M&S

They’ve needed new buyers for ages. I walked through our large local one the other day - so many vile colours, horrible cheap-looking patterned fabrics, awful colour combinations on striped or patterned jumpers. Horrible colours everywhere.

I often think their buyers must be colour blind, or have had a taste bypass - or both.

Having said that, not long before Christmas I bought 3 long, cowl necked, plain, non-horrible coloured Cashmilon jumpers, which I’m pleased with. But amid the forest of jumpers there are hardly any long enough to wear with leggings - at least for people like me who won’t wear shorter tops with them. And I don’t even have a massive bottom.

It isn't just M&S, the shops are full of awful dowdy patterned frocks, with odd waistlines, long sleeves and mid length skirts,, designed I think to make us all look awful.

Having said that, M&S top the list of awful clothes these days. Row after row of items no one would want to wear. I don't understand why they don't listen to the groups of women wandering the shops saying to each other 'awful isn't it, nothing to buy'.

Ive bought their cashmere polo necks, they wash well and my two are well into their 2nd winter and will continue. I tried t buy a sweater, pair of jeans and some pants. Failed. The food department seems to be the only success currently.

I have actually bought a few things recently online before they hit the shops. I even bought a mini skirt and I am assured with thick cabled tights it looks pretty good.

My 12, going on 13 or 20 year old DGD, thinks M&S clothes are great. It is one of her favourite shops. To be fair, she is a dancer, tall and slim with long legs and could look good in a bin bag.

But she could wear one of those bunchy dresses and they would look great. Perhaps the problem is that as we get older and our shape changes they no loger flatter us.

Mind you those dresses didn't flatter me when they made their first appearance and I have the photos to prove it

I really like the new denim advert, probably helped by the choice of music.

I suppose that need to try for a younger market and there are plenty who shop there. These customer will get older but their choice of attire will be different to the 50 + ladies of today.

I did buy two every day jumpers the other week and they have both stretched and stretched. The sleeves were too long to start with, and I have long arms.

I really don’t know why it’s so difficult for them to understand that their target market should be women 50+

Older women are in the main those with enough disposable income to spend on well made good quality clothes in classic well cut styles.

I keep my clothes for years and am prepared to spend more for quality which will still look good year after year.

Their cashmere jumpers are the only things which appeal to me these days .

They are good and wash well too.

I used to buy clothes from M & S on a regular basis, but, apart from underwear, haven't bought any ladies clothes for about 10 years. The styles are so old-fashioned, lots of shapeless baggy clothes in cheap material. All those elasticated waisted midi dresses - aimed at 20/30 year olds; no 20/30 year old would dream of wearing M & S dresses. They should stick to well-made classic clothes in quality material - more natural fibres and less polyester! They really need to change their buyers and designers and stop trying to compete with Top Shop, Miss Selfridge, Asos etc to attract younger customers, most of them wouldn't be seen dead in M & S!

Totally agree. Thought the same thing when I passed through last week. Who is going to buy this stuff?

I agree, definitely lost the plot. All their stuff looks drab and old fashioned. There have been threads on GN for years offering good advice as to how to improve their offering to our age group but no-one at MnS HQ seems to read GN. Or else they are not interested in what we have to say.

I went in for a plain white cotton T shirt. Lots of white T shirts but strange silky squeaky fabric. Bring back simplicity.

M&S clothes do seem to have lost the plot

I don't know why they don't just give up and stick to food

NanKate - have you still get the legs for those fashions though I know I certainly haven't!!

I've just seen an MnS TV ad promoting their denim clothes to a group of teenagers dancing around. Why are MnS wasting their advertising budget in this way? There is surely no way most teenagers would be seen dead buying stuff in MnS, is there?

I would love 60s fashions to reappear. Bright colours, geometric shapes, shift dresses,

The occasional decent thing appears, but overall, the style and quality of women's clothing has deteriorated considerably for quite a number of years.

Our M & S still has racks and racks of clothes that didn't sell in the January sales. They're looking tatty and dirty with many of them having fallen on the floor and then trampled on. Looks like a jumble sale! I can't remember seeing so many dresses in such fussy, high necked, long sleeve, rushed waisted styles; they're so old fashioned and unflattering. Who are they meant to appeal to?

Definitely need better buyers!

Maybe you wore one first time round! I’m sure I did.

I am not going to wear a bunchy dress with a belted waist!

Yes, I know what you mean all thosde bunchy dresses with belted waists. I saw them last weekend when I walked through my local M&S.

Then I looked in the Sunday colour supplements and all the models were wearing these bunchy dresses with belted waists and I realised that as ever, where fashion is concerned, what goes around comes around. These dresses are the latest fashion.

Their outlet store in my town is awful! Full of junk no-one wants!