Tweet Seat May: Topman Store Launch

Only opening a couple of days before, the brand spanking new Topman store was squeaky clean and ready for admiration. Instantly, I was blown away by the size of the store – it’s huge! The location in the Arndale lends itself so well to the store, big enough to create a spacious environment without overpowering the other stores in the shopping mall. In fact, although much bigger than before, the change in size isn’t hugely noticeable until you find yourself wondering around the store at ease. It’s now way more comparable to the two Topshop floors above. As shown in the picture below, there are even little sit down areas for tired boys (or bored girlfriends) to take a break and chill out if it all gets too much!

Aside from stylish refurb of the store (now looking very top floor Selfridges, I have to say), the main attraction to the new second largest Topman store in the UK is the personal shopping service. I was welcomed into a spacious, sleek and stylish room at the back of the store where this new service would be taking place. The room is large enough to house a settee, drinks bar and room to move around and chill, as well as two smaller mirrored changing rooms inside. 

Once inside, I had the chance to meet glamour puss’s Ruby and Dave, the stylists who would be.. err.. “manning” the Topman personal stylist experience. Both absolutely lovely and from the looks of their outfits, both fiercely fashionable, I would be more than happy to let them make over the men in my life. Namely, my little brother is currently going through the awkward teenager stage, nearly 16 and not quite sure what’s cool and what’s not, I think he’d really appreciate an outside figure giving him some informal and casual tips. I mean, his idea of hell is myself and my sister taking him shopping, making him come out the changing rooms in front of all the other guys and twirl in his new outfit! Instead, he could have the comfort of being in his own personal area and not have his embarrassing sisters tell him what to wear. 

Back in store, Ruby guided me through all the new concessions making an appearance. New additions included Taxonomy by Made in Chelsea’s Proudlock, Hype, and Agi & Sam – risking the sake of sounding cheesy, I got the impression there was something for everyone. I also loved seeing Criminal Damage and Vision Streewear on the shop floor, reassured by Ruby that Topman had pulled in some exclusive deals to make sure some items were limited edition and some only available in Manchester’s own. The shop floor has also been cleverly designed to split the concessions off into individual sections, which I would imagine make things a lot easier to find and a bit more of a department store experience. A personal favourite With Love Club item is shown below – y’all know I love kittens!

Plus, man cats, Topman have introduced their very own concession lines, such as Topman Heritage (pictured a couple of photos up) and Topman Limited shown below. Again, the idea is to make Topman feel a little more expensive and exclusive whilst still remaining a leading high street store. Although not a fan of Topman Limited myself, I do like the tailoring of Topman Heritage – a sucker for a man in a dapper suit! Gents, this way please! Also, with the most expensive suit blazer retailing at £250, which might seem a little pricey for a high street store, it’s of quality that you’d expect from a flagship store from an Arcadia brand. 

Over all, I was surprisingly impressed with the store and despite not owning a single garment from Topshop, have been pretty enthusiastic about the items I was shown. Not always a massive fan of Arcadia, I really liked the items on display, especially the ready-to-wear suits that had a tailor-made feel. I think the Personal Style room will bring a lot of added business to the store and I think its a great addition to have in Manchester, especially as a complimentary high street service. 

Back to Tweet Seat May, and again I have to praise the friendliness of the Manchester Arndale staff and their hospitality for always being so generous – it’s almost become like meeting old friends (to read about my last Manchester Arndale event, check out Fashion Flash Mob here). As a special treat,  Topman had put on wonderful goodie bags (that I generously passed on to my brother, as the best big sister ever) and even a Topman photo booth. Well, who wouldn’t want to take silly pictures? 

So kittens, will you be taking your other halves to the new flagship Arcadia store in the North West? Leave me a comment below and let me know! And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, like my Facebook page and subscribe to my Youtube channel to keep up to date with all things fashion!