Whats wrong at M&S?

[Kia]

I heard a phone in about M&S on Radio5live the other day about why M&S has gone downhill and thought I'd ask you what you thought. For what it's worth my problems are that it used to be when you bought say a black skirt at Marks you knew it would be the same colour exactly as the Marks jacket and/or trousers you had at home. You didn't have to fart about checking the colour in the light, or take in the other bit of the suit to check, you just strode in got your correct size and out. The other thing is that you can buy a bra if you're concave or if you look like one of those italian porn stars but heaven help you if you're ms average!! It seems to me that Marks are trying to be something for everyone and failing their core business badly. I'm not in the twin-set and pearls brigade (yet!) and even they don't seem to be represented any more, just this sort of chelsea girl got older and tattier look. I'd be ashamed to say I was the M&S buyer who chose some of the clothes they currently have on display!

Laughing about the big knickers! Star you are so right! Started wearing giant knickers in pregnancy and stuffing wheat cushions down the back of them when in need of relief from back ache. So big knickers are now refered to as 'wheatcushioners'in our house and I have to say I wouldn't be with out them. Even my 'sexy' underwear use big knicker combo's!

P.S. loathe M & S! Even the food seems over rated nowadays!

Big knickers for me now are an essential. Sadly, they've had to get bigger and bigger after the birth of each baby to hold in the various extra rolls of flab i've accumulated. I've stopped at 3 as I haven't yet found a pair that goes from neck to toe. Maybe I should ask the MIL!

Wearers of big pants of the world unite! I also read an article that said more men are wearing thongs than ever before! Not where I work they aint! Asked beloved if he wanted a nifty little pair and his answer is unprintable (even amongst us - the real man thing, the scratching and rearranging thing when stood in groups, not to mention the possibilities of playing a tune if one had wind problems!)

Anyway, back to big drawers - I love 'em. But beloved doesn't so I suffer for his art. Small price to pay since he doesn't seem to mind about the extra yardage on display these days.

I've just watched Bridget Jones' Diary and loved the bit with the big pants, although she hardly needed to wear them!! Infact, I loved the whole film, it was very funny. As for thongs on men well, images of Peter Stringfellow just flood into my mind, hardly a respectable thing for a Sunday teatime!

Haven't shopped at M&S for years, but the per una stuff has tempted me back. Really nice clothes and boots, even pjs and casual stuff. Try it.... I was determined never to clothes shop there again!

Kia, try Adams, they ahve good school shirts, and another is George at Asda, I found M & S bloody useless this year, when my eldest went back to school in August, we did the school clothes bit at the beginnning of august. They had a school clothes sale on!!, managed to get a skirt ok but anything else was just hopeless. One thing, our school does school polo shirts and sweatshirts and fleeces, does your school, if they don't it might be an idea to ask if they would think about starting.

Confession time, we all wear M & S pants in our house!! I do like their pants and so do the rest of the clan!

Well I can give a thumbs up to my black M&S sparkly top. I slept through my alarm this morning and was woken up by my two year old calling 'mummy where are you' 5 minutes before the taxi was due to arrive to get him to the childminder and me to the ferry for a two train journey to work (don't ask). Dh dressed son while I hauled on last night's clothes and put on black sparkly top nside out to hide the diamonds, and it worked!

I am not an underwear person but can I rave about my ideal make M & S knickers? I am so happy to have found them after years of knicker problems - they don't ride up, they are comfortable and near-invisible under trousers. If I was not at my desk I would take a peep and tell you what they are. Will retire to the ladies loo and check. Watch this space......

Blast! forgot to put them on in my morning panic. Wearing a very second rate pair that don't deserve a mention. Will give you the name of my faves tomorrow.

Tigermoth, if you thought you were wearing them, but actually weren't, perhaps they're not so wonderful, if you can't tell the difference without checking. (I really should get out more!)

I do understand what you're saying. I didn't notice today because I am not wearing anything that would make a visible panty line visible, it you see what I mean. The ones I have on now wouild definitely have a VPL, though they are comfortable. Help! How did I get onto this.....

no-o-o-o-o

Second hand knickers!!!Star, you are kidding right?

I am waiting with bated breath to hear the name of the ideal pair of knickers! To say I think the knickers at M&S are 'pants'is no joke.

Star, no way, second-hand undies???

Star, please tell us you've got your mum's old knickers for polishing the car, or something!

I'm still a fan of M & S alhough the pants are Sloggi cotton ones bought in the US a mega pack of mega pants all the same, really comfy, you could camp out under them.

I like the Per Una range if they can keep new stock coming in I think it will be a winner.

I like the sexy bra range but could never wear those matching pants, think I'd be picking at them all day! R.

I feel like a very tired bird just coming home to a safe roost! God, those other threads are a pain to keep up with. Safe home here with the big knicker girls - they'll never find me here, those predatory young things! I love sloggi but I need to know about the ideal knickers too - please! We haven't got the una range in yet, signs that its coming are all over but nothing here yet. I went off and bought 2 tide him over type shirts from topshop - he's about 5 11 in his socks (14!) and I think he's gone beyond M&S boys now. Just me trying to hang on to my likkle soldier!!

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Well, no wonder Marks and Sparks are having problems. Here am I ready to give one of their knicker range a plug on the internet, a captive audience waiting to hear about these ideal knickers and the only label I can find simply says Mark and Spencer, size 14. There are some code numbers as well: 7688 737, so that might help.

Anyway I will now describe them for you: They are rather like sloggis I imagine, but I havn't worn a pair of sloggis for years so I may be wrong.

They are not stictly big knickers, stopping short of the waist but they are not stictly small ones. They occupy that no man's land between hipbones and waist. I usually aviod knickers like this - don't you find they give a nasty tummy line - but the waistband on these knickers is very soft and stretchy. There is no side seam and they cover my bottom smoothly (amazing) without any adjusting, so there is really no VPL. You can get them in black or white and the material is cotton with lots of lycra, I imagine. No lace or anything to spoil the line. I get them in the biggest size I wear,just to be on the safe side.

They cost either £6.00 or £8.00 a pair - I've forgotton which - and they come in a cardboard box.

They are the smallest and most attractive 'big knickers' I have ever seen and because they are so plain, they don't look incongruous with more OTT bras.

Marks and Spencer, can I take my commission now??????

PS I left some numbers off the code. It is 7688 737 T33.

I love M&S minis, they are bigger than the bikini ones but not quite kidney warmers. They don't whip up your bum and you don't get VPL unless they shrink in the wash. A pack of 5 for a tenner, not bad either. Also, I was able to wear them all the way through last pregnancy as they sit comfortably under bump.
Am I alone? Is there anyone else out there between thong & whoppers?

I am a mini girl too and decided that at 5 for £10 they could be sacrificied if need be in the post partum aftermath rather than face paper knickers (whoever thought of those should be shot!). All other knickers at the moment are dying a quiet death but I am holding out for a return trip to the US to haunt Victoria's Secret where they sell the most comfy bras and knickers ever found. Mail order over the net has crossed my mind but not sure if it's the done thing on a work pc! I'll need to wait until our 486 is upgraded at home.

Yes! to hell with the sadist who invented paper knickers! (of course a bloke).