Marks and Spencer....back in the day

OldFrill

Grandma70s

When I was young (and I’m older than many of you) M&S was considered rather downmarket, like Woolworth’s. It didn’t stop people buying their underwear there, and often other clothes too., if they were fairly neutral and not obviously M&S.

My mother only ever bought plain items from M&S as she said the patterned clothes were identifiable as being from M&S and identified you shopped there. She also turned their carrier bags inside out as she said they didn't pay her to advertise for them. She was a seamstress by trade, could run up a bespoke ball gown from a pair of curtains and tailored any bought clothing into unique pieces that fitted her perfectly.

Oh my word Old Frill, I do recall my mother shushing me in one shop and telling me not to mention we were going to try elsewhere. It was considered bad manners! The horror of turning up somewhere in the same shop bought outfit as somebody else.

The little ritual of asking for something and somebody bringing you a range of what they had available. Going away and "thinking about it"

How I miss that time in my life.

Yes lafergar I remember my older sisters buying and wearing dresses that were very popular and seeing at least one other woman wearing the same. But individual styling always wins out!
At junior school my friends and I would often pester Mum for the same dress from M&S, we loved it 🥰

Used to go to the Marks stores and there were endless number of clothes I wanted to buy. They were always well made and simple yet elegant. Now I go to M&S and cannot find one thing that I would wish to wear. M&S abandoned the simple, elegant good quality , basic wardrobe clothes and instead offer extra “fashionable” stuff that few would wish to wear. And they wonder why their fashion does not sell. Seems they could ask any of us for advice.

Grandma70s

When I was young (and I’m older than many of you) M&S was considered rather downmarket, like Woolworth’s. It didn’t stop people buying their underwear there, and often other clothes too., if they were fairly neutral and not obviously M&S.

I remember it being thought of as downmarket too. My Grandmother used to say their stuff was 'beer at champagne prices'. Not that she was a snob or anything.

I worked for marks and Spencer as a management trainee in 1974. They were a wonderful company to work for nd treated their staff very well. I too wish I had kept many of the clothes I had from that era. I still have one dress that is really vintage no and I still wear it at 68. Thanks for the chance to reminisce

I remember buying my jumpers there. They weren’t hung up as they are now, but displayed folded on counters like Woolies had.