A Gransnet design brief for M & S

Thank you for all this - my plan was to draw it all together and to make a well publicised direct approach to M & S- perhaps HQ could help. Keep it coming and something from the men to please.

I agree with a lot of the comments but as I am 5' 2" calf length is too long and makes me look dowdy, the lengths are either too long or far too short for someone of my age. Why does M&S not make their ranges in a choice of sizes? I liked a maxi dress in store but the length would have fitted someone who was at least 5' 8"! The sizes are awful. I have bought the same model of trousers in a different colour and one fitted and one was far too tight and long; when I queried this with a salesperson, I was told 'they do vary in size'! Maybe if the clothes were not mainly produced abroad they might fit British women. I have wasted vouchers from M&S because I have not been able to find anything I liked, and that is after trawling through the store.

I always used to be able to find something in M &S, especially their per una items but they do seem to have lost their way. For summer I would like them to stock a range of tops and t shirts without gaping necks and with short sleeves as opposed to cap sleeves. I am ok with some of the bright (not neon!) colours and prints but they do need softer colours too to give everyone a choice. Also would like them to stock cargo trousers, lovely and light in warm weather. I don't like linen, find it itchy and creasey but they should stock those too as lots of other people like them, see above!

I've posted about your thread on site stuff Teetime.

DH seems to have much more luck than I do at M&S.

I would also say that 40 is too low a demographic to go for. DD1 and her friends shop at Boden etc and wouldn't be seen dead in a shop they perceive as being for their mothers, ie me!

And, I though the grey pound was where it was at. I've just realised that's where the problem lies - they look out of their lofty windows and don't see archetypal grey haired people around and think we are all young and trendy! It's our fault!!

Do you know what really annoys me, it's that they ask you to pay M&S prices for Primark quality goods. Now I'm not getting at Primark, but they know their customers and provide reasonably priced clothes. Marks seem to want you to pay top dollar for very cheap items. I wouldn't mind quite so much if they were British goods but most of them come from China! I remember the dresses my mum bought me for summer holidays, always from Marks, lovely quality, not now. And the staff, not happy at all, unhelpful sometimes, and I always think that it trickles down from management. If the managers are miserable and mean-spirited it just makes it unpleasant to work there. Just my opinion!

Shestheone ...... stood too close to the fire Totally with you there!

Floaty stuff is lovely on models but not so hot on the rest of us. We just need quality, modesty and thoughtful design.

Hmm, being weird again obviously, but there are loads of things I like in M&S, it's just justifying paying the prices that's stopping me from buying at the moment.

I always think if I go into M and S and don't buy something they have lost an opportunity. I love the longer length T shirts with three quarter sleeves they sold last summer (£12) but this summer they are shorter, poor quality horrid colours and £18!
I buy Sloggi pants but would buy them from M and S is they sold really good quality similar pants.
Last year I bought jeans this year exactly the same jeans in all respects do not fit as well??
I agree quality and fit are vital.

I would like their food offers to actually work at the till I am fed up with constant trips to customer service counter to claim my refund. Please check your recipts ladies!

I do so agree with you Maggieanne - we used to be able to rely on M&S for good quality basics, but everything I have bought recently has been shoddy despite the high prices, and some articles didn't survive even a couple of hand washes.
I'm afraid that these days I tend to head for Matalan, who seem to be filling the M&S gap very nicely, with stylish, wearable clothes at a budget price. I'm quite impressed with 'Primani' too - a lot of their stuff is glittery tat to please the wee totties, but they also have some good wardrobe staples at give-away prices.

I agree with all of your comments and would like to add that I find it nigh on impossible to buy a decent blouse in M&S. They all have breast pockets which for me a larger busted lady emphasises the bits I don't want or need emphasising. It's a very long time since I found anything I wanted to buy in M£S but I keep looking. Quality is not one of their strong points anymore. Did I see Crimpelene making a come back last season?

I had vouchers for Christmas and spent ages trawling through 2 large M&S shops (Birmingham and Merry -Hell- Hill, one of those huge out of town places) to no avail. In the end I opted for stretchy trousers, hoping they'll still fit after a wash or two .

I agree with all of the posts above. I used to love their t shirts, scoop neck and short (not cap) sleeves, longer line, hip length.

