Marks and spencer

Woolovers for lovely warm merino wool cardigans and jumpers. White Stuff for lovely patterned and plain cotton jersey long sleeved shirts- soo comfortable and stylish too. But their knitwear balls badly- it even says so on the care label " I am prone to piling"!

That’s so strange. My husband and I ordered arch support slippers from M&S yesterday as we find them so good. However, wanted to get something else so we wouldn’t have to pay the delivery. Had to spend £50 for a free one. Absolutely nothing...for either of us. All the tops looked very tatty. Probably not helped by the emaciated models showing them! We just paid the £3.50 delivery!

I still buy a lot in M&S, including all my undies. I find their trousers and jeans good. I mostly buy their super skinny coloured jeans which are one of the rare trouser styles which don't have the jodphur effect on my skinny legs.
I don't often buy their dresses but not sure of what Sallywally says of their new range. It's always an issue for me that the waists on dresses are too low and M&S is no different. Most of their dresses are quite long with long sleeves. The minis are knee length on an average height person of 5ft 3" or 4".
I thought M&S quite often has larger sizes - in store, especially in sales, they often have sizes 6/8/10 and then 20/22/24 with nothing for us average women.

Those voluminous, frumpy dresses are bang on trend at the moment. My DDs and their friends are floating round looking for all the world as if they’ve joined the Amish. I’m usually the grateful recipient of their cast-offs at the end of the season, but I’m not sure these will be terribly flattering to the older woman.

M & S launched a Best of British range a few years ago. All made in the UK. Not cheap, but lovely quality and classic design. I’m guessing it didn’t catch on. What put me off more than the price was the fact that everything I looked at was dry clean only. I suppose that’s the downside of some quality fabrics.

I hadn't been in M&S since January. Like most people, I've been finding that I have more than enough clothes and am cutting down.

However, I was tempted in by a 15% off voucher. I always buy my trousers there as I need the long fitting. What struck me, not having been in the store for a while, was the complete lack of organisation and signage. The odd rack of trousers here and there. Per Una seems to have been reduced to one small display. I wandered around aimlessly. Whenever I found a style I liked it wasn't available in my size.

I left empty-handed.

M&S have been rubbish for years - so what's new? Not much that I can think of. They used to be good for underwear and thermals but not now.

Problem with clothes made in Britain Alishka is that if they are not made under poor conditions, as has been the case in some Leicester factories, they are much more expensive than clothing made in Bangladesh for example.

Most clothing is now made abroad because firms are competing for customers on price. You could say we get what we deserve.

Realistically if clothes are better quality they are going to be more expensive if paying fair wages and conditions, and if they are cheap, someone along the chain is paying......

Their food is good, though!

TwiceAsNice. Grumpy dresses, I’m not at all surprised, I would be too!. Some very frumpy dresses too!.

Why buy at M&S when you’ve got shops like..

White Stuff,
Next,
Phase Eight.
Crew.
John Lewis.
Jäger
Mint Velvet.
White Stuff.
Hobbs.
Boden.

They all do on line sales.

Grandma70. Agree, probably the best, never disappointed.

What is with the M&S constant 'old lady' patterned clothing? I know I am an old lady, but I don't want to dress like one! Patterns that look lovely on the young models they put them on just make me look like my granny.

They need some sharp, plain colours. Flattering cuts for the figures that women of a certain age have, and a choice of lengths.

I don't mind an above the knee winter dress because I wear them with opaque tights and flat shoes (to avoid the ageing slapper look), but for warm weather clothing, I like below the knee. It shouldn't be hard to offer a range of lengths. Same dress, 3 lengths (bit like trousers).

I would happily spend a few hundred a year if I could find stuff in M&S that I liked, but instead I have had to outsource to Next or H&M, and lets face it, I am not exactly their target market!

I've recently discovered Sea Salt.
I love their stuff.

GagaJo
'The aging slapper look'

Yes. On me it'd be fat ageing slapper with over dyed hair (didn't time it right). NOT a good look.

Oh I know all about that.
The fat and the hair.
It's either far too dark or far too faded

I think we must be doppelgangers FC. Fortunately, I am not vain so don't care, other than in relation to looking respectable at work.

I went into the M&S store nearest to me last week and it was grim. Still racks and racks of sales stuff from the summer season range and it looked dire. It's sad to see a once thriving and successful store slowly die of neglect and poor management.

I used to love buying new, round neck, long sleeve tshirts every year for layering. I've just looked and the colour choice is abysmal. Gone, it seems, are the days of lots of colours with lots of different necklines.

Anyone know where I might find those?

I haven't been in a store since January but have looked online.
Since they stopped doing the bras I've worn for ages, something I ordered was a totally different texture to what I thought (thick jersey cotton, not fine lawn) I've given in.

This thread is very amusing though.
Keep 'em coming.

Their tights are good though. I've just bought a 3 pack of 40 denier opaque coloured tights and I had 20% off the price twice as Sparks had sent me 2 price cuts. I have some vivid blues and greens from last year which are still going strong and look good with knee length denim skirt in winter.

I wish they would do a denim skirt knee length. I had a quick look and they all seem to be mid calf.

They do some nice corduroy skirts but all designed for young girls with perfect legs, that are about 6 inches above the knees!

Personally I think that “fashion” and certainly fast fashion has had its day, in view of Climate Change, and sustainability is becoming more important for many.

For me I like to know how ethical a clothing company is, but it can be tricky to find out. The most ethical and sustainable seem to be outdoor clothing companies such as Patagonia or Finisterre. I shall be in trekking gear from now on

Kittylester - Kettlebell?
They are excellent for choice of colours but I don’t like their fabrics but you may feel differently.
I’m another convert to Seasalt - much as I have lived in Joules for the last 3 summers, I am getting very tired of their stripes. Nice knitwear though.

Stupid autocorrect - Kettlewell !

Nightsky2

M&S have been criticised for failing to appeal to their core customers by which I suppose is meant the older age group Look at their sale rails or visit one of their outlets and the problem is obvious. Garish often over-embellished clothes which I doubt few would find attractive: do we really want glitter on a tee-shirt? You really have to wonder who designs these monstrosities.

The latest news is that M&S are now going to sell clothes from outside manufacturers, the first already on offer with others to follow,. They have obviously at last given up on finding anyone to design their own ranges, despite a succession of "experts" over the years.

kittylester, I much prefer Cotton Traders tops to M&S. The fabric, fir and colour variety are far better. I can't see any long sleeved tops in the most recent catalogue through my letter box though there are plenty of 3/4 sleeves. You might find more on line.