Here we go again - M&S woes

Be not afraid, rq, once you work out the way Ryanair works you will be fine. Just make sure you print off your boarding pass before you go and that your name corresponds exactly with that on your passport (don't forget it!). There is usually a dash for seats. We just let 'em go and take our time. On-board refreshments are a waste of money unless you're really desperate. Airport security is a necessary pain, I think as I stand there shoes and belt in hand being frisked and fried with rays, but better safe than sorry. Good luck!

Hope you didn't take the crocodile home on the bus, Jane10!

I've given up buying M&S bras and found a brand that fits me on the Figleaves web site - far from granny-ish but very comfortable. The trouble with M&S is that you can never get the same style twice. Sainsbury's knickers are good value.

I`ve just been to 2 M&S branches in search of new versions of my old faithful bras. No luck! I think I must be some sort of mutant- my size just isn't anywhere in their various ranges. Masses of padded numbers and odd frilly things but of good old 40D in a straightforward bra no sign. SIGH
Also went to Boots for moisturiser and they didn't have it, waited ages in a phone shop then left after half an hour of not being served.
Only good thing about today`s "shopping" is that it didn't cost anything (apart from an impulse bought crocodile for DGS- was offered a gift receipt but I told her with a piercing look that it was for me. You have to get your laughs where you can!)

Help! I am flying with Ryanair soon, for the very first time, and was very apprehensive. However, there was no alternative from our local airport (apart from more than doubling the shortish journey and having two stopovers!).

the Lidl of the skies. Well, I do use Lidl as well as Waitrose, Tesco et al!

But we are short of time aren't we on Gransnet? So why do we have to sort through the dross for nuggets? My moan over M&S is about a delivery of flowers. Last month and this month I have been sent a n M&S bouquet of roses and freesias. I usually buy a bunch of their roses on their own and on both occasions when I had bought from the shop a couple of days prior to the delivery the shop bought roses out lasted and are indeed outlasting the delivered ones. In fact the freesias have opened but the roses have rotted in the bud. The roses I bought in the shop are still looking good .

Congratulations on your 'downsizing', Mamie. I'm as confused as you are about M&S, though their elbow-length sleeve Tee-shirts have been my standby for the past two summers. You could try Next for better design. Even in M&S you might find some nuggets among the dross. My Lidl tee-shirts (yellow, turquoise and bright pink) were good for my caravan holiday.

Actually Lidl t-shirts are quite good quality. The colours are a bit vibrant though.
I agree that in the broader sense M and S woes are not that important, but I do think it is sad to see a store that was always known for good quality at a reasonable price go so badly wrong. I simply don't understand why they don't respond to Gransnet or Mumsnet in any meaningful way. I don't understand why they keep bringing in designers to do a re-vamp of the top of the range and pay no attention to the rest. I don't understand why their shops are such a cramped, confusing mess. I don't understand why the patterns and colours are so consistently unflattering.
I tend to have limited time in the UK to buy clothes and I would love to be able to get stuff in M and S, but I normally end up elsewhere. I am over in the UK later this week, down from a size 16 to a 12 and with a bit of money to spend.
Where shall I spend it?

Black is all very well for those who can wear black but have some sympathy for those like me who look like a corpse attending their own funeral in black. It is a colour I do not wear other than as trousers/leggings or shoes.

I have been complaining about M&S for about 50 years. I have,very occasionally bought clothes there, more this autumn than for a long time, but there have been decades when there was not a single M&S garment in my wardrobe.

I feel the same about Ryanair, I have never flown it, actively avoid flying it but can accept that an extreme concatenation of events could arise where I did so.

The woes over M&S are rather like the woes many ex-pats mention about Ryanair, yet they continue to use it. It flies passengers all around Europe for remarkably inexpensive prices (if prepared to do some homework), from a variety of airports around France, which facilitates easy travelling. Baggage is kept to a minimum unless you pay for extra - just like any other airline in the world.

It's easy, convenient and gets me to where I want to go with the minimum of fuss.

One could say it is the Lidl of the skies.

I have, after living within its orbit (60 miles away) for eight years, located my 'local' M&S. I went in even! It's a nice shop and has a nice cafe and I liked quite a lot of what was for sale. There was plenty of choice.

Woes?

Shrug.

When you live in a village that has a basic shop and nothing else M&S "woes" just don't register on any scale of importance. Yes, I live off the beaten track by choice. It puts things into perspective, I find.

I occasionally visit M and S for the food, but can't be bothered to look at the clothes( and I love clothes!) as I know they are going to be poor quality and lack style. I used to buy the odd item from autograph but they are now usually shoddily made and over priced. I did see some silk underwear I quite liked, but the only bra they had was in 32A with matching knickers size 18. It's not worth the effort sorting through the racks.

Sad, but not surprised....
Can't you sleep either?

Icyalittle I emailed a complaint yesterday about late delivery of my goods and added that it might be an idea if they looked on GN to see what people say about them and the poor quality of their clothes. I haven't had a reply yet . . .

Another one here who despairs of M&S (apart from food and bedding). Who are their buyers, to get it so, so wrong? I do hope someone there will have this thread pointed out to them. GNHQ, are you up for it?

There are some horribly ugly colours about. I don't ask for sweetie pastels either, just colours that it is a pleasure to look at instead on ones that look as though someone has produced something mouldy from a rancid food bucket.

So many shops seem to pick a colour for the season, and that's all you can buy. I found a couple of nice tops in Sainsbury's but they were basically navy. There is no navy in my wardrobe and I'm not going to introduce another colour just so I can buy a new top. If I was looking in M&S I would have the same problem, but the colour would probably be vile pink!

Im ok with black as I've never graduated from my black goth stage in the 90s. Black goes with anything it doesn't show dirt apart from white cat hairs, black means you can get away with a black bag and black shoes as I do and don't have to match colours. no probs.

I went into my nearest town last week and thought it was in mourning. Every shop window and interior was draped in black - then I realised it was the clothes. Nothing but black, black and more black with the occasional dark grey or black and white garment for variety.

Oddly enough the exception to the rule was M&S and they had a lot of warm autumnal colours as did my local Sainsbury's when I visited it.

Mind you as soon as I went up stairs in M&S where the clothes for older women hide, they were black, black and more black as well. Are we expected to act all southern European and wear nothing but black once we are 40?

Next don't produce 'soft porn' ads or have celebrities endorsing their brand and they are hammering M & S on sales and profits. What does that tell you M & S.

Perhaps not, Lona! [ blush]

I suppose if rosie wotsername has been all over the press in her undies and losing her clothes in last year's Christmas advert then it is only fair and equal!
I dread to think what they will come up with this year.

Is it me or is it all becoming undignified and rather coarse?

rose You should have seen the video ad on the Daily Mail banner!
That one of jings is tame in comparison!

jings just looked at your link and had to hastily 'go back' as DH is approaching and he may think I am looking at porn in my old age.
Well really! not at all M&S

Many years ago it was so easy to buy a 100% woollen cardigan in M&S in a variety of colours without needing sunglasses. Has nobody told the buyers that this country in winter is too cold to wear cotton or acrylic cardigans?

I only buy socks and knickers there now and the occasional jogging trousers which are so thin these days that one needs leggings underneath in winter.

If the quality was improved for a start I think that the "grey pound" may slowly return. The problem is that they do not listen and i am also not too sure who their target audience actually is.

They still do a brace of excellent iced, spiced sticky buns!