i went to Marks and saw some nice stuff. - Marks fans this way

[Armpitt]

I liked ( and bought) this in black www.marksandspencer.com/v-neck-jumper/p/p22379655 - obv usual website disclaimer. Pity not in a better fabric but will look ace with a vest under and my leatherette trousers.

also this coat was LOVELY in grey www.marksandspencer.com/buttonsafe-wool-blend-double-breasted-coat-with-cashmere/p/p22312160

and would have liked this if not so long www.marksandspencer.com/cotton-rich-striped-pencil-skirt/p/p22357825 here

Inspired by this thread I went into the Meadowhall branch of M and S this morning as I had an M and S voucher to spend, and bought:

Two teen bras for DD
Some food
A coffee

There was nothing there that caught my eye at all. The hideous lime green and pink colours hurt my eyes and don't suit me. The flimsy sea of shapeless polyester made me want to cry and the clothes they had looked so frumpy that I left feeling very disappointed.

I want to like M and S, but I think their fashion buyers have lost the plot.

Bunbaker - glad it wasn't just me. It was impossible to see anything nice in that awful pink and green polyester ocean.

It makes me so cross. It would be so, so easy for them to get it right, and they just see to get worse and worse instead. I want to shop there - it's easy, the prices remain largely reasonable and I still think (other than all the bloody polyester) that quality is pretty decent - but they are making it harder and harder for me to buy anything in there.

That striped skirt hurts my eyes but is something I might have worn when 18 and stick thin.

I've not been tempted by anything other than some rather snuggly jammies, since Christmas. The colours are dreadful - either garish or pastel/beige with nothing for a rapidly greying cooling winter.

That pink dress would look great if it wasn't styled with such mismatched, dull shoes. I could just imagine it on a student with DMs and a bandana or even a beehive.

Fatherpeewee - I bought a couple of bits in their sale about a fortnight ago when it was buy one get one half price, and was told that using that offer made both items unreturnable.

I think they're trying to improve their sales figures after their disastrous Xmas by any means possible.

I bought these boots for £36, they're sold out online but marked as £11! And a silk taupe Rosie bra.

I went to the Trafford Centre branch this PM and saw bugger all. I went to look at the cashmere, but it was all dayglo pinks and greens. I can't understand why they can't get the decent stock into reasonably big branches.

I work next door to an M&S and also have one near where I live. Honest to God, some of the stuff is atrocious. The neon pink, yellow, etc is awful and I can't believe this, which comes in a shirt and skirt combo.

www.marksandspencer.com/no-peep-floral-shirt/p/p60068018

As far as I can see, they haven't sold a single one (it actually looks better here than in real life.)That said, I got a lovely coat from there last month and there are some nice cardigans but they really need to sort their act out. As a middle aged woman I should be their target audience. It's almost as though there are two buyers for the store, one with taste and one without.

I know that M&S have spoken to Mumsnetters recently, but they don't seem to have listened yet! Will send them this thread, because it's not full of M&S haters, but of people who like some of their stuff and want the opportunity to buy more.

I do think that they have terrible problems re. colours. I can't imagine lots of the colours they use looking nice on anybody at all.

Snap Ballroom! am also wearing a silk taupe Rosie bra from the sale. Slightly more than I was planning to spend given that I was looking for their tail end of sale bargains but it is V nice. I've stocked up on school tights for DD today, and when I go to collect them tomorrow I'll try on loads of shoes for when they next do a 20 percent off day - I could do with a new pair of work heels.

I am also wearing a Rosie bra, but mine is pink and was non-sale. I bought a couple of pairs of the matching knickers too. Lovely - this is one of the few things that they have got just right!

The unreturnable sale goods just feels like the final straw to me. Is this a new high street thing? There's something very unM&S about it - first, that they're so desperate to shift tat the dregs of the sale that they won't have it back under any circs, and second, that the customer's no longer top priority for them. Normally, I'd buy a pile of stuff in the final reductions, maybe return one or two things but keep most of it. This year, I've walked away from lots of things I'd normally have treated myself to, because I hate making £45.99 'now or never' decisions while standing in an overlit, messy jumble sale atmos.

I do love the Rosie lingerie, but find the matching knickers sell out long before the bras whenever there are any decent reductions.

Jeez, that's a bad shirt Louise. She looks like an escaped jump jockey from Satan's own racing stables.

It's hideous isn't it.

What about the faux leather pinafore? It's £55 but I bought it on offer for £30. Is the new limited collection. I bought the dungaree version in October - £59 reduced to £14. Wear it all the time and always asked where it came from.

This ? It's fab but no way am I cool enough to wear it. Plus I'm pregnant so it would look quite funny

Ha I've just read your review

What drives me mad about M&S is that they never ever ever seem to have the knickers I might want to buy in a size 8. I just don't get it. Do they not realise that people come in a range of sizes? I have lost count of the number of times I've looked, been unable to find any and have raised it with staff in store or emailed them. Still nothing changes.

I got down to a size 10 in jeans, a few years ago Optimism and the massive store at the Metrocentre had hardly any jeans for me to try on.

I'm back up to a 14, now, and typically, if I like something there's loads of 12s and 16s, but never any 14s at the store I usually visit. No 10s, either, mind.

It would look like a butcher's apron on me :o

OK, I caved with the 20% off and ordered these kick flare dark denims:

www.marksandspencer.com/straight-leg-denim-jeans/p/p60064580 - good composition with 99% cotton.

This denim tunic:

www.marksandspencer.com/tencel-denim-tunic/p/p22357274 - saw this on SheerLuxe earlier this week

and this for my desk at work: www.marksandspencer.com/red-ceramic-pen-pot/p/p22284259

I too walked through local M and S today.9 Middling size in quite a wealthy area .) 20% off online , so might have indulged when I got home in a couple of T shirts at least, despite vow not to buy any clothes this year except the strictly necessary . The new collections are truly vile. Design and colour.
I don't think I'll be buying anything there in near future. And I'm sure I must be in their target demographic .Stocked up on black NVPL knickers before Christmas

The coat does look lovely though Armpitt . They do have good stuff but you have to search for it.Bought cashmere tunic(birthday present for me )in October in a really pretty green , quite slim. Have worn it to death nearly .

I have two of their Autograph needlecord blouses, and love them - one plain pink and one bottle green with little flowers. They're nice and warm, and you can wear them open over stuff too.

I also bought a nice checked miniskirt there. But I like a lot of the sixties fashion they have going on at the moment, so am doing better than usual!

Oh god lets not just slag everything on gere though. I prefer a few little gems. Surely we've done slagging off marks ...decline in quality... grumble grumble polyester gazillions times?

Yes, we shouldn't be slagging it off, I went into Next and it was the same, I think the awful yellow, pink and green must be the 'in' colours for Spring. Likewise in Next, I found a few nice things amongst it all.