Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Fuming with M&S and high street clothes shops in general

99 replies

tectonicplates · 26/10/2018 09:39

I've just found out that M&S petite clothing is now online only. You can't even get it at the big M&S in Oxford Street any more.

As a petite woman, I'm sick of being treated like a second class customer. I'm sick of everything being moved online when I specifically went to the shop to try things on. I'm sick of places like Next who'll make knitwear in ten colours in the regular length, but only black, white and grey in the petite length.

But I'm also losing patience with this whole "decline of the high street" thing in general. Every time I try to go clothes shopping, the shops are full of crap, bad quality clothes that don't fit. And then they complain that nobody is buying anything. I don't really know why I'm supposed to feel sorry for shops when they don't sell anything we want.

OP posts:
beyondthesky · 26/10/2018 11:18

In defence of M&S (but only on this point) I bought some short-leg jeans last Friday in my local store (S Wales) took them back Monday.

Cambalamb · 26/10/2018 11:19

In my town we have lost BHS, M&S and I would put money on our Debenhams being one of the ones to close. I don't think stocking petite or tall ranges in shops will help now. I just worry about what will fill all of the gaps in the high streets!

veggiethrower · 26/10/2018 11:20

I live in Central Europe and I have also noticed a decline here. There is either really cheap tat which looks terrible after a couple of months or extreme high end clothing. The mid-range is missing.
I can't find anything I would like to buy. I don't like online either because I need to try things on to see if they fit - have large hips and a deep "seat" and I end up with a builder's bum in most clothes.
Quality knitwear is hard to come buy.
I've got clothes I have had over 25 years but they are now starting to wear - jumpers getting holes etc. I would like to replace quite a bit of stuff but can't find anything I would like to wear.
There seems to be a move towards disposable fashion - it doesn't need to last because people will buy new things the next season.
I just want some classic pieces, made to last which don't cost 500 quid for a cardigan!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Clothing General shopping General style & beauty
NotCitrus · 26/10/2018 11:21

I can only assume that the people who buy disposable fashion buy so much of it that stores assume they can rely on them to stay in business. I'm a size 16-18, 5'8 but still find clothes are sized for someone flat-chested and short in the torso who's never given birth. Fair enough for brands aimed at younger adults, but my main peeve is that if I pay more to get quality, I don't want to find the same rubbish fabrics that I could get in Primark. The first brand to do a 2-year guarantee for non-bobbling or shrinking, I'll be there.

I still have some polonecks and jumpers from over 20 years ago, towels from 50 years ago, but the same brands are nowhere near the same quality now.

ImPreCis · 26/10/2018 11:23

Tectonicplates I have asked Bravissimo exactly the same thing, they say they have no demand!
I use Gap for jeans, and T-shirt’s, free delivery and returns over £50, but not quick delivery. They also do tall options for those on here that struggle with that. Also Boden. OTHER petite ranges are very mumsy I think. Mint Velvet are annoying, as they have nothing petite in store, rail after rail of trousers, none available in petite.
I can take up trousers if need be, but its tops and dresses that are really difficult for me. The waist of the garment hits the top of my hips, far too much fabric across the back, the length of dresses that cut my already short legs off at the widest point of the calf.

Cambalamb · 26/10/2018 11:25

I agree notCitrus I cannot bare the way shops like Next charge more than Primark for the same quality!

Cambalamb · 26/10/2018 11:27

I use La Redoute often but the delivery time is so long because we ave been spoilt by next day delivery . If it took longer to deliver online goods I think the high street would be alive and well because you can buy instantly.

IHeartKingThistle · 26/10/2018 11:30

Tall ranges are few and far between too and lots of them (looking at you, Boden) are really just the regular range with a couple of inches on the length - I have a long body so that doesn't help! Realistically I have to stick to the very few shops that I know fit me.

I also buy a lot of vintage clothes on eBay - the quality is often better and I feel better from a planet perspective!

Halloloween · 26/10/2018 11:30

To be honest I dislike clothes shopping as a whole - but its impossible for me to find anything on the highstreet that actually fits.

Tall but with a petite fitting inside leg.
Long body with a very large chest so tops get even more lifted up at the bottom so I end up wearing tunics or what are allegedly short dresses as tunic type tops.

Don't get me started on shoes too...! The only (not an exaggeration) shoes that don't hurt me to the point of removing several layers of skin in several places after 10 mins are trainers

SoupDragon · 26/10/2018 11:31

Try being tall.
At least there are petite options in shops. All tall ranges are online except TopShop which usually has about half a dozen size 6 items swinging in the breeze.

This. It is only in recent years there have been tall ranges in ordinary shops at all. Petite ranges were everywhere.

