Aibu to think that most of the clothes in m and s are depressing awful or ridiculously overpriced

[Dowser]

I have £45 in vouchers. Some ran out at the end of the month and I could only buy clothes.

So I went to a big store in a city centre. I wandered around the ladies section. I don't wear trousers and skirts so yes that cut my choice right down but a lot of what I saw I didn't fancy anyway.

I thought I would chose a pretty summer dress. I'm in my 60s and most of what i saw was just plain frumpy, horrible material or more than I wanted to pay. £80 for a pretty plain summer dress when I have prettier at home.

So I decided to buy a couple of bras. Ineed a white one for my up and coming wedding but it's now appointment only and I wasn't able to make that time.

So I just decided to go with the size I wear. ( the three assistants that were chatting could have whisked me into a cubicle and at least measured me while they waited for their next client/ victim to show up) in the time I told them my measurements, they got their tape measures out and converted my statistics to a bra size.

So I bought two very ordinary white ones...£22-50 each. Plain, ordinary boring white just to use the vouchers. A couple of weeks ago I bought a much prettier one for £10.

I'll probably take them back and get a credit note and see if anything else comes in....I'm not holding m breath.
I was so looking forward to a nice treat but came away thinking ....just who are they designing for?

YANBU. Whenever I buy something from there I always get it home and want to take it back.

How come you can only buy clothes?

Who are they designing for?
Me of course!
I was in a smallish branch today abd saw treggings,a jumper and a blouse that I really want.
I'm 49yo, standard height,fairly standard size (14 top 12 bottom in M&S, size 5.5 shoe) so there's always something I like.

I have no idea who they're designing for. I have loads of M&S in my wardrobe but none of it's younger than my pfb.

They just miss the mark every single time. The hems are unfashionably or unflatteringly low or high, never quite right. The necklines aren't right.

And that's before you get into how the quality has dropped - cheap fabrics, narrow seam allowance, etc. If I want cheap I'll go two doors down to Primark where it's half the price and will actually look good on.

Agree it is a depressing shopping experience.
Wanted to get some 3/4 length cotton chinos for holiday thought with this type of basic they could deliver when I actually tried them on they were baggy and shapeless. Really disappointing. Am standard fit, size 10, 5 ft 7 it's not too difficult an ask really?

Take the bras back as they're probably the wrong size anyway (see the Bra Guru threads)

I dont shop there as a rule however my.DM sent me in for some shorts and I found it a really odd shop layout wise. Its almost like the whole shop is laid out All Tops here, All Bottoms here, All Cardigans here. Regimented and really odd.

Been in M & S today and bought 3 tops in the sale. The Classic range is quite horrid but I can always manage to find something in the other ranges, today was Per Una, it was sandals on Saturday (£10 off). Can't imagine only ever wearing dresses though.

M&S jeans are the absolute best fit for my bum. Virtually all my jeans are from there. Totally appreciate that's a personal thing but it surprises me constantly how good they are...

Per Una tends towards the eye watering, in my experience. Where do they get that weird nylon fabric? Why does every item have so many colours and embellishments?

I second M&S for jeans all of mine are from there!

Clothes-only M&S vouchers? I had no idea they existed. That's just cruel when you could be buying some lovely food with them.

It was £20 of m and s energy vouchers and you have two months to spend them.

So by buying the bras I'll get a credit note if/ when I take them back.

Showed then to OH andhe thought they weren't much for £22-50 each.

Pleased someone likes some of their stuff ;-)

I cannot work out how M&S manages to be so consistently awful yet remain so successful. They have about 700 different ranges all of slightly different embellishment and awfulness. It's also a nightmare trying to find anything in their shops as there's no one place for T-shirts, necklaces, belts etc. It's all scattered all over a space the size of several football fields.

YY to this. They always seem to ruin the time with one detail. Like a horrid hemline or some sequin embellishment. Also I can't stand the cut of their t shirts. They sit terribly and so high.

I really struggle to buy anything from there.

I also like their jeans and the five pocket leggings.

This is the first year I've actually seen a few things I actually want, but they've blown it, because they have sold out in store and online of the tops I liked. So once again I'm unimpressed. Get it right M&s. Fgs

Oh I like their shoes, boots, cashmere, underwear and pyjamas.
Their jeans and coat are good too and I just got some 7/8 cotton trousers. Agree that dresses and tops are often odd though.

Jeggings not leggings!

YANBU.
Stylewise, M&S went to the dogs years ago.
what a pity you couldn't use the vouchers for food.

i buy my undies and socks there. they're good quality and would survive a nuclear accident.
some of their food is nice.
and they do a nice selection of greetings cards.
but their clothes are terrible.
they need to get a new team of designers.

archer yep, an otherwise decent item of clothing will be ruined by a weird collar or 'jaunty' detail. They often have almost nice pieces in autograph

Their 'capri' length slightly (very slightly) shiny cotton trousers are good. I bought a sort of dark burnt orange pair at the end of last summer and have bought identical in turquoise and black this. Must look online in cae they do more colours They wash very well .
Otherwise except NVPL knickers, nada .Some of this year's colours are horrible

I love their cashmere and memory foam bras. If I had vouchers that were expiring though you can be confident I wouldn't find anything as the pressure gets to me...

Agree OP. It is grim and I just can't understand how they manage it. How hard is it to design some core quality basics and prints in nice fabrics? Making a huge PR fuss about one "directional" item every season doesn't make up for having a store full of over-decorated polyester dross.

However I get M&S vouchers from MIL and I enjoy it – I stock up on tights (their thermal ones are great), socks and then I head to the homewares and buy some of their pottery, which is really stylish and nice.

It's like the people designing their clothes have had the "design" chip removed from their brains first. Why why why?

YANBU.

Went to the M & S on the Kings Road the other day and was struck by just how hideous most of the clothes were.

I am 40 and absolutely nothing that I would consider wearing.

Horrible colours, drab styles, unflattering embellishments. Uninspiring displays and surly looking assistants.

Walked in, wandered around for ten minutes and left.

Think I'll stick with Monsoon and Jigsaw thanks even though it's more pricey and I mainly buy in the sales/ebay.

The food sales at M+S are propping everything else up, apparently. Why do they get food so right and clothes so wrong? The stores are dull and subdued too, until you get to the food hall which is more colourful and lively.

Their expensive app is glitchy.

Their customer services department is appalling. I've complained via email twice, neither response made any sense.

The shop staff are lovely.