AIBU Peculiar poses on fashion websites

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

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!

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?

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!

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.

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.

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).

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.

Hotter are ok as is Woolovers and Cotswold Collection. Friendly smiling models.

I like the clothing in M&S but the unattractive unsmiling models they choose could easily put you off. Seasalt are going the same way. Ugly models, no smiles, unappealing. Who do they think they ARE appealing to I wonder?

And yes, my pet moan is about models tucking in jumpers. How can you see how long they are in relation to an actual person? Don’t get me started about bending in one direction or the other, pulling the sleeves etc to make the clothes look longer/shorter/more shapely. How about treating customers properly?

Last time I went in M&S I had to self checkout my clothes purchases as there were no manned checkouts while the only assistant watched someone pick up some clothes and walk out of the shop. As she said, what could she do? I haven’t been back since. Shops should invest in staff and security to improve customer service.

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Roman Originals are very good.
Check the 'Sales' pages on their website, too.
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I also immediately thought of M&S! 😂 The way the models pose is ridiculous at times as you can’t see the garment properly. I was looking for trousers on their website and came across a model leaning back on a chair with her legs wide open. Looked awful and degrading. I do think M&S quality has gone down whilst their prices have gone up. I particularly noticed it when I bought a 3 pack set of full briefs in cotton. The cotton material was very thin and for the first time in many, many years, the briefs crept up!! On a positive note about M&S - they do show the model’s height and the size of the clothes she’s wearing on their website.

That's exactly my thoughts, M&S being the worst culprits. I have to order on line and those type of adds get bypassed without a second glance. They sure don't do themselves any favours.

I a, obviously out of step with most in this thread regarding M & S clothes.

I have purchased lots from the last couple of weeks, cannot fault their jeans, good choice of lengths and styles, good selection of in between season lightweight sweaters, some short sleeved.

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.

Alison333

It was actually the M & S website that tipped me over the edge. Bonkers poses make it impossible to actually see the clothes properly!

M&S are the worst for weird posing of models.The models themselves are now so painfully thin and flat chested that the clothes themselves look unattractive.They did use size 12 models for a while once upon a time but then went back to a size 6 or 8.I mean, just why? Their target market is 40+🤷🏼‍♀️

Yes, M&S is at it - you can’t get a proper idea of the clothes. I especially dislike tucked-in tops, so you can’t see how long they are. As for the sulky or grumpy looking models…🤨

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.

It was actually the M & S website that tipped me over the edge. Bonkers poses make it impossible to actually see the clothes properly!

Its definitely got worse, puts me off buying anything. It would also be helpful if retailers stopped giving colours fanciful names. They know that colours don’t come up true on screen so why don’t they give us better descriptions. It would probably reduce the number of returns that they complain about.

I think this has always been a problem. i can remember making the same kind of complaints back in the 1960-1970s

I immediately thought of M&S when I saw this thread. Their photos are terrible.

I used to buy a lot from M&S but tend to buy from LandsEnd now and CottonTraders.