What is up with M & S?

Saw the advert last night - crikey! If only I needed 'control knickers' that size!

green I must say that I liked all the dress's shown in the advert but will they have them in stock when I go to the store is another story.

Can't agree that Per Una have better colours than rest of M and S, I'm afraid. For me, they are gennerally much too garish. Only Autograph seem to have the idea that subtle and understated is more stylish than throwing everything but the kitchen sink at an outfit.

Have now seen both ads. As a feminist (who also loves clothes) I just find them both so depressing in their assumptions about what women want. Could have been made made decades ago - or are they 'ironic'? (Doubt it).

And I didn't like most of the clothes - the pink dress the girl in the 'Date' one ends up in is downright tacky, IMO, despite the stylists' best efforts.

I looked at the ads on the website and agree townie. I don't think they are ironic. Only dinosaur man has a sense of humour. There is a whole industry out there trying to convince thin girls they need control knickers if they to get a second date. BIG SIGH EMOTICON

It is indeed sad - particularly when you think that we were the generation that liberated ourselves fromt the dreadful 'girdles', corsets, etc our mothers' generation used to wear.

All I wanted was a pair of straight leg dressy (i.e. NOT shiny polyester) black trousers with a small or no waist band. Tried 2 big M & S stores and eventually tracked down half a rail of exactly what I wanted but only in sizes 8 to 14 and 20 to 24. Obviously this style must be very popular with the 16/18 group so why were there not more pairs. There were racks and racks of huge variety of hipster jeans, leggings, jeggings, etc. but hardly any younger people shopping. I expect that trendy young things will not go looking for trousers in M& S - indeed would not be seen dead in there - so why are they so geared to that demographic?

I know I could have ordered on-line but I wanted the trousers for my few days away. Walked into local M & Co. and saw the exact trousers, short leg size 18, much cheaper, staring me in the face. I am wearing them now and think I will go back and buy a second pair to keep for 'good'.

Oh I love leggings. So comfortable. With a tunic to cover the tops of my thighs. Would like to find some mid-calf ones. In other colours than black.
Not sure who their demographic is...
But yes Granny23 sounds like a standard classic - others like you got there first.

My Mum worked for M & S in the 1960's when their proud boast was that about 95% of their goods What were British made. However, even their Autograph make-up is made in China. And although the prices are low, so is the overall quality. Bought a lovely pair of light linen trousers in July, fitted beautifully, couldn't believe my luck. One wash later, they're down round my ankles unless I use the tie belt supplied! Whatever happened to all their green credentials? What a lot of us want is a) good quality b) stylish without being too edgy c) at a price we can afford, but we don't expect rock bottom prices. Hang on, their new advertisement has just come on television - where do they hide these clothes?
I have managed to buy comfortable yet pretty nightwear from David Neiper, though it might be a little "prissy" for some of you gals out there! Was glad I had one of their little numbers with me when on holiday recently - one of the cleaning ladies liked to arrange it in pretty patterns on the bed!

I just go there for bras too. I asked what had happened to their petite range and was told they are substituting a lot of it for larger sizes. Like you can't get larger sizes everywhere else!! It used to be the only place where I could find nicely fitted trousers in the right length, so it's back to the sewing machine for me. I used to be prepared to pay for their cashmere but no more, the colours are dismal.

M&S trouser lengths went haywire last year. Medium length were always just right for me but suddenly they were far too long. Short was still too short. However, medium navy ones I bought recently are again the right length. I really dont think my legs have changed length!

While I like the dresse's shown in the ad when lady meeting man for dinner specially the beige block dress HALF shown in the wardrobe where are the nice cut jean's that they used to do,you know the one's you could dress up or down depending on the occassion,how can I fit into hipster type cut jean's? not very well I can tell you,a few year's ago they did a classic cut trouser with just a bit of elastic at the side's which helped when you tended to put on a 1lb or two during the month but these have all disappeared.

Don't get me started on M&S, their t-shirts are rubbish, one wash and they grow in size - widthways, I asked an assistant if they had any t-shirts that weren't £7.99 as I would like to buy something with a little more quality, she looked at me as if I was mad. All their fitted trousers, whether you are a size 6 or a 18 are made like jodphurs, with huge bulges on the hips. I brought two pairs of linen trousers, one black, one white, identical style, same price, upon washing them (only once,I may add) one pair is lovely and has retained its look, the other pair looks like a dish cloth and the leg is at least 1" wider than the other pair. I have checked the label, both were made in the same country. Do their cashmere sweaters only come in plain colours & styles, no choice, either round neck, roll neck or V neck - same length, nothing different and what's with this hankerchief bottom on everything from dresses to sweaters, haven't we now seen this for the laqst 3 years??? As you can possibly gather, I do not shop there anymore - thank you for listening if you have reached the end of this blog without dropping off to sleep!!!

hi there
Every woman is entitled to at least one good M and S rant!

I had my rant on here a month ago and vowed to boycott M&S forever, very po-faced looking back on it! I now have to eat humble pie and admit I have just bought a very pretty skirt, black with orange flowers, and a great top-black with a cut out flower detail round the neck. I guess even M&S can only please some of the people some of the time.

Looks like M & S is about to have another big update, with new style Delis ( if you are a foodie ) and clothes being grouped into more sections for style etc as Per Una is now.

I read this in the Press so it must be true! So will wait with eager anticipation as I have always been an M & S shopper and can agree with so many of your comments. I hope Marks and Spencer staff are also reading them.....

I would like to see more M&S staff on the floor ready to help.

M&S staff available to help? Oh, come on, GG, be reasonable!!
That's like saying their prices and sizes should be clearly shown, clothes on display should be available in that store and that staff should know where to find them. There are limits, you know!

Yeah, men in particular don't need any help buying clothes do they...
Another reason why I go to Gap where they genuinely try to be helpful in the changing rooms - e.g. run and get another size for you.
Just to digress, and to put off getting on with some work, I once, in a moment of madness, tried on a karen millen dress. The sizing was about 2 sizes out (their 14 is more like a 10 etc). Got the darn thing half on and then couldn't get out again. Alone in changing room, worried about tearing expensive dress, arms wedged above head, thought there should be a new word in the language for that particular brand of panic!

Popped into M & S in Truro as the car park led into it and though I would look for a winter hat and scarf - are they all made out of carpet remnants this year - they were so rough and hard!

I was in M&S this morning, likewise John Lewis and in both I was completely disoriented as they have re-arranged all their sections. JL has even moved some sections up two floors and relocated the ladies' loos. If only they would supply a map because there are never enough staff around to show you the way.

OK Twobabes, I get your point, i must have had a blow to the head!

Suspected as much!

I missed M&S when I first came to Germany and used to fíll a suitcase with children's clothes when visiting Sheffield. I still buy on line sometimes but the quality is disappointing and some items are badly sewn. I complained about a jacket, one side was longer than the other. They removed it from their online pages but refused to refund my postage ( from abroad)

There is no danger here that anyone will apologise for you having to wait at the checkout, nor at a bank. If you have to wait then you wait.

On the otherhand when we have vistors from the UK they now go home with lots of clothes bought in Germany. We still have C&A which is fashionable in the cities and dowdy in the country areas amd quite few reasonable lables selling clothes for the mature wowan.

I was in my local M&S yesterday and they were telling me of new plans/updates etc., etc., - I have to say the staff in my local store are lovely and very helpful. However they do not stock Autograph and I love this range so buy from the internet and am not usually disappointed...............

virginiaplain, I've been in our local, quite large, M&S today and they had a variety of cashmere sweaters and tunics in multi coloured stripes. Don't know if they would have them in the smaller stores or on-line.