M&S "behind the scenes" feedback thread - non attendees - chance to win £150 M&S giftcard! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the 8 MNers who attended the M&S "behind the scenes" event at M&S Marble Arch on Thursday 4th December. This was a chance for these MNers to meet the Womenswear design and buying team at M&S and chat about about their womenswear range this Christmas and to get some top advice on the range.

Non attendees - for a chance to win a £150 M&S voucher, please share on this thread either the very best clothing item you have ever bought from M&S or the one thing they sell that always seems to find its way into your basket! Add your comment and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £150 M&S giftcard

The event consisted of MNers "shopping" for themselves and selecting items they think they'd like to buy - these were then tried on and chatted about with the M&S team.

Frances Russell, Womenswear Trading Director and Belinda Earl - Style Director - called in and chatted about how the business works, how they try to make sure what M&S offers meets the need of all their customers.

There was then an open discussion with other members of the M&S senior womenswear team about MNers top 3 loves and hates about M&S, what the ideal M&S would look like/sell, what are MNers favourite shops and what's most important to those attending in clothing.

The group also asked MNers - if MN ran the Womenswear business what 3 things would they do?

Note; M&S have submitted some answers to the most commonly asked questions on the recruitment form - see this link here for them - we hope to have some additional answers in the next day or so.

Attendees - please share below your responses to the following questions! And do add any photos you took of the day to the thread.

~ Please give an overview of the day
~ What items you picked and what you thought about them (would you buy them?)
~ Please share with MNers about the discussions on the day - what did you ask and what was the consensus?
~ What was your take on the question of "if MN ran the Womenswear business what 3 things would they do"?
~ What was your overall impression of the day? Are you glad you went?

Also M&S would love to know from attendees:
~ How important is the way something is made to you e.g. does it matter if it was made ethically or sustainably and do you check this?
~ Where do you get ideas and inspiration from for what clothing you want to buy?
~ How often do you update your wardrobe with new items?
~ How would you describe your personal style and taste?

Thanks!
MNHQ

Non attendee

Leggings

Dauphinois potatoes for Christmas!

Woop woop - that's wonderful - life's too short not to have a dress you love!!

They are www.theworkwearedit.com and also www.allwornoutblog.com

More answers from me, I forgot the last bit....

Also M&S would love to know from attendees:

~ How important is the way something is made to you e.g. does it matter if it was made ethically or sustainably and do you check this?

If I'm honest, I don't check.

~ Where do you get ideas and inspiration from for what clothing you want to buy?

I might see someone on the train with a particular cut of trousers or a coat and I think "I want one of those" and I might hunt them down... the item, not the person... LOL

~ How often do you update your wardrobe with new items?

I panic buy mostly, I buy what I need when I need it.

~ How would you describe your personal style and taste?

Not being particularly confident with my looks or my style, I usually copy someone else, people on the train or a magazine article or a mannequin.... yes M&S, we love the mannequins for style ideas.... I do have a staple feel good outfit style, which is tapered trousers, usually a pattern, a long sleeved cotton round neck top or a turtle neck and jacket which sits on the hips worn with boots, always boots, never shoes... ever... which might be a problem with that gold dress!

Non attendee - I have some autograph jeans that I love a lot, as I am a size 16 at the moment, and they make me look fairly decent. I normally like most things in the autograph and limited collection ranges.

I want to know what you all wore to the event, because I'm nosy like that!

I wore black peg trousers (that's what they're called, I know not why), black boots, black silky tshirt, black and white patterned jacket by my good friend George at ASDA lol

Non attendee.

Several mentions about how attendees now know how to shop as the different departments have been explained about. I maybe just off M&S at the moment but I find that patronising and then no one then goes on to actually explain each departments plan!

I am annoyed with M&S as they stop children's clothes at 12 years with tiny amounts up to 14 and even less 15-16.

Sadly the only thing I can praise M&S for is the fact they put the sizes inside socks which is great when you have three kids and can't always remember which boy has which set. Recently discovered 7 1/2 - 10 in boys socks which is great but where are the girls in that size? Not every girl has tiny feet!

