M and S axe it’s Classic Range !

What this older shopper wants from M and S are clothes made from natural fabric and dresses with sleeves

I think they came to a fork in the road some time ago and took the wrong side!

Before we had ‘corporatewear’ (not uniform, don’t know why) at the bank where I worked, I always shopped at M &S for my work clothes. Particularly remember a couple of tweedy type, not mini, but above knee skirts worn with thin polos and a looser fit over jumper, plus opaque tights. I felt the bees knees, looked quite ‘preppy’, think Ali McGraw in Love Story. (In my dreams probably).
This was years ago of course, but now never see anything I like. Peculiar styles, fabric and fit, or perhaps it’s me that is so out of touch.
Hate clothes buying, try and manage with same old stuff. I’m not much help to the economy.
And never have found the M & S staff great, many of them seem to think they are a cut above other shops, no longer the case.

Another bright idea from M&S without consulting their customers, I think. No wonder they don’t make the profits they want.

AND stop reducing the home departments

I so agree! I wanted a bathmat. They had one design in different colours. All plain.

notanan2 Hiring trans staff to fit bras? I doubt it. Was that in the Daily Mail? Hiring trans staff generally, why not?
M&S clothes seem to be horribly frumpy to me. The classics range was the worst with its elasticated waists and blazers with brass buttons. All too 1950s. When will M&S realise that the 70-somethings now used to dress in Quant and Biba and don't want to look like their own grans did? I find the dresses that look almost OK are in hideous colours and the ones in reasonable colours have stupid pussy-cat bows or glittery nonsense attached. As for the nightwear - we are grown-ups. I don't want PJs with pussy cats on them or cartoon rabbits, thanks! (Phew - rant over..) (On plus side, their new Flexi knickers are great and I have a fab leopard print coat from last year's range)

I agree that I wouldn't touch a lot of the Classic clothes, even though I'm 75 and presumably expected to be frumpy! No wonder they are not selling. However, I shall really miss their denim jeans - I have cropped and full length. In my eyes they look quite normal and reasonably good on me ( I don't have high expectations!)
The fit is so much more comfortable for an admittedly overweight wrinkly. And the big bonus of M&S in most departments is that I can get clothes in the short length rather than being swamped by skirts and trousers that are far too long.
As many have said, M&S should realise where their most loyal market is, and get rid of some of those appalling patterns and colours!

Not a big fan of the classic range so I won’t miss it but I understand that there are people that love it. M&S just can’t seem to get it right over past few years. I used to be able to rely on their sizing and quality but now it’s really hit and miss. Except for knickers and Per Una Roma cut jeans I shop elsewhere. M&S seem to be churning out the same old stuff season after season. Shame.

The trouble is that people want good clothes at cheap prices and M&S can't do that.
It amazes me that people still, for example, expect to get a good pair of trousers for under £50. If you want good clothes you have to pay for them or make them yourself.
OK, I understand that not all people have the means to spend £100+ on tops or trousers, so wait for the sale price of these items. Good clothes last longer and remember "Buy cheap, buy twice".

I am mid 60s and always thought that the classic range was too old for me.
However, I agree that they need to go back to decent natural fabrics, and well cut styles. Having said that I love love love the £15 jeggings. ( Have them in 7 colurs so far and counting).
I would be happy if they did basics well and let others doing the trendy stuff.

I'm quite young but prefer more classic looking clothes that typically last longer but have been disappointed lately, the work skirts I came across there when looking for a new one were horrid and the quality felt off... They should stick to what they know, most young people won't shop in m and s, they just won't. I'm an anomaly, no one I know my age would EVER shop there apart from homewear and (gently) laugh at me for doing so.

I would miss their good range of jeans, leggings, and trousers, their basic white shirts and plain summer tshirts which go on forever, and their bras and swimwear, which happen to fit me. And indeed their plain formal jackets and trench rain coats . But their buying teams seem to lack the instinct for fashionable colour, pattern, and design: I wouldn't look for clothes for occasions or events there. It's a pity, because there is a thriving market for clothing for mother, grandmother, and aunt of bride and groom; big birthdays and anniversaries; and formal events of all kinds. Men do ok because they do a wide range of suits and evening wear, but women now have little choice. This situation is not helped by the inevitable slow demise of House of Fraser and Debenhams, of course.

They would not have axed it if the clothes were selling. - Personally I would never have been seen in anything from that range!

Even ten years ago the M and S Classic range was fuddy duddy and did nothing to address real problems of ageing bodies.

M and S need to get enough popular sizes in actual classics such as black leggings and good quality but inexpensive trousers.I have often visited the page for short straight black trousers in size 16 and found them all sold out, and have gone to ebay to get then from one of these sellers who buys up old stock from M and S.

M and S also need to ditch the silly Per Una with its frills and embellishments.

I find there range for this season really poor! For me, their food is now no better than the best we can get from supermarkets (even Aldi on occasion). They do excel at women’s bags, but they can’t stay solvent on bags alone. I don’t see them being in business long term.

Just a thought - when did Twiggy stop designing for them?

I was in the Marble Arch flagship store last week.
I would not have given houseroom to any of the clothes I saw.
Years ago when my mother was in her eighties she would not buy clothes from M and S because ,she said ,they were for old ladies.
Do old ladies really want acrylic and other man made fibres?
It is no use writing “cotton rich” when there is a very small percentage of cotton in the garment.

So very disappointed in M & S clothes, for years now they have been trying to appeal to younger people, instead of staying with their core customers: more mature people, especially in an ageing population, we are just being ignored. The quality, styles and sizes are not what they used to be.

This is why M&S is on its way out.

I think that M&S lost the clothes plot years ago and have still been unable to locate it! A pity as it used to be such a good store. Maybe they should give up and just stick to food.

The ageing population doesn't want old fashioned clothes!
I grew up in the sixties and remember all the lovely boutiques and now buy from a famous althleisure company.
As a thought, have a look at Boundary Mill Stores if you have one local. Cut prices on designer stuff. Also, House of Bruer (online) does reasonably priced classic stuff.
A friend (86) who worshipped M&S now buys from Edinburgh Wollen Mill as the prices are keen and the stuff is very like M&S's in the past.

M&S don’t want the ‘older’ shopper, but why do they think young people want to buy their overpriced bad quality clothes? Even a Holly Willoughby doesn’t look that good in their clothes.

Battle of the Brands tomorrow evening should be interesting, but I think it may be more focused on food as Mark's N Sparks up against Waitrose. We'll see

I never bought from the Classic range despite checking them out sometimes. I do miss the Indigo one, though. Per Una seems to have gone downhill.

It’s sad that the sizing seems to have become so inconsistent in M & S. I recently tried on two ‘size 12’ tops that were quite different sizes. I commented on this to the assistant, who didn’t look at all surprised.

My mother is very cross at the demise of the M and S Classic range and indeed l liked their basic cardigans. As others have said M and S are trying too hard to be trendy but a casual glance at the age of the average M and S shopper would lead me to think they are missing a trick. Have you noticed that it is the ranges that traditionally catered for the more mature customers that are going out of business? Yet it is this age group that has the money to spend.