A Manchester mum has rocketed to viral success after sharing her 'liberating' way of doing the weekly shop. Elizabeth Shankland has taken to the supermarkets wearing some of her most glamorous outfits, from brands such as Sister Jane and Missoni, and through sharing her videos on social media, she has now racked up thousands of views.
The 46-year-old decided to start donning her fanciest outfits to Aldi after realising she had been putting off wearing some of her favourite outfits by waiting for special occasions. She shared a video of her supermarket outing on social media, and it has gone on to gain more than 14,500 views and hundreds of comments.
Lizzie told creatorzine.com: 'It's strangely really liberating, and actually just a lot of fun. Why are we saving our best clothes for a life that doesn't actually happen that often? Why not wear them to the everyday places – the supermarket, the school run, grabbing a coffee? So I put the dress on and went to Aldi, and that was it.'
From Teacher to Stylist
The part-time teacher, who also works as a stylist and runs dress rental business The Didsbury Wardrobe, said the idea came to her after hearing other women say for years that they had nowhere to wear their favourite outfits. She said: 'I've got a wardrobe full of incredible pieces, and most of the time, nowhere particularly special to go.'
'Recently, I bought this amazing pink dress from Sister Jane at one of my pre-loved pop-ups, and one of the girls said to me, It's gorgeous Lizzie… but when on earth are you going to wear it? I laughed and said, I might just wear it to Aldi. She dared me, and two days later I thought, why not?'
Outfits That Turn Heads Online
Among the outfits she has worn to the supermarket is a pink Sister Jane dress, which she bought for £40, and a floor-length vintage Missoni gown, estimated to be worth around £1,000. She said: 'The Missoni dress felt very extreme in comparison. I think that's partly why I chose to wear that one to Marks & Spencer, it just felt a little bit more appropriate and slightly more classy than Aldi.'
By sharing her supermarket outfits online, Lizzie said she is reminding people that they do not need a major event to enjoy wearing the clothes they love. It also appears that the idea has won over fans online, as one person commented: 'omg why not! Love this. Think of Carrie in sex and the city, go for it!!!'
A second impressed viewer wrote: 'I LOVE this sentiment.' While a third wrote: 'Why not look fabulous every day as you do in that dress.'
Shoppers Don't Bat an Eyelid
But despite her videos gaining attention online, Lizzie says supermarket shoppers appear to not notice her glamorous choice of dress. She said: 'Weirdly, when I've been walking around places like Aldi and Marks & Spencer, nobody really seems to bat an eyelid, which honestly makes me giggle every time.'
'So many people who follow me on Instagram have messaged me, and the response has been really, really positive. I've had loads of yes, wear the dress energy. And the best part is that it seems to have encouraged a few people to be a bit more daring, a bit more bonkers, and just get dressed up for the everyday – even the most boring life moments.'
Daughter's Reaction
However Lizzie did confess that her daughter, Nylah, finds the concept 'pretty mortifying'. However, the mum said her daughter's dismay 'probably makes me want to do it even more'.
Lizzie said she has no plans to stop wearing her extravagant outfits to the supermarket and hopes other women will also follow in her footsteps. She said: 'I would absolutely encourage other women to do this. My advice would be, don't get in your head about it. Have a laugh with it, maybe even do it with a friend the first time so it feels less daunting. And most importantly, just wear the dress.'