I miss garlic and herb crisps in the light blue packet.

I expect I will get M&S vouchers for Christmas and will spend my present buying food as there is nothing I want to wear.

I don't even look in the lingerie department anymore. The bra fitters are rude and incompetent and the colours are awful.

my best M&S purchase was actually found in a charity shop, which is possibly against the rules . as a result i have no idea how old it is but i bought it from the charity shop 2-3 years ago

it's a cosy dark blue angora and wool cardigan, with a really unusual structure and lapel/collar, that looks really good on top of a plain well-fitting white long-sleeved top and black trousers

Itsfab... I'm confused about what you find is patronising? The fact that the depts aren't clear as to who they are aimed at or that they are aimed anywhere at all... or have I misunderstood you?

My take on M&S was that it was a big sea of clothes (my local shop is Bluewater... it is VAST) so when I am looking for black trousers, smart but casual, I don't know where to start... now I know more about how it's set out I could start at the Collection and maybe move to Autograph.... I wouldn't look in Indigo for example, which is more casual.

Non-attendee

Always spick up dark coloured jeggings and check out the cardigans whenever I pass through the store.

(Non-attendee)

Well, it has to be knickers, doesn't it

Though I've had the same four pairs of M&S 100% wool socks for about 8 years. They are fabulous. I wear them all winter, every winter. I want more like them!

But I wish M&S did sized women's socks. I always end up buying men's 6-9, because women's 4-7 don't fit well when you take shoes size 7.5-8.

Kbear - about how we need the different departments explained to us. If it isn't obvious then M&S hasn't done a very good job imo. In the interest of fairness I have to declare I am in a very grouchy mood so could be taking it out on M&S as I am disappointed it isn't the nice place to shop it used to be, there are so many departments now I just walk straight out again. Put trousers together, jumpers together, or more signs if they insist on different sections.

I used to go to Bluewater but I drive past Hempstead Valley a lot so that is my local store now.

In the food bit I wish they would stop moving stuff. I spend less as can't find what I want and there are never any staff to help or else they don t' know where anything is either.

The best item I ever bought was a black tunic top from Autograph - it had a panel of silky material round the bottom, had two zipped pockets on the front, a very smart, practical, wearable, not too 'office suit' type item.

I always buy...pants. Something from the Food section - today I bought Marrons Glace as a Christmas Present. Little lemon cakes - they are irresistible. But I wish the Fireburst salad would come back on the little square salad pots. I loved Fireburst salad!

Things I wish I bought? My sister has a red leather weekend holdall, they were mad in many colours abo9ut 10 years ago or more. , I envy her. And more recently a black and navy striped straight jersey dress. Things in my local M&S are always in huge or tiny sizes.

ANOTHER BUG BEAR. Ooops, didn't mean to shout.

Girls proper knickers. My daughter, and I, want her in proper briefs, not high leg pants at 11 nor boys shorts that barely cover her back side. Her pants always came from M&S. Now they come from Asda..

Non attendee. I always buy tights. Boring but they are good tights! I do like M and S knickers too but am not wholly faithful to the M&S brand there.

Are we sharing moans too?

Okay - other than the, 'Fgs please use more natural fabrics' rant, which others have already banged on about, may I also add:

• Please do more things in different lengths. Too many things (especially the Autograph stuff) are stupidly long on me.

• Please, please, please get the basics right. I ought to be able to walk into M&S and find a perfect t-shirt in a choice of colours (they are generally too short and too square, or in awful colours), a perfect pencil skirt, a wonderful plain black work jacket etc etc.

• Please stop selling plastic shoes. They look bad, the quality is poor, and I don't want sweaty feet.

• Please sell me some nice PJs minus vomit-inducing patterns, or stuff fit only for five year olds.

• Please bring back Leek and Gruyere tarts. I can't find them anywhere lately and my life is incomplete without them -and you keep ignoring me on Twitter when I beg to know why I can't find them. :(

Non attendee: I love love love M&S lingerie sets, especially the new Rosie WH line. Always buy my bra and knicker sets from M&S and they always wash and last really well in comparison to other brands. The cheap cotton multipacks are also really good too.

