Marks and spencer

Oh I know all about that.
The fat and the hair.
It's either far too dark or far too faded

Yes. On me it'd be fat ageing slapper with over dyed hair (didn't time it right). NOT a good look.

GagaJo
'The aging slapper look'

I've recently discovered Sea Salt.
I love their stuff.

What is with the M&S constant 'old lady' patterned clothing? I know I am an old lady, but I don't want to dress like one! Patterns that look lovely on the young models they put them on just make me look like my granny.

They need some sharp, plain colours. Flattering cuts for the figures that women of a certain age have, and a choice of lengths.

I don't mind an above the knee winter dress because I wear them with opaque tights and flat shoes (to avoid the ageing slapper look), but for warm weather clothing, I like below the knee. It shouldn't be hard to offer a range of lengths. Same dress, 3 lengths (bit like trousers).

I would happily spend a few hundred a year if I could find stuff in M&S that I liked, but instead I have had to outsource to Next or H&M, and lets face it, I am not exactly their target market!

Grandma70. Agree, probably the best, never disappointed.

TwiceAsNice. Grumpy dresses, I’m not at all surprised, I would be too!. Some very frumpy dresses too!.

Why buy at M&S when you’ve got shops like..

White Stuff,
Next,
Phase Eight.
Crew.
John Lewis.
Jäger
Mint Velvet.
White Stuff.
Hobbs.
Boden.

They all do on line sales.

Their food is good, though!

Problem with clothes made in Britain Alishka is that if they are not made under poor conditions, as has been the case in some Leicester factories, they are much more expensive than clothing made in Bangladesh for example.

Most clothing is now made abroad because firms are competing for customers on price. You could say we get what we deserve.

Realistically if clothes are better quality they are going to be more expensive if paying fair wages and conditions, and if they are cheap, someone along the chain is paying......

M&S have been rubbish for years - so what's new? Not much that I can think of. They used to be good for underwear and thermals but not now.

I hadn't been in M&S since January. Like most people, I've been finding that I have more than enough clothes and am cutting down.

However, I was tempted in by a 15% off voucher. I always buy my trousers there as I need the long fitting. What struck me, not having been in the store for a while, was the complete lack of organisation and signage. The odd rack of trousers here and there. Per Una seems to have been reduced to one small display. I wandered around aimlessly. Whenever I found a style I liked it wasn't available in my size.

I left empty-handed.

Those voluminous, frumpy dresses are bang on trend at the moment. My DDs and their friends are floating round looking for all the world as if they’ve joined the Amish. I’m usually the grateful recipient of their cast-offs at the end of the season, but I’m not sure these will be terribly flattering to the older woman.

M & S launched a Best of British range a few years ago. All made in the UK. Not cheap, but lovely quality and classic design. I’m guessing it didn’t catch on. What put me off more than the price was the fact that everything I looked at was dry clean only. I suppose that’s the downside of some quality fabrics.

I still buy a lot in M&S, including all my undies. I find their trousers and jeans good. I mostly buy their super skinny coloured jeans which are one of the rare trouser styles which don't have the jodphur effect on my skinny legs.
I don't often buy their dresses but not sure of what Sallywally says of their new range. It's always an issue for me that the waists on dresses are too low and M&S is no different. Most of their dresses are quite long with long sleeves. The minis are knee length on an average height person of 5ft 3" or 4".
I thought M&S quite often has larger sizes - in store, especially in sales, they often have sizes 6/8/10 and then 20/22/24 with nothing for us average women.

That’s so strange. My husband and I ordered arch support slippers from M&S yesterday as we find them so good. However, wanted to get something else so we wouldn’t have to pay the delivery. Had to spend £50 for a free one. Absolutely nothing...for either of us. All the tops looked very tatty. Probably not helped by the emaciated models showing them! We just paid the £3.50 delivery!

Woolovers for lovely warm merino wool cardigans and jumpers. White Stuff for lovely patterned and plain cotton jersey long sleeved shirts- soo comfortable and stylish too. But their knitwear balls badly- it even says so on the care label " I am prone to piling"!

Oh! the memories of when M&S made their clothes in Britain rather than out-sourcing to China. And they had good designers too.
Days long gone, I'm afraid.

Actually Woolovers are good for jumpers and I recently bought a lovely A line wool skirt from them in navy which is perfect for work, not itchy and a good length. Only one colour!

I really like Tencel. It's a natural fabric and has a sheen and hangs like silk. I've had a few things made of this fabric from M&S and wish they used it more.

To be fair their £15.00 jeggings are very good value and I have several. I think overall it is the fabric which lets clothes down nowadays. I used to buy a lot from monsoon and although so,ex of the designs are still good the material is dreadful. What I. Earth is Lenzing and where is all the cotton?

Sadly our branch is now closed, it was good for browsing and commenting on how old fashioned their clothes were! But I will miss their Christmas display!

PS. To be made in the UK too. (Stopped buying Joules as it is made in China!).

I buy their jeans and underwear, the odd T shirt or jumper but I agree they need to up their game in the design stakes. I also try to buy natural fabrics. Every time a man made fabric item us washed it releases plastics into the environment. I try to do my bit to help the planet to recover.

I would love a flowery dress but need it to be made in a warmer fabric than viscose! Younger ones don't feel the cold like older folk. Please Marks think about your customers and ask them what they would like.

I used to buy short length jeans and wear them immediately. Now I have to take them up by 1 1/2" !
When I asked why they were being made longer, I was told that some people like to wear them with heels- my answer to that was why don't they buy medium length then?
I can alter them myself but it's a hassle. The only alternative is to pay £7 to a tailor. This must put people off buying them.
I used to love M&S- style and quality. There were so many things that appealed to me. I like their cotton nighties but now buy my bras in Sainburys s- same quality for almost half the price.

I didn’t know dresses could be grumpy *TwiceAsNice! ?? But I know what you mean. This years collection is worse than last years and that’s saying something.