Loved Scouse fashion brands, famous faces and celebrity stylists told us why the city’s style is unmatched
11:25, 06 Jul 2025Updated 11:27, 06 Jul 2025
Ladies Day at Randox Grand National 2024 at Aintree, Liverpool(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Scouse fashion is instantly recognisable as bold, glamorous and full of personality. From hair rollers worn in broad daylight like a badge of honour to colourful Montirex tracksuits and showcasing the very best on the world stage at the Grand National, the Scouse look is one of the most iconic in the country.
The 1970s punk era introduced style icons such as Pete Burns and Jayne Casey. As the 1980s took over with its Dynasty-inspired glamour and big hair, those punk pioneers stepped aside. The eccentricity of the rave scene pushed fashion even further and you can still see those trends continue today in pockets all across the region.
Today, you’ll still see women in rollers prepping for a glamorous night out while men tip toe every step of the way not to sully their new Nike Air Max 95s, more commonly known as 110s. Hair rollers are an unapologetic staple of the city, and despite Nike never admitting Liverpool owns the trainers, we’ve claimed them as our own anyway.
Over the past six years, Merseyside’s men ditched the big name labels for an up and coming brand – Montirex. Now, you’d be hard pressed to not spot someone wearing the instantly recognisable activewear.
Montirex has become the city’s unofficial uniform with vibrant colours and a striking static-like pattern the go-to choice for millions for any casual outing. The brand is rapidly growing, snowballing in success, and ready to take on the European market, so no wonder every lad in the city wants to wear it.
Montirex founders Daniel Yuen and Kieran Riddell-Austin(Image: Montirex)
Montirex co-founder Daniel Yuen told the ECHO: “When somebody from Liverpool does something, they have the whole city behind them. One of the most important things for us is the consumer so we saw exactly what the lads of Liverpool want. Because the city has got behind us so much, we’ve put a completely different spin on activewear.
“A lot of people only really wore black and white and they sort of like to blend in but we made activewwear a bit more fun and energetic and that’s why it took off.”
Daniel thinks men care just as much about their appearance as women, even if they’re not willing to outright admit it. He added: “I think everybody wants the latest and great thing and everybody wants to look good.
“I think it’s really started to come to fruition over the past five years. When I was growing up, we didn’t really care too much. I’ve always been massive on trainers. You can look around now and everyone’s got 110s and back in the day they were Adidas PTs, I think. Everyone was on them.”
Leanne Campbell delivers Scouse glam wherever she goes(Image: Danny Burns L1 Photography)
Leanne Campbell, one of the city’s biggest exports in broadcasting and glamour, is the epitome of Scouse glamour. Voluminous blonde hair, defined brows, pearly white teeth and a dazzling wardrobe with the confidence to match. If you search Scouse glamour in the dictionary, you’ll find Leanne.
The much-loved radio presenter says pride in your appearance comes at a young age, instilled into your belief system by the stylish women around you.
Leanne told the ECHO: “I grew up in the Dynasty era; big hair, jewellery, makeup, glitz, glamour, everything. I loved it. All the women in my life had that iconic Dynasty image that you still see today. You were either completely done up or not at all. There was never really a between.
“You were brought up to be proud of your appearance and that started at home. You never left the house looking bad. My mum never let me, anyway. But all the women in my family were like that. That idea of being proud of how you look is instilled in you at an young age and we all know it’s not everything but it follows you for life. That’s why you see us in rollers without a care in the world. We don’t care.
Pete Price with Leanne Campbell(Image: UGC)
“Girls now are in activewear and baggy clothing so the style has definitely changed. I prefer the more classic look but if you could see me now you wouldn’t think so! I love seeing how the style has evolved over the years because you can still see elements from years ago.”
Glamour isn’t eternal and the getting ready ritual can sometimes be a slog. There’s nothing better than existing in your own skin without concerns about your appearance. Regardless, Leanne wants every women to feel their best no matter the time of day or occasion. Her collection with The Buyers Club promises relaxed fashion styled by women, for women.
She added: “I want women to feel empowered and beautiful every day. You don’t always have to be fully done up but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel good going to the shop or dropping the kids off at school. Scouse women want to look good every day and that’s what The Buyers Club aims to do.
Leanne Campbell at Radio City
“I’ll get the notification that someone has ordered an item but needs it for a day later for an event. I’ll get up, grab whatever I need, and deliver it myself in my pyjamas if I need to because that’s the kind of relationship Scouse women have with each other when it comes to appearance. We uplift each other whatever way we can.”
The biggest day in the Scouse fashion calendar arrives in April in the form of the Grand National. Blokes dust off their best three-piece suit and the ladies go all out with the most ornate fascinator they can find to be king and queen of the races and declared most stylish.
Celebrity stylist and fashion consultant Lorraine McCulloch has seen her fair share of dos and don’ts over her incredible tenure in the industry. Lorraine has picked outfits for everyone from Ronaldo to Coleen Rooney and Michelle Keegan, and was the judge to impress at Ladies Day every year.
Celebrity stylist Lorraine McCulloch(Image: LIVERPOOL ECHO)
Lorraine has seen Liverpool’s style evolve over the years and credits the bold, daring looks to the 70s punk era. Lorraine told the ECHO: “The city has always had this rebellious style. The punk scene in Liverpool was huge. There was almost this split faction of style in the city between people who wanted something more casual with those who wanted to push boundaries.
“The big examples were lots of leather, ripped clothing, a little bit dangerous. It’s probably the most one of the most recognizable eras from anywhere in the country.
“That’s where the ‘I don’t care’ attitude comes from because people then didn’t care and it was a part of the scene and culture.”
Punk rock fans in Liverpool, March 1977(Image: Mirrorpix)
The world renowned stylist was always on hand to uplift the women at the Grand National, admitting it was one of the highlights of her year when she was asked to judge.
She added: “It was great. Seeing all of the women in different, colourful looks and styles was always exciting. You never knew what you were going to get. I looked at the tailoring, fit, the style, how it complimented whoever was wearing it and the overall ensemble. You had to be a full package.
“You could see how great and confident everyone felt stepping out at Ladies Day, including the men for that matter. The races have always been a celebration of Scouse style in a way that shows the rest of the country what the city is about.”
Left to right: Rachel Ellis, Lucas Nurney and Katie Morris, who were all crowned winners at the Style Awards on Ladies Day at the 2025 Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse
In a rare occasion, one of the boys stole the spotlight at this year’s Ladies Day style awards. Lucas Nurney impressed the judges in a striking double-breasted dark red suit from ASOS, securing an uncommon win for the lads at an event traditionally dominated by the ladies.
A quick glance around the city centre shows just how strong the demand is for men’s fashion, especially when it comes to affordable luxury. When Liverpool brand Tribal Society has a new in-demand drop, the queues are in their hundreds.
Owner James Morris formed Tribal Society in 2018 and, with 40 years of retail experience under his belt, he was keen to set up a denim business that focused on quality. As various shops and outlets in the Metquarter have come and gone, Tribal Society has been thriving since it opened its doors there in 2021.
Tribal Society during its Black Friday sale(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Tribal Society’s collections include tees, hoodies, merino knitwear and a small range of childrenswear.
James told the ECHO: “Lads care about how they look and want to dress nice. They are proud to look good and you see that in the entire outfit.
“We offer affordable luxury because that’s what people from Liverpool have always wanted. Lads didn’t care about anything trendy years ago, they had their own style. We don’t care about the latest thing. We do our own thing.”