trafford Centre store. Credit: The Manc Group
Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the amount of choice, Sagvan recommended we look at the cut of the suit first. He recommended either tailored or slim fit, and we settled on a flashy sky blue tailored fit, and a dusky pink suit I’d had my eye on since walking in.
Sagvan went through all of the sizing and recommended different accessories, shoes and the whole process was both relaxed and helpful.
I ended up with the pink number, which I wore to a wedding last weekend. Let me tell you dear reader, I was the talk of the wedding.
Everyone couldn’t stop complimenting me (I am also very handsome but they were in awe of the suit).
Told you I looked devilishly handsome in my M&S suit… Credit: The Manc GroupPeople at the wedding couldn’t believe this suit was M&S. Credit: THe Manc Group
Nobody believed it was from M&S either, with many guests planning their trip to get something similar.
M&S might not classically be your first choice for a suit, but it absolutely should be. The 1-to-1 suit service is available to everyone too, just let the team know when you arrive that you’d like some 1-to-1 advice and they would be happy to help.
This season’s occasion wear at M&S has something for everyone.
So whether it is a garden party with friends, you umpteenth wedding of the year or a day at the races, be sure to check out their vast collection of stylish summer suiting.
New Haribo shop to open in Trafford Centre with pick n mix station featuring over 40 varieties of sweets
Emily Sergeant
HARIBO UK has announced plans to open an exciting new store here in Greater Manchester.
The store – which will be the confectionery giant’s thirteenth location in the UK – is set to be celebration of HARIBO’s ‘spirit of childlike happiness’ once it opens its doors over at the Trafford Centre, and Manchester fans will soon be able to shop a delicious selection of all Haribo treats.
There’ll be everything from familiar favourites like Starmix and Tangfastics, to exciting new products such as Nostalgix and Alienauts.
Visitors will also be able to enjoy international varieties of Haribo too, all without having to venture to another country – whether it be Haribo Favoritos and Watermelon from Spain, Haribo Dragibus and Tagada from France, or Haribo liquorice Schnecken from Germany.
A new Haribo shop is set to open in Trafford Centre / Credit: Dan Cristian Padure | Jacqueline Brandwayn (via Unsplash)
To bring back the old-fashioned pleasure of being in a sweet shop, there’ll even be a ‘Pick Your Mix’ station, featuring more than 40 varieties of HARIBO and MAOAM treats to choose from, and in addition to the sweets themselves, the store will also be filled with exclusive HARIBO merchandise, such as plushies, stationery, candles, and more.
Haribo’s most recent opening was in Bluewater, and there’ll be a new site popping up in Glasgow later this month, before the Trafford Centre store opens its doors.
“We’re thrilled to be opening a HARIBO UK store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre,” commented Rebecca Fox, who is the Head of Retail at HARIBO UK.
“Our stores are a way to share even more moments of childlike happiness with HARIBO fans and we can’t wait for Manchester’s HARIBO-lovers and visitors to join in the fun.”
There’ll be a ‘pick you mix’ station featuring over 40 different varieties of sweets / Credit: Luis Aguila (via Unsplash)
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, added: “We’re excited to welcome HARIBO to Trafford Centre, with a store that promises to deliver a super-sweet experience that cannot be matched online, delighting visitors of all ages.
“We’re confident that our visitors will love this new brand-new store, which will prove another fantastic addition to the centre.”
There’s no opening date for the Trafford Centre store confirmed just yet, so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled.
Featured Image – Supplied
Shopping
Aldi has launched limited-edition gender reveal Cuthbert caterpillar cakes
Emily Sergeant
Is it a boy or a girl? No it’s a limited-edition Cuthbert.
That’s right, in an ode to the ever-growing trend of gender reveal parties, and to coincide with September being the month that most babies are born in, Aldi has decided to give its iconic Cuthbert Cake a very special makeover for a limited time only.
Designed to offer expectant parents the ultimate way to reveal the gender of their child, this special Cuthbert is now available via an exclusive shopper competition.
The limited-edition cake will be completely free for those lucky enough to get their hands on it.
Decorated with blue and pink chocolate beans, the exclusive new cake has two versions of filling, just as you’d expect – one with pink buttercream icing (for a girl), and blue buttercream icing (for a boy).
The launch of the gender reveal Cuthberts comes after recent research from Aldi has revealed that 58% of millennial Brits have celebrated gender reveal moments, and 48% of Gen Z having attended an average of three gender reveal parties in the last five years – with cake found to be the most popular method of revealing a baby’s gender.
Cake was found to be more popular than balloons, confetti, or fireworks, making it twice as popular much as any other gender reveal option.
And that’s not all either, as following the news that traditional baby names have been seeing a decline in popularity among expectant parents in favour of more unique options, 5% of Brits even admitted that they would consider naming their child Cuthbert after the budget supermarket retailer’s icon.
Aldi has launched limited-edition gender reveal Cuthbert caterpillar cakes / Credit: Aldi
Want to win a gender reveal Cuthbert then?
Shoppers just need to send an email detailing their full name, why they or a loved one would be the ideal recipient of this cake, the address of their closest Aldi store, and the gender of their baby to [email protected].
The competition will open until 11:59pm on 14September, and the lucky winners will be notified of their win via email by 28 September.
Kristen MacGregor-Houlston -
24th July 2024 
