M&S have upped their game at last

Well….I’d love to look …but our M&S closed down …..🤷🏻‍♀️

I stopped buying M&S. knickers when they started putting the double crutch in the wrong place. Their bra’s when Matalan sold the same for £5:99 which M&S were asking circa £18 for ( some years ago). And their dresses when the material became crimplene at its most artificial and coarse feeling. And their biscuits when the 99p shop sold my favourites at 99p for two when M&S charged £1:30 for 1. So there’s just nothing at M&S worth my bothering with the shop again.
At one time they were the only place I could find my outrageous bra size, 44DD, but now Matalan pops up with quite a selection on its web sight.
As to cotton T shirts, 2 weeks ago I bought 4 from Primark at £4 each and the quality far exceeds the one my neighbour bought from M&S.

M & S lost my custom when they stopped doing basic clothes in neutral colours. I used to buy a wardrobe of separates for work in the autumn every year - I was a teacher, so I just wanted smart, easily replaceable clothes of a good quality.

Then they switched to trying to attract younger, trendier customers, and they were no longer my ‘go to’ place for work wear.

Many years ago I worked in a UK garment factory. M&S orders were always treated with more respect and better quality control.
I bought some ankle grazer trousers in a sort of twill from them a few years ago. Best buy I ever made. But haven't seen any similar since . Just ordered some online. Fingers crossed.
Agree about knitwear. I mainly buy cotton now .

M&S need to improve their website. It has a poor search engine and if you filter by size, you still get everything in that size even if it is out of stock. Very annoying.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202310/medium-357888-img-2191.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202310/medium-594767-img-2190.jpeg

I had a look around our M and S recently and liked this coat. Good value at £69, and it looked good on. Sadly though, I saw it was Made in China.

Personally although good value I think they have overdone the leg length - I’m 5ft7in and now find I have to buy short length as the regular length I bôught previously is around 2 too long. Or the regular length in “ankle grazer” is full length on me. I wouldn’t have said 5’7” is “short”.

aonk

I completely agree about the knitwear. I have thrown away 3 jumpers I bought last Winter because of the bobbling. I too have decided to look for cotton jumpers but they aren’t that easy to find and not all are pure cotton anyway. In general however I agree with the OP that things are improving. Some of the coats look very nice.

I’ve just bought myself a couple of 100% cotton men’s jumpers from M&S. a friend tipped me off that she buys hers there. They are nicer than the women’s offerings and come in a wider range of colours. Best of all for me, they are a bit longer in the body and sleeve so they’re not at half mast.

I’m impressed with their footwear offering now. I have wide feet and can’t easily find what I want. I recently ordered a pair of shoes from M&S, fully expecting to have to return them, but they are perfect. A lovely pink suede and an excellent fit. I shall be buying more from them. A big improvement.

Apart from jackets and jeans I'm finding the same old to be honest. the t shirts I bought in the Summer have nearly all lost their shape and everything seems to be made for people that are 5ft 10. their underwear is the only thing I feel I can rely on.

Hetty58

Elegran:

'they will find that they have completely lost their traditional customers without gaining any trendy but discerning new ones.'

Their 'traditional' customers must be dying off in droves by now. I can't see M&S surviving either.

I just looked it up, and no, actually they are currently doing really well.
www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/15/marks-and-spencer-upgrades-profit-outlook-as-market-share-in-food-and-clothing-grows
I hadn’t looked at clothes in there for a while before this week, and it was pretty busy in the shop when I went, lots of younger women (in their thirties and forties, not the age of H&M customers) which I must admit quite surprised me.

I must admit that at 84 my OH does not have the most upright and svelte figure, so he needs good quality trousers but will not pay for them! I give up.

Elegran:

'they will find that they have completely lost their traditional customers without gaining any trendy but discerning new ones.'

Their 'traditional' customers must be dying off in droves by now. I can't see M&S surviving either.

I've bought three long 'cosy' cardigans from M and S in the past few weeks; slightly long in the sleeve but I push them up, and they are perfect over trousers. I bought a selection of jumpers from Phase Eight last year - never again, as they got bigger with every (careful) wash, and must have been 18 - 20 eventually. I do hope M and S continue with this trend towards better clothing; not before time.

Casdon, the only thing I'd buy in there is underwear - so no, as 'navy smart trousers' really don't appeal, I've noticed no difference. Long ago, they had good quality, comfortable clothing with some style - but then they went downhill.

I completely agree about the knitwear. I have thrown away 3 jumpers I bought last Winter because of the bobbling. I too have decided to look for cotton jumpers but they aren’t that easy to find and not all are pure cotton anyway. In general however I agree with the OP that things are improving. Some of the coats look very nice.