I do hope these posts somehow find a way to M&S's buying dept.

Now why didn't that Strikethrough??

I would like nice plain linen Summer dresses with short sleeves and skimming fit. Also a loose cotton shirt waister type dress that could be worn loose over a t-shirt and trousers for the evening or buttoned up with a loose belt to wear in the daytime for holidays.

I've looked and looked for plain linen dresses with sleeves but cannot find any that aren't too fitted.

Agree with all of the above.
And why do they sell winter jumpers and COATS with three quarter length sleeves? I hate three quarter length even in summer but in winter it seems just stupid.
I want:
V neck t shirts with proper short sleeves and a longer length
plain cardigans without pockets in a longer length
all round better quality

It often seems to me that M&S (and indeed some other stores) sell things that look good on the mannequins they have dotted around the store, so the store looks pretty. If I looked anything like them, i.e. my legs were 50% longer, I could wear 5" heels, had a 20" waist and was about 5'10" tall, then maybe I'd be able to find something to wear in M&S.

I think this picture of Dame Joan Bakewell (83) in today's Times shows why you just can't walk into a shop, especially one like M&S whose ethos is that it is middle of the road, and expect to come out looking good.
It's more about personal style than the clothes themselves.
Good luck with popping to the shops in those shoes, Dame Joan

Tops and dresses with short sleeves for summer please, so we are not railroaded into buying a shrug we dont really want.

I often look at their shoes and wish they would make them in size ten - so many ladies with large feet these days, I feel they are missing a trick.

No idea why the pic is sideways on

I thought that too Jane!

For work I wear black trousers and tops with a smartish jacket which is long enough to cover lumpy bits (ie thigh length) but for the last ten years or so it's been very difficult to find jackets that are not "cropped" - actually it's quite difficult to find everywhere, not just M&S. Ideally I like unfastened jackets in nice subtle colours which go with black.

I can't be the only M&S customer who needs to disguise her lumpy bits but still look presentable. I only want to be fashionable to the extent of not being conspicuously unfashionable. It is far more important to me that clothes are comfortable, easy to maintain, good quality, value for money and if at all possible - flattering. I need all the help I can get.

I can never find anything I want either. I was given a £100 voucher when I joined Sky. It has taken over 6 months to spend it and then half was used in the Food Hall at Xmas. hugs

It seems to me M & S have lost their spark and found a silly "Sparks" card in it's place. Now what's that all about! As with a previous comment made it gives us silly offers that expire in 5 days in which time we've barely opened the e-mail let alone put our coat on and gone shopping. Do they really think we are oblivious of this desperate attempt at self promotion with little in it for ourselves. It wasn't a bright "spark" that came up with that idea.

What happens with the points on a Sparks Card - does anyone know? Or are they linked into your offer?

I am intermittently a big fan of M&S, but at the moment nothing grabs. Too trendy or too frumpy.

My big whinge is classic smart black trousers. About 12/13 years ago I bought 2 pairs - different sorts - that were wool mix, elegant, well cut, reasonably priced, washed and didn't need ironing. I have worn them incessantly. Recently I tried on 6 pairs of black trousers - they were rubbish fabric and lousy cut/fit. I still have one of the old pairs but it is beginning to look a bit worn. Maybe they aren't doing them anymore because they were so good and didn't need replacing very often!

Other big whinge is swimmies. Again about 12 years ago I had M&S swimmies. one layer of fabric, underwired, DD cup, no padding or tummy control. They were so comfortable, looked as good as a swimmy will on me and lasted! When the time came to replace them I ordered on line two of the new range. My daughter and I fell about laughing when we unpacked them. they were garish in colour and the preformed DD cups looked like those silver cloches that cover up roast turkey. Needless to say they went back. I am for the most part in a swimmy during the summer, I don't want padded cups or tummy control (even in the sun the under layer gets uncomfortably cold as it doesn't dry quickly). My swimmies don't last because of being in a lightly chlorinated pool several times a day so I am always on the search. At the moment BHS bagain swimmies fit the bill and are really cheap, so must stock up in case they change.

I like their knickers, but the bra fit seems to change. 10 years ago it was fine, but now they are no good.

Longer T shirt length. and skirts that are panelled, calf length or longer for summer and winter. These are so much more elegant on older ladies.