I don't tend to buy much else from M&S (although I like that they stock Fragonard perfume and love their food halls) as the rest of the clothing doesn't seem to be targeted at my age group (mid twenties). I've seen a couple of nice dresses in the past whilst wondering through but it's not a place I'd specifically go to for clothing other than lingerie (sorry!).

Best thing I ever bought from M&S was a beautiful pencil dress in grey. Knee length capped sleeves. I wear it to work frequently - five years later. Quick wash on a low temp and hang up to dry. No creases

Attendees, did the subject of ridiculous bra sizing come up? I haven't looked for a bra in M&S in years because of their peculiar sizing.

Non attendee

I love the M&S baby mitts as they're huge and relatively tight around the wrists so DS2 (and DS1 when he was younger) can't pull them off. I haven't been able to find them in-store or online for a while and I'm starting to despair... DS2 has severe eczema on his face and mitts from other stores just aren't able to stop him from scratching like the M&S ones. I have one glove left (the other appears to be missing) and desperate to buy more. Please tell me they're not discontinued?!

Non-attendee.

Most frequent purchase - black opaques.

Best purchase - modal pyjamas in non-naff print this summer for a hospital visit. Several nurses commented on how nice they were.

Annoyances/frustrations - YY to splitting stuff up so it's scattered across the shop. Also the signing in the New Oxford Street store is absurd - I always get lost in lingerie (like in the Father Ted episode). And the bra cups just seem a strange shape.

June - yes, it was mentioned. Anyone else remember if there were any outcomes on this point?

Non-attendee here

Best purchase - vest tops in the 'Limited Collection' range that I have had for 8 years (2 black, one navy). I love the fact they have kept their shape despite endless wear in summer as vests, and in winter for layering. Love the length (not too short, not too long), the rouching in the middle of the top to give a flattering shape around the bust, the fact that straps are adjustable length so you can make them fit right. They have survived 3 pregnancies, being yanked down as breastfeeding tops.

What I always buy in M&S….erm, not so sure any more. At one time I'd have said underwear, but then I got my bra size measured properly in Rigby and Peller and discovered bras that fit. M&S stock all of about 4 bras in my not-especially-unusual size (and a gazillion in the size M&S think I am).

So the main things I always buy in M&S are Stollen slices, when in season, and when I can't resist.

I didn't attend.

My favourite recent purchase was a pink and cream flowery scarf. I went to my dps wearing it and my mum was just about to buy the exact same one for my birthday online. It was in her basket she just hadn't checked out yet!

Also love these soft jumpers. They're not cashmere I think they have some kind of elastic but they are so soft and comfy. The last one I got was grey with tiny black cats on it.

Non attendee

Always buy
'Black Autograph tights- the nice £9.50 ones
Black cotton thongs in a multipack
Two packs of big knickers, the hold you in type (light control)
Sports bras- brilliant though I have to go up a back size. Would never buy other bras though as the sizing is weird and they never fit well. I literally only wear one type of bra from one brand ( Freya) and just buy a few every year.
Black stay new leggings
Leather skirts
Those coated black jeggings in black, brown and wine, I think they were last year, couldn't find any as good this year- just some rather naff ones with zips on the ankles.

Best buys- three identical autograph short sleeve black tops about 4 years ago, wash and iron beautifully , in fact I am wearing one tomorrow!

I used to buy all my workwear, but it's all gone a bit naff, I hated those panelled shifts that proliferated a few years ago to try and make you look slimmer, but fooled no one!!

I'd love a thick good quality black bodysuit, maybe a bit 90's for some but I like one with a skirt and a cardi over for work. The one I bought last year is good quality but see through!

In the late 90's when I was still out on the razz every weekend with money to burn (pre marriage and kids) my flat mate and I used to whizz down to our local 'big' store at Handforth Dean (near Wilmslow) and buy up armfuls of clothes to go out in.

I'd struggle to put together an outfit to go out in now.

Wow , that's a long post. I feel very strongly about M and S though!