MilkTrayLimeBarrel · 26/10/2018 11:34

Size availability is definitely a problem in a lot of the shops but I also find the colours available so depressing - everything is dark coloured. I know we are approaching winter but where are the berry brights and winter white clothes?

I watch Classic Coronation Street sometimes in the afternoons which is currently in 1990 - the clothes were mostly great then (apart from the padded shoulders and weird knitwear!) - nice colours and styles. I used to love wearing those clothes but now it is a question of boring, boring, boring jeans/leggings and jumper/tunic!

HavelockVetinari · 26/10/2018 11:34

Lots of us here are demanding stuff but nobody's supplying it.

I don't think you've quite grasped how shops decide what to stock. It's not done on a whim, they stock what sells. There used to be petite clothing available in many stores, but it is no longer there, ergo it's more profitable to stock an increased range of standard sizes. Just because you say there are 'lots' of people demanding stuff doesn't mean it's in the shops' best interests to stock this stuff. And as I said before, they're businesses, not public conveniences.

EdisonLightBulb · 26/10/2018 11:35

My OH is on the large side, yet, M&S don't sell shirts anything bigger than 17.5" collar

Yes they do because my DH buys all his shirts from there and he's an 18.5

nicebitofquiche · 26/10/2018 11:37

I can't buy 'tall' clothes in a lot of shops any more. But I'm not fuming about it lol.

thenightsky · 26/10/2018 11:40

Re Bravissimo... Don't assume that because they refuse to stock petite, they are catering for us tall lasses. They aren't. Their tops always show my belly off if I lift my arms and their dresses are so short I expose knickers!

thenightsky · 26/10/2018 11:43

I watch Classic Coronation Street sometimes in the afternoons which is currently in 1990 - the clothes were mostly great then (apart from the padded shoulders and weird knitwear!) - nice colours and styles. I used to love wearing those clothes but now it is a question of boring, boring, boring jeans/leggings and jumper/tunic

^^ this.

We are all going to look like Chairman Moa followers soon!

thenightsky · 26/10/2018 11:43

**Mao

Kazzyhoward · 26/10/2018 11:44

Yes they do because my DH buys all his shirts from there and he's an 18.5

As I said in my post, I know "some" M&S sell larger, but none of the stores near me do. It's hit and miss. I've been in some huge city centre stores that don't and found some small town ones that have a limited range.

Kpo58 · 26/10/2018 11:45

If there was a demand the stores would sell it.

That's complete bollocks. The amount of times (with shoes) when the size 9s sell out within 20mins and you ask when they will next be getting some in, you told that they won't be. Shops don't like stocking what actually sells.

They don't tend to stock tall stuff, petite, stuff for wider people or maternity. I can't believe that everyone who buys clothes is an average height size 10.

Kazzyhoward · 26/10/2018 11:45

And as I said before, they're businesses, not public conveniences

Yes, but they're failing businesses, so something is going wrong - perhaps it's because they don't know their customers as well as they think they do!

Rednaxela · 26/10/2018 11:49

It's chicken and egg. No demand for petite so no stock. But it's impossible to buy something which isn't in stock so the demand is never seen.

Makes me think of the Post Office saying no demand to widen post box slots.. Because they never find large envelopes inside the post boxes Hmm

Kazzyhoward · 26/10/2018 11:50

That's complete bollocks. The amount of times (with shoes) when the size 9s sell out within 20mins and you ask when they will next be getting some in, you told that they won't be. Shops don't like stocking what actually sells.

Absolutely agree. A few years ago, M&S marketed a cardigan modelled by Twiggy - it was in loads of magazines and on their home page. It was impossible to buy - never in stock on the internet, unavailable in stores! Just what was the point? If you're going to heavily advertise something, at least make sure you've got lots of stock to sell.

Yoksha · 26/10/2018 11:52

Haha @thenightsky "we're all going to look like Chairman Mao followers soon". That's exactly what my Dd1 said last Saturday in Asda helping me choose a few everyday long tops.

Original poster
tectonicplates · 26/10/2018 11:55

I do feel there's a bit of a backlash against fast fashion. It sounded fun at first, but after a while when you realise how quickly the clothes fall apart, you realise it isn't all it's cracked up to be.

OP posts:
Mumof1andacat · 26/10/2018 11:57

I'm 5ft and a size 12 to 14. Bon marche have shops on most high streets. Their jeans and trousers have leg lengths of 25" 27" 29" and 31". Size stocked 8 - 18. They do skinny,slim, straight and boot cut. A 27 is ideal for me. It's a bit of an old lady's shop but the slim jeans look great with boots