Whatever happened to...

i have to say I bought some lovely cushions in M&S recently together with some picnic 'glasses'. All very colourful. I'd not been in M&S for ages so went a bit mad and bought some no VPL knickers as well!!! I've never found their clothes to fit me properly apart from the odd tee - and knickers - so they won't be seeing much of me I'm afraid. Sad really as M&S was very popular in my yoof.

Marks and Spencer tended to be called Markies, here in NE Scotland, but is more commonly called M & S these days. I too wondered when St Michael was dropped. I have a few tops and cardigans with this label, which I still wear!

A lone voice in defence of M&S, up to a point at least... As mentioned above, I went and collected my two pairs of trousers and they were both exactly the same length, despite one being labelled short and the other medium. The Classic Collection pull-ons are badly cut and are going back. Far too old-ladyish for a mere septuagenarian like me! But the Per Una ones are the nicest material AND best fit I've found in ages, and I'm even thinking of buying a second pair. In the unlikely event that anyone's interested, they're called Sateen Roma Rise Straight Leg Jeans and cost £35 at full price. They come up long, hence the short fitting perfectly on me.

Yes, I think that to Icanhandthemback, looking round their was nothing that caught my eye. Sainsbury Tu have a few nice casual bits in this summer and just took advantage of the 25% off to.??

PS My son used to call it 'Marks and Spensive', too!

There have been other threads about MnS on which posters said the same things about MnS clothing - ie poor quality, poor size control, rubbish fabrics etc. I gave up on them a couple of years ago and now go to White Stuff and Fatface which are a bit more expensive but at least the quality is good so you don't need to replace items too often. But back to MnS - someone above said correctly that young people will never buy clothes at MnS so why don't they focus on our age group and offer us good quality basics in natural fibres like they used to. The first rule of marketing is 'know your customer' and MnS just don't, they have made the mistake of trying to be all things to all people. Sorry, rant over!

Past year! How did the Oast appear in my post?!

Harrigran - I realised that M&S standards had, sadly, slipped when I bought DD a school pinafore dress and the hem came down. That was in 1968!!
As other posters have said, once they were known for classic styles. I liked that you could buy the same underwear or cardigan as you had had a year or two earlier. Then suddenly in I think the 80s you couldn't!
To be fair I've bought some cute things for DGD from their children's range in the Oast year. Well designed, well made and look good months later.

I bought a Merino wool jumper last year both side seams from the rib on the bottom came undone. I had to stitch them up and it wasn't because it was too tight.

Still refer to St Michael but never heard of St Margaret.

I always buy trousers from M&S only because they do short lengths, but still a bit too long still now , unless i have shrunk,i am just under 5ft tall
All their clothes seem to be made in Bangladesh, so bought cheap, ,its rare i can find something i really like
I got a lovely dress last year in Dorothy Perkins for half price, but still not worn it,
When i was a child we had a trip to C&A in Leeds for new clothes for Easter and Whitsun, loved going there

And that pink dress! I asked the sales person how many they had sold , she laughed

Their clothes this year are truly dreadful!

I have been using M&S Outlet in my nearest large town for some time & have had some real bargains.

Only reason I haven't been into large M&S is that when I moved 2 years ago most of my clothes were in storage & I bought lots of new clothes so have had no need to shopping since.

I must say though that I live in jeans & casual tops, smart jeans & blouse/shirt if I'm going out

We call it 'Markus and Spenserius' after 'Carry on Cleo'. Still think it's funny.

Probably posted this before, but when I was a teenager (70's/80's) you could get size 11 skinny jeans from M&S which I lived in (along with my blue suede Dolcis pixie boots) from the age of 14

M&S is aiming at the wrong demographic, young people will never shop there yet the core customers of 50 plus can't find anything they want there.
I remember fondly the little girls' kilts and our school raincoats. They were passed down families and lasted for years. EVERYBODY bought their pants, bras and socks, pyjamas and jumpers. Now their knitwear goes bobbley before you've even washed them.
They will soon give up on clothes, rather than supply what their customers actually want.

I hardly ever go into M&S these days. I lose the will to live - the clothes are for anorexic teenage dwarves! I so wish they would go back to the averagely priced, quality, tasteful clothes for the middle-aged, middle sized [or perhaps a bit larger] clothes - not crimplene or mumsy!

I never buy online (or vary rarely) as i always have to try clothes on. For me J Lewis have good quality clthes but the huge increase in price conpared to m&s make it not wirth it. The few things ive bought tgere have never really been right in spite of cost. Ive tried TKMax, Dorothy Perkins and a few other places but rarely find anything i like. They are either trendy clothes for teenagers or okd lady clotges ev edi bugh woollen mill. Its hard to find stylish non frumpy clothes that look dignified! If anyone can recommend other places than m&s Id be grateful!

I don´t understand the policy of M&S. To me, when I was growing up, they were the place where you would get your basics, the white shirt, the well-fitting black trousers, the great underwear. Since they started trying to muscle in onto the so-called fashion market, they have gone downhill. There is practically nothing there made of cotton anymore. I still go in to have a look for old times' sake but haven't bought anything for ages.

I agree about most of the ready meals as well, not a patch on Sainsbury ones.The absolute worst for both quality and quantity are Tesco, never buy a ready meal from them. Sounds as if we live on them but having had a fair bit of illness during the last six months, and now being extremely hot weather, a few times a week it's been easier to throw a salad together and combine with a ready meal.

Yes, sizing has been a problem for some years with M&S, you simply have to try them on, which makes online ordering difficult.
I have only bought one clothes item,a top, from Sainsbury, ( this was last year) nowhere to try on so bought it anyway.....the most bizzare item, as regards fit that I have ever seen, it went straight back.
I have bought a couple of things from M&S this year, but mainly buy from Debenhams now.

Don't get me started on M&S! I have finally given up on them having gone in to look at 10 different pairs of jeans found on line and not one available in Oxford St store in my size. If I was super large or super small button average size 14 with long legs forget it! I remember when they were the gold standard for customer service. Not anymore IMHO. I've been advised to try John Lewis.

The clothes in Sainsburys are even grimmer. Mind, our local is not one of their larger ones, maybe they have a bigger range

We used to call it Marks n sparks at home ...most of my school clothes were labelled 'St Margaret' .shopped there a lot, especially the one at Marble Arch ,,,and then online ,but no longer do so because I found the sizing and the quality had gone downhill. For the first time ever last winter I bought some of their 'cashmere feel' (can't afford the proper stuff !) jumpers ...in a size I already had, and that fitted me perfectly, These came up smaller than the previous ones, and the sleeves were not even down to the wrist ! I gave them away to friends to save the hassle of posting them back from here ...then I ordered a couple of linen dresses this Spring ...terrible quality, far too short (athough same size I already have ) and trousers same size and same length ,,,awful ...so had to send them back ...first time ever ! so disappointing ...and we were told we could no longer order from the UK site but had to use the French one ,,,where things tend to be more expensive ,,,so goodbye Marks n sparks !