Casdon

Callistemon21

I doubt there’s anything more boring to want than smart navy trousers, and I guess that’s what I look to M&S to provide - boring, but good quality and with some style
Black ones are even more boring, but yes, I want, smart navy and black trousers!

Bring back Country Casuals.

I tried these, and they were nice if you want straight leg, they also came in black, and other colours.
www.marksandspencer.com/jersey-twill-straight-leg-trousers/p/clp60613519?color=DARKNAVY&prevPage=srp#intid=pid_pg1pip48g4r1c4

I chose the wide leg, tab back detail ones, which were £39.50, and are really lovely, but I know not everybody likes wide leg trousers.

Thanks Casdon, I might have a mini-spree later!

I do have some wide-legged summer trousers in linen but no-one seemed to be wearing wide-legged ones.
Not that I care, I still do! 🙂

Boz

I looked down at my OH's legs when we were out last week; his trousers were ill-fitting and in a cheap material. Where did you get those from, I asked. M&S £45 he said. They were awful You get what you pay for.

You should indeed get what you pay for. For £45 they should have been better fitting, and have been in a decent quality of fabric. M & S (or their supplier) bought these without exercising any quality control from the sweatshop where they were churned out. That is not cheapy-cheap pricing, and they shouldn't be disposable rubbish.

M & S have once had a reputation for being slightly above rock-bottom sellers, but with high quality standards and classic designs, but they have assumed in recent years that their "older customers" are not looking for affordable style but just buy the same throw-away stuff that youngster do, and in the same shapes and sizes. We are NOT the same shape as our grand-daughters, and our older skin and hair don't suit the same colours that they can look good in. A good buyer will be aware of this and order accordingly.

The quality and the aesthetics have been slipping. If they don't get them back they will find that they have completely lost their traditional customers without gaining any trendy but discerning new ones.

Boz

I looked down at my OH's legs when we were out last week; his trousers were ill-fitting and in a cheap material. Where did you get those from, I asked. M&S £45 he said. They were awful You get what you pay for.

That’s what some of the new stock has moved away from in ladieswear, thankfully. I don’t think I’ve had a pair of trousers from M&S as good as my latest ones for over 10 years. I hate flimsy material that flaps round your legs.

It’s probably heresy to say it on Gransnet in the face of thousands of Seasalt fans, but although I appreciate the quality it’s not for me, as I’m not keen on prints or flowers, and they don’t do much that isn’t one or the other. I’m a fan of their coats though.

I looked down at my OH's legs when we were out last week; his trousers were ill-fitting and in a cheap material. Where did you get those from, I asked. M&S £45 he said. They were awful You get what you pay for.

In the past couple of weeks I’ve bought two jumpers. It’s been ages since I bought any (except men’s) - so many horrible garish colours and patterns.

I’ve also bought 2 pairs of ‘cosy’ high waisted jeggings, but I’ve had those before, and I have to say they’re brilliant. I live in them virtually all winter.

Millie22

No actually I don't think they have. I went for a look at the new Edit range and it was the same boring clothes as before.

Trying to find some nice knitwear is proving very difficult. I also read the other day that to prevent bobbling we should not wear our jumpers and cardigans too often 🤔

I agree. I moved to seasalt apart from underwear and never looked back

My problem now with M&S trousers is in the length.
I am only 5ft tall and until last year their short trousers were a perfect fit.
Now, unless I can get the extra short which are in very few styles, I have to have them shortened and that is inconvenient and expensive relative to the cost of the trousers.
I did manage to get ankle grazers in short length in the summer which were fine but I haven’t looked at the new season yet.

Callistemon21

^I doubt there’s anything more boring to want than smart navy trousers, and I guess that’s what I look to M&S to provide - boring, but good quality and with some style^
Black ones are even more boring, but yes, I want, smart navy and black trousers!

Bring back Country Casuals.

I tried these, and they were nice if you want straight leg, they also came in black, and other colours.
www.marksandspencer.com/jersey-twill-straight-leg-trousers/p/clp60613519?color=DARKNAVY&prevPage=srp#intid=pid_pg1pip48g4r1c4

I chose the wide leg, tab back detail ones, which were £39.50, and are really lovely, but I know not everybody likes wide leg trousers.

BigBertha1

M & S are now showing other brands on their website and in their shops which seem to be more expensive. I logged on the buy DH a plain white shirt. There were very few M & S own brand now and the others were more expensive.

In their app, there are 46 different styles in their formal shirts, and 17 in their casual shirt range, with prices ranging from £8 to £55 - obviously I don’t know if they have all of them in the right size. If the website isn’t showing those, it might be worth downloading the app?