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Style & beauty

Has M&S lingerie lost the plot?

(113 Posts)
CvD66 Mon 15-Aug-22 10:58:59

I've just been to M&S to top up my underwear and was horrified to find mountains of multipacks of bras - with colours that will surely end up in landfill. Not a navy bra to be had (my preferred go-to colour) Their 'new' high leg knickers - my standard for years - are made of the thinnest fabric going! I'm distraught. Where do you buy your underwear? I am in need of guidance to a new decent lingerie shop - after 69 year loyal M&S knicker wearing.

lemsip Mon 15-Aug-22 16:11:33

the OP is obviously talking of going into the store so it's rather silly for posters to look online and post how many navy bras they've found f g sake

CvD66 Mon 15-Aug-22 15:05:13

I'm fascinated how many posters find my comments about navy bras in need of correction. On this visit to M&S
a. I was in the Derby M&S. No navy bras
b. this is not the first time (and I usually shop in London) and staff often complain few navy in my size (34E)Hence my posting
c. online navy are not all navy more cobalt
d. at this visit I was very disappointed in the move towards so many multi bras when all I wanted was a plain navy, unwired, not padded bra.
e. even on line you are encourage to multipack purchases and when you only want one or maybe two colours, I consider this a waste. (Perhaps I could send the one I don't want to Smalls for all - before someone else suggests it!)
Thanks those who recommended particular bras - I WILL look online but I DO like to see, feel and try before I buy.
Knicker quality has definitely gone down IMO.
Love the new suggestions of suppliers and intend to have fun trying out other providers!

DanniRae Mon 15-Aug-22 14:48:38

I followed the instructions to find navy bras and yes I found 48 and all in a lovely shade of navy!
I don't understand why every so often we have a "Lets knock M&S thread!" - It's getting a bit boring to be honest !! hmm

Debbi58 Mon 15-Aug-22 14:47:15

Have you tried George at Asda , I buy my bra's from them (36E) never had a problem. I also love Next Online

M0nica Mon 15-Aug-22 14:41:01

Sorry, Casdon I have just looked through the M&S lingerie range. I searched on my size and no other limiters and I do not modify my judgement one jot. The vast majority of their range seem to come in black, white or other muted dull colours, including that ghastly flesh colour. When they move from this limited range their colours are garish and crude and the patterns likewise. I only saw one bra I looked at twice.

I will stick to Leclerc for my underwear.

Rosalyn69 Mon 15-Aug-22 14:32:49

I wonder if as we age we don’t realise what fitted us at 20 doesn’t look good at 60+
I get my underwear from M & S. It is a case of being flexible and not trying to buy the same knickers I bought 30 years ago in exactly the same shade. I have some of the “thin” full briefs. They are super light and comfy to wear.

Grandmajean Mon 15-Aug-22 13:56:57

How dumb am I !! I used the drop down colour filter and only got four colours. Have discovered that you use the slider to get more options ! Yep there are 48 in navy !

toscalily Mon 15-Aug-22 13:31:09

Apologies, as Jaxjacky says you have to use the drop down colour filter then there are more choices in navy.

BlueBelle Mon 15-Aug-22 13:30:51

Well I rarely if ever buy from Mand S but I ve just bought a camouflage grey plunge bra non wire which they also had in navy blue cVD and Black they had lots of sizes too from 9small to bigger than me and I m not tiny and they re pretty enough that I can sit in the garden to sunbathe in them
The name is BODY and the type is plunge bra It was £20

Ladyleftfieldlover Mon 15-Aug-22 13:30:09

I buy knickers from John Lewis and bras from Miss Mary of Sweden. My son’s partner buys me socks from the Kew Gardens shop.

Baggytrazzas Mon 15-Aug-22 13:13:52

the socks too seem to have reduced in quality, not I think about it.

Witzend Mon 15-Aug-22 13:11:41

I must say that many of the masses of often IMO garish coloured bras I saw in M&S the other day made me think of what my father occasionally said - ‘Like something out of a tart’s boudoir.’*
Ok, probably OTT but so many didn’t look remotely tasteful - not to me, anyway.

*I never did think to ask him how he knew what he’d find in a tart’s boudoir!’ ?

Chardy Mon 15-Aug-22 13:11:06

A few years ago daughter bought me a cotton M&S nightdress in Tshirt fabric. I really liked it so I bought the matching lightweight dressing gown (wrap?) in identical material. The wrap went into holes after a couple of washes, the nightdress is still going strong!
I always used to buy M&S Tshirts because they would wash and wash. Now a lot of the quality is very poor.

Baggytrazzas Mon 15-Aug-22 13:10:53

Baggs

I bought bra tops (pull-ons, no wires, not expensive but well-made) and knickers recently from M&S. Really impressed with their "Good Move" sports bras in green and black and one called "Body Body" in dark red. (Pulled the padding out and chucked it but if anyone can think of any good uses for unwanted bra pads, please let me know).

Seven pairs of good quality plain black cotton knickers for £8 seemed like a bargain too.

Maybe you looked in the wrong places, CvD ?

Hi Baggs, they could be glued inside the heels of wellies to stop rubbing. or if unseen when worn, stitched to the top of bra straps at the bit they cut in to shoulders.

Jaxjacky Mon 15-Aug-22 13:10:39

I still get my bras from M&S, the sumptuously soft range.
Just did a search, if you use the colour drop down filter and click navy 40 do come up.

Grandmajean Mon 15-Aug-22 13:04:06

Nope- no navy blue apart from the sports one. Lots of cobalt blue which is more like a bright royal blue.

Witzend Mon 15-Aug-22 12:50:03

I went looking for badly needed bras in a large M&S the other day - squillions of them, but could find only one anything like what I wanted - white or flesh colour, not wired or padded (I’m not amply endowed.).

Paid £20 for that one, came home and looked online for what I really wanted (should have done that in the first place) so collecting those today (3 pack for £18 ?) and will return the other.
I still find their knickers OK. Treated myself to a dozen nice new pairs some months ago - threw out a lot of very ancient ones that stubbornly refused to wear out.

Grandmajean Mon 15-Aug-22 12:49:43

Thanks Casdon Will have another go. I am going to blame you for the fact that I have just ordered a pair of navy stretch trousers while browsing !smile

toscalily Mon 15-Aug-22 12:47:15

Grandmajean Your right, out of curiosity I searched navy bra on the M&S website and there is only one (rather horrible) sports bra. Mind you if enough of us put navy bra in their search engine we might get a few more on offer next season grin

VickyB Mon 15-Aug-22 12:43:20

I had been trying to buy a bra from them for months but gave up looking as it was never in stock in my size. They were supposed to email me when they had one.

I really went off them when they shut up shop in our local town centre. The shop was always busy but clearly not busy enough for M&S to show any loyalty to its staff and customers.

pooohbear2811 Mon 15-Aug-22 12:40:46

I have taken to wearing mens trunks as pants as find them so much more comfortable. They don't work with the pop on washable pads but work fine with stick on ones.
Bras are a nightmare, as CragtyGranny says no two are the same, can never find ones I really like and end up buying the multisize slip over the head types, not the most supportive but do the job.
As far as high impact sports bras are concerned why does somebody who wears a 30A need one when nothing much to wobble and nothing needing to be restrained but don't make them in a 46E?

Mine Mon 15-Aug-22 12:39:42

Meant to add a few friends buy their pants from Primark...They are a 3 pack with elastic added...Would suit the mature ladies in size as well..Only reason I don't buy them is I only wear cotton....

Baggs Mon 15-Aug-22 12:37:53

I bought bra tops (pull-ons, no wires, not expensive but well-made) and knickers recently from M&S. Really impressed with their "Good Move" sports bras in green and black and one called "Body Body" in dark red. (Pulled the padding out and chucked it but if anyone can think of any good uses for unwanted bra pads, please let me know).

Seven pairs of good quality plain black cotton knickers for £8 seemed like a bargain too.

Maybe you looked in the wrong places, CvD ?

Mine Mon 15-Aug-22 12:37:20

I also buy pants and bras from Bonmarche...Good sizing and lots of choice....Also very reasonable priced..

Casdon Mon 15-Aug-22 12:34:31

Grandmajean

Am puzzledCasdon I have just checked the M and S website and typed in "bras in navy blue" . One only and it's a high impact sports bra.

I typed in bra in the search bar, then selected navy from the colour choices Grandmajean, it came up with 48. I just tried it again to make sure, still the same result - it’s probably a poor algorithm if you type navy bra straight into the search bar?