What has happened to M&S?!

[JacksonPollocks]

DH as a leaving present from work was given a £80 M&S voucher, as he'd never shop there it was passed on to me. I was rather pleased as in recent years M&S have had some lovely stuff , particularly had my eye on knitwear. I've bought next to nothing in recent years.

I was SO disappointed. The knitwear section seemed to consist of colours that already look like they've been washed 40 times/ are blend into the background colours. Plus hardly any style, baggy shaped tut. The trousers had largely the feel of cheap school trousers, the fits were AWFUL. I looked like I'd gained 2 stone in most with small waists and over-generous thighs/ bums. I remember the fit from working at TESCO in my uni years! Overall the shop looked like the land of frump, honestly I've tried 3 stores and not found one thing worthy of buying even with a free voucher.

I decided to go for underwear in the end, got decent (but boring) stuff (beautiful autograph bra though, the only sign of the autograph collection I saw in store). However the sizes were mad, with the help of the shop assistant I found bras in 38B, 36C and 36D and they ALL fit well (She agreed) sizing was on a par with primark, in fact a lot of the quality was too. This was in the second store I tried as my local M&S runs an 'appointment only' bra fitting service, we no help or info on how to make one. If you're near Romford though the woman working there is great.

It just seems to have returned to the 'granny store' of my youth that I would have been embarrassed to dress in, most the women in there were older women.

Don't even start me on per una, once upon a time I actually found some nice bits from there-now it is frilly crap hell. It's an entire section of clothes that can't be worn together as they are so fussy.

Even the store manequins were badly dressed.

I still have £36 left to spend there. Will probably go on (unneeded) baby clothing.

[southeastastra]

ours is good, but it's a massive superstore which seems to have a quick turnaround. i got some mad green jeans there last week which are fab so can't really agree with you

[casperella]

Spend the rest in the food hall

[JacksonPollocks]

I've tried two large-ish ones. I'd like green jeans! I was wondering if it was just a regional issue or neglected stores.

[TooManyBlossoms]

£36 will get you plenty of Percy Pigs

[southeastastra]

our regional ones are rubbish, but the big store is great, it's a shame really!

they had green, blue and bright yellow jeans, really nice they were £38 send your voucher to me and i'll get you some

[TooManyBlossoms]

In fact, you can afford an entire case

[talkingnonsense]

Buy food, wine and birthday cards.

[JacksonPollocks]

Food hall=not going to lose remaining baby weight. I NEED clothes. I spent the last few months teaching in jeans as I had no other trousers! I'm a SENCO/ acting Deputy head at school and I look scruffier than half the parents at the gate.

[JacksonPollocks]

Percy pigs look yuck...

Pretty costly aren't they?

[Bearcat]

I have found some things to buy in M&S ( 2 particularly nice jackets this year, both Per Una I think).
But agree with you about the bras.
By the time I had lost some weight, and then asked the lady if a 38C was OK as compared to my previous 38D, she had a quick look and said 'yeh'!
Thnk I'll return to my previous regime and guess for myself, especially is D is too large and C seems to be too small.
Makes you lose confidence to ask!

[myalias]

Mary Portas should wave her magic wand and give this sorry high street store a 21st century makeover. It has gone to the wall - Phillip Green has managed to give the ailing BHS a credible makeover.

[JacksonPollocks]

To be fair nice coats/ jackets but not what I need.

[islawhiter]

Totally agree that m&S is for grannys or anyone who is twiggys age and looks like her, disgusting pearly knits and tops that start at waist height, and really really boring brown bags thats about £69, even the knickers section thers only about one really nice trendy pair.

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

yy depends on the store location

Gloucester M and S - waste o' time

Cribbs - not bad range of stock but the stuff is always badly displayed

[wildfig]

My local M&S actually makes me feel cross when I walk through it - all the frumpy chartreuse/lime green befrilled stuff they ship out to the provinces, as if everyone 30 miles from a motorway is a colourblind hobbit. I'm not expecting the 'directional' lines, but just some quality basics, like properly cut trousers instead of the elasticated, calf-length linen slacks, or one or two decent shirts, instead of endless variations on that horrible scoop-neck with the vertical pleats...

froth, froth.

I go to the Marble Arch branch when I'm London or order from the internet and have it delivered to the store.

[wildfig]

oooh, and if M&S were smart they'd instigate a massive overhaul of their bra fitting service, and run a national retraining scheme for fitters as a big promotion. Most British women are hardwired to go to M&S for bras and pants, and yet their fitters are useless very variable.

[wildfig]

underwired, even.

[thenightsky]

Got a lovely 50s looking retro style long line bra the other week. Blue gingham. Fab fit.

[ChrisPBacon]

Walked past gaping entrance of Store within large regional shopping centre.
Could nor even be bothered to step over threshold looking at the hideous mannequins on display a few feet inside.
Grim

[DoubleDegreeStudent]

My local one is small and had a really nice knee length beige skirt (sounds horrid, but looked fab). Can't find it on website though...

[Sariska]

My smallish local branch has large photos of reasonably OK clothes (and sometimes even manequins modelling them). And signs that say "Not available in this store".

It also stocks no children's clothes other than pastel pink and baby blue sleep suits, slogan-bedecked PJs and school uniform.

Obviously there are a few vacancies in thier marketing department.

[ChrisPBacon]

There are no decent knickers. There have been no decent pants for YEARS. There are multipacks of sagging sweat shoppy cotton things. They are truly desperate.

And ladies shoes with plastic outers and plastic inners. Believe me, I have smelled the result, and I ain't buying any. Do they think that we think that women don't have sweaty feet?

[alice15]

I am in my mid forties, not particularly into clothes and wear the same things for a loooong time. I should be a core M and S customer, but I too find it almost impossible to find things there I like these days. I went in to our local biggish one a week or two back, looking for black jeans that weren't bootleg or excessively low cut. There weren't any, not in the whole store. And I completely agree with Sariska that their children's clothes, particularly for older children, are generally revolting. And wildfig is dead right about bra fitting, too - l took my 13 year old in for bra fitting. The place was deserted with three members of staff standing around, and they told me I couldn't have an appointment that day. That day! - for a 13 year old - how hard can it be? And the lime green frills - who wears them? Wildfig's right about that too - I go in there for good quality basics that won't date, and they don't have them. Froth, froth, teethgrind.

[mippy]

I like lime green/chartreuse, maybe I should take a look...

don't get a bra fitting there. I went last year - the woman measured me at a 40C. I wore a 36FF. When I went off to find a bra and they didn't have my size, the woman said 'Well, we've got the 38 and we've got a 40 - why don't you take a 40 instead?'

No idea what the bras are like if you get the fit right, mind. I wasn't happy with the ones I bought but they didn't do an FF so I had to go straight to a G.

Their tights and leggings are excellent in my experience though.