I used to like M&S but I'm not surprised they are struggling to sell womens clothes, WARNING MAY BE UPSETTING

[Behooven]

Says it all...

On the plus side, their opaque tights are second to none and I have some 5 year old ones that are still lovely. Bought some Falke ones together with them, they were fabulous, too, but are long gone.

Someone must shop in Per Una, but I've never noticed anyone in public wearing pink/ turquoise mix with sequins in a see-through polyester blouse. So, who are they designing for?

There was an interesting comment on one of the news channels about this last night. The comment went a long the lines that "M&S are getting a lot of appreciation from the fashion industry for their ranges but this is not translating to sales because they are forgetting most people don't want to look like they should be on a catwalk. They want good quality basics"

Those trousers are even worse in the flesh (I've just finished a truly awful 5 month stint working for M&S).

Some of the stuff is okay but most of it is ghastly. But there are a lot of customers who seem to love it.

Well if M&S do read this - went into a larger store, dsis was looking for jeggings. Couldn't find any. Ask two members of staff who said they was all in different places.

We could only find about ten pairs in a short size. 20-22. Sister is 5,10 and a size 12.

Sister said she had seen a nice pair on a TV advert but the store didn't have anything resembling jeggings, or leggings. Unless they was with the fruit and veg?

Their availability is pathetic. No wonder they are losing sales, they don't have the stock! The store I have just left looks empty, most of it is shut away out the back for nobody to see.

Their availability is pathetic. No wonder they are losing sales, they don't have the stock!
This what I don't understand. How hard is it to order lots of 10,12,14 tapering off with other sizes? Like a normal distribution curve...

I went my local end November large store on 3 floors. Just wanted basic ladies black socks. Just TWO pairs availed rough multi pack of 5 with elastic so lose they would just fallen down or pack 2 cashmere ..... If had wanted pink or multicoloured lots of choice but not just black!

Can't get socks which are pure cotton save 2% lycra anymore. I have pairs from M&S that I've had for years and eventually worn the heels threadbare - but such a comfy important staple.

Carelessly I reordered on the internet as they looked the same (black with coloured heels/toes for that Sunday afternoon pairing challenge that we all need ). They now have a massive amount of polyester in them! So they're sweaty and baggy and my feet feel cold and damp all the time. I've resorted to Falke at £10 a pair (they do label my left and right though )

Bought some ankle high socks at the same time - those shorty trainer liner ones. They have a moderately higher cotton % but the elastic at the top is almost non-existant so they slither into your shoe/trainer and end up scrunched underfoot.

How have they even managed to get socks wrong?!!

On a better note I got the last pair of size 6 tan suede autograph knee boots for £99. So great are they that I went back for the black leather ones. Classic styling and will last years. (They are the exception to the rule though). SEE THEM HERE IN THIS DAILY MIRROR ARTICLE

NicoleWaterson has nailed it IMO, MADE IN BRITAIN WOULD BE WONDERFUL YYYYYYYYY

I remember seeing them selling Fairtrade Tshirts and they were the SAME price as the UNFAIR trade ones How the fuck did they work that one out!!!!!!???????

OOOOO - just heard PM on playback and my email about M&S was read out

Someone mentioned Jeager I used to work there, that is very upmarket (or was).

That mirror article suggests that we should all be rushing out to buy the Per Una Speziale orange leopard coat someone (rightly) singled out as hideous on this thread...

Made in Britain might be nice but the shop would it would then become far too expensive for its target market.

ppeat re Jaeger, that was me. I buy nearly all my office stuff from Jaeger now, but mostly on ebay where there's some great stuff new/nearly new. Couldn't afford it full price.

I get my lunch at the central Cardiff store once a week and will pick up other food there regularly, so have to wander past the wilderness that is Per Una to get to the food hall. Why does Per Una take up such a large percentage of the floor space when the areas I want to browse, Limited Collection and Autograph, and the workwear bit, take up less space? Who buys Per Una?! Like many other posters I am a mid 40s busy professional who should be being tempted to spend most of my clothing budget with them given the amount of time I am in there buying food!
Agree Elizabeth that Autograph is good and I usually get one or two things there each season, but it is hit and miss and if they were getting the clothing right I would expect that I would covet something every time I went in there rather than once or twice per season. Agree with others re quality of tights, vests, knickers and cashmere knitwear. I have several pairs of Autograph 100 denier velvet touch tights that are the business and years old. A few months ago I wanted an additional few pairs and they did not have my size in the central Cardiff store? Why is their stock control so rubbish?
Bewildering they still haven't got it right and hope high level management sees this thread so that it improves!

Ahem....I do wear Per Una jeans!! However what drives me mad is having to look in x number of 'departments' for the same item eg versions of winter coat will be found in Per Una, Autograph, etc......I need to compare the whole range of one item side by side. Surely it can't be that difficult?

This blog has a look at SS16, the post is complimentary but the clothes are just trying so desperately hard its sad. They clearly want them to be posted in style sections but who is going to wear them in the real world.

Forgot the link

SS16

A few years ago I was buying some pants or something and the assistant asked me what I thought of the Per Una range. I said fairly apologetically that I thought it was fussy, over-embellished with not very nice colours and got a bit of a cat's bum mouth in response. Turned out the assistants had been told to ask shoppers what they thought of it, but unfortunately, my assistant loved Per Una and wore it all the time. Oops.

Lucked WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THAT LEATHER SHIRT THING ABOUT.

The thing is every now and again there is a gem. I've got a lovely layered blouse in bottle green and a ponte shirt dress that I treasure from Autograph. But it's like chasing the dragon, amazing occasionally and damp squib the rest of the time.

From that SS16 link : "look out for the smart dungarees you'll be wearing to the office come February, no matter how old you arE"

No I fucking well won't be wearing dungarees to the office.

And if anyone believes that twaddle, then I can see why it's all going wrong.

lucked that link
It says "what you'll be wearing in 2016"
No no no no no

I quite like the look of the material of the metallic skirt in the Pool link but it looks like it will be an awkward midi length. Midi only flatters the very leggy.