What does "Mrs M&S" look like?

[Behooven]

This?

I fear none of these.

Low heeled shoes and a waterfall cardigan.

They're nearly as bad as the trousers on That OtherThread.

Though the M&S bloke who was on Breakfast telly today did sound as if he'd taken some messages on board (eg display things so we can find things).

Adopt bra intervention measuring norms, and introduce teen bras from a 24 (a measurement they'd try to sell a 28 to), add some classics, take away anything that with hindsight looks like a doily, loo roll cover or boilersuit and people might start to return.

If he really is listening he should come on here and thread these threads then have a webchat

According to the news tonight, Mrs M&S wears a hideous beige sleeveless polyester jacket, not far removed from the 'pinnies' / housecoats my nana used to wear in 1977.

They are really, really not listening!

I watched that too Remus, what was that thing he was waving around?

Ha ha, yes. I watched that thinking I'm probably Mrs M&S then he waved a beige polyester gilet. Vom!

I actually think the denim jumpsuit is quite cute!

Mrs M&S? I heard that on Radio 4 this morning - Ms M&S goes to John Lewis these days thanks.

I kind of love those dungarees, but they would be way too long for me.

I am a SAHM / volunteer in my 50s. Slightly overweight. Value conscious but with a high disposable income. I would have thought I was the perfect Mrs M&S but I cannot remember the last time I bought any clothing there. For basics like jeans / leggings /t shirts it would be Uniqlo or Primark which have better quality, better cut, better value pieces and are much easier to locate in store. For more individual, fashion type pieces I would go to almost any other medium to high end high street store - or department store. M&S stuff is all so samey, I can sit in church or in a bar and play spot the Classics/Per Una.
And as for the once great customer service - the staff are depressed , demoralised and overworked, they seem to find customers a nuisance.

I wonder if having a woman at the top would make any difference to M&S. The clothes on the whole are awful nasty fabrics, over the top patterns and weird colours. Sometimes you see a nice piece and then realise it's polyester or horrible colour. 50 year old menopausal women do not want polyester.

I'm the voice of dissent. I bloody love M&S. I've had great things from them over the past year, mostly from Autograph. Here is a selection:

Leather leggings

Bottle green leather wrap skirt

Wool mix blazer

Black lightweight jacket that could be from Belstaff

Silk camisole (Rosie range)

Great autograph bras

7/8 trousers in cotton

Bloody amazing over the knee boots. I got them in two colours.

'Best of British' Norman Walsh trainers

Michael Van Der Ham ballet pumps

To say nothing of their fab beauty range. I buy Roger & Gallet shower gel and Emma Hardie skincare.

So I think that M&S should keep up the good work. I also buy Max Mara and Jaeger stuff, but M&S are amazing.

I think the main thing they need to sort out is their stock. When I look at their website, I normally see some nice things - particularly Autograph as Nettle says. But there's also much crap that by the time I get to the end of the page, I've forgotten about the good stuff.

Then when I do remember, I go and look for it in my local store and it's never there. And by this time I'm too pissed off with them to order online.

I also quite like that denim jumpsuit - and I am not normally a jumpsuit fan!
But this is their