AIBU Peculiar poses on fashion websites

Oh you’re so right! Just like a jumble sale and currently with a gloomy look to everything. If M & S try to produce colours they often come up with horrible fluorescent things too.
BTW Next always used to quote lengths of garments but haven’t done that for ages. I’m not surprised as their sizing is an absolute lottery. I like their clothes but have to order things in two sizes as they’re so inconsistent. They must get so many unnecessary returns!
When you view garments Next usually have a few pics in different poses, but the tucked-in tops are becoming an issue lately.

I, too, think these silly poses are totally unhelpful. I want to see how a garment hangs, how long it is, how the sleeves look, etc. I don’t want to see pictures of the model pulling the jumper or blouse over her knees in a crouched position, or see him/her slouched backwards in an unlikely stance.

I also agree that many sellers no longer give you the length of the item, or offer a variety of lengths - we are not all willowy 6 footers. I think a total reset by some of these companies is required, more so now that online purchasing is becoming the only way to buy as more and more stores close their doors, so we can’t feel the quality of the finish and the fabric, or see the actual shade (can be quite distorted on line).

In general I find it hard to tell how long/fitted the clothes would be IRL. Even if the model isn't slouching you have to bear in mind that she is probably: a) very, very thin, b) very, very tall. Also the clothes may well be pinned together at the back as she is too thin to fill them out.

Berd

Oh you’re so right! Just like a jumble sale and currently with a gloomy look to everything. If M & S try to produce colours they often come up with horrible fluorescent things too.
BTW Next always used to quote lengths of garments but haven’t done that for ages. I’m not surprised as their sizing is an absolute lottery. I like their clothes but have to order things in two sizes as they’re so inconsistent. They must get so many unnecessary returns!
When you view garments Next usually have a few pics in different poses, but the tucked-in tops are becoming an issue lately.

Yes, why is it that M&S are so bad at colours? I've often had to return things because what looked like a lovely red is actually fluorescent geranium, or a blue is hideously agressive royal blue.

Outcast52

It's not just the photos that are hopeless- I find most of the clothes are too. I'm fed up of walking round one of their biggest stores outside London and feeling like I've wandered into a jumble sale. The current seasonal colours are dull and gloomy too. I haven't worn anything from M&S except underwear and jeans for years. Per Una used to offer the occasional nice style but there are fewer and fewer clothes in their range now. I fear that label may be about to disappear.

I don't think our local store has Per Una now.
I used to be able to buy decent trouser or cords from M&S, but now the colours are beige, navy or black (with the occasional awfully bright colour thrown in). The linen is often very thin. I had a lovely pair of Per Una trousers a few years ago which were really thick linen - I'd still be wearing them if I could get into them!

Agree about M&S.

Not them but recently bought a really nice looking sweater on line. When it arrived it had the most weird neckline, simply a bad shape.
I returned it but was still asked to review. It was then that I realised that the model’s pose was hiding the poor neckline. How often does the pic make the garment much better than reality?

Quizzer, I agree about the neckline. I’m miffed at the plethora of names given to shapes, designs, necklines - funnel? on slender necked models, the likes of which are never seen perusing the rails of High Street stores.
and others - this is a timely thread for me as I’m now trying to return items to George at Asda. The quality of some of these see through dresses is laughable, I imagine washing them then they will fit my grandaughter’s dolls

I have been ranting about the way these clothes are pictorially presented, looking again today, these sad efforts Ive received this week bear no relation whatsoever to the glam garment shown online.

TU - teeny tiny pictures which when I click on are not enlarged but have a banner come across assuring me 173 have just been sold/bought in the last five minutes bit ney giess what, this one you really want is SOLD OUT

M&S - squatting models contorted, po faced, and unhappy, no inducement to buy there -
sleeves pushed up so I cannot see cuffs or the disguised
floppy ends of sleeves
the penchant for tucking in one half of a shirt which covers the waistband which I need to see

M&S - need a map and compass to find the fabric content

I’m finding it really frustrating and no wonder those with funds have shopping sprees, buying as much as they can carry all at once.
We have indeed lost so many stores.
Once upon a time shopping was easy.
and enjoyable, achieved whilst wearing stilletoes!

As well as contortionist models, lots have flowing hair, just where you need to see necklines. Ridiculous policy, how to irritate potential customers.

It’s the other big C. ….complain, complain, and complain again to all the stores who are doing this to us.
The one that really really gets my goat is a banner running across the item telling me how many others have purchased it today 😠 like I care!

Models have been super skinny and pouting since the sixties.

The poses change all the time.

French tuck (half tucked in) has been the style for several years.

I doubt that those taking photos or designing the majority of clothes on the High Street are aiming at the over sixties.

Models that wear their down over their shoulders so you can't see what sort of collar it is. Really winds me up.

GrannyGravy13

Models have been super skinny and pouting since the sixties.

The poses change all the time.

French tuck (half tucked in) has been the style for several years.

I doubt that those taking photos or designing the majority of clothes on the High Street are aiming at the over sixties.

That is very true but people didn’t buy online back then, now many of us do so would be good to see clothes on a variety of models of each size rather than just size 8.
And it would be nice to see the models just wearing the clothes normally rather than contorting themselves.

Ditto! 🤣

M&S are the worst for it - contorted models in bizarre poses. Puts me off as I imagine they are hiding something bad about the clothes.

Maybe they think they are being cool and arty. Yiu know breaking all the rules and boundaries. Iconoclastic BS.

Or maybe they are all just bladdered or stoned?

Don't get me started. The ubiquitous French tuck drives me nuts, cannot see how long the garment is and how it sits on the body, and of course it seems too much trouble for the retailer to provide info on length in the description. The best site for visual info IMO is Roman, who do provide different views on models standing normally, and often a video with the model walking which does at least allow you to see how the garment moves.
Another beef with M&S is that often I put something in my basket and pay for it, then get told it's unavailable. Why is it on the website then??? Grrr....

I’ve been meaning to start a thread about this for a while. I couldn’t agree more. Who is going to buy any sort of garment when the model is sitting, or even lying down? I also want to see a back view please. Uniqlo website used to be great giving all measurements for every size but they changed it and it’s awful. Given up with them. When you’re buying on line you really do need as much information as possible to avoid the hassle of returns.

What annoys me most is when something is described as "calf length". Whose calf? Why can't they just give the length (in inches as well as centimeters please).

springishere

What annoys me most is when something is described as "calf length". Whose calf? Why can't they just give the length (in inches as well as centimeters please).

I think possibly they farm out the garments to various factories (or foreign producers) & the measurements vary so the retailers can’t quote a consistent length. It’s infuriating as I have a standard 28” inside leg seam for trousers & ‘to fit inside leg 28”’ can mean anything from 28 to 33! However M & S aren’t too bad for trouser lengths.
I agree re ‘calf length’ too. ‘Knee length’ usually means calf length for me, and ‘midi’ can vary from calf length to trailing on the floor!!!

I think fashion designers want us all to look like the creatures in that laughable advert for Jaguar!

Having read the thread and agreed with everything being said, I decided to take the matter to the top, and so emailed the CEO of M&S, and told him what we're all thinking. I had an email back from one of his minions today, which thanked me for pointing out our thoughts, and said that it had been logged for discussion in the next planning meeting, so it'll be interesting to see if anything changes.

harrigran

I do think M&S have lost the plot regarding the modelling of clothes.
I do not find the website attractive and no longer purchase from them.

Agree. I don’t feel inspired to buy anything.

I think shops like M&S are trying to appear trendy but it is just annoying.

After all the problems M&S have had this year I had a letter telling me that they wouldn't be able to send me the voucher for using my credit card at the moment. Instead they sent me a 20% off voucher to use now. I was able to combine this with my 20% staff discount, thus giving me nearly 40% off. I popped down to M&S to see what I could treat myself to. One nightshirt that wasn't as bad as the others on sale, one bra, and a bottle of their own perfume which is actually really nice. There certainly weren't any clothes I would want to spend money on.

harrigran

I do think M&S have lost the plot regarding the modelling of clothes.
I do not find the website attractive and no longer purchase from them.

I think they have lost the plot with their clothes altogether.

Sorry petite ladies, but I am much taller than my mother as are many of my baby boomer generation, but their classic lines are still sized for the shorter previous generation.

I have simply stopped buying clothes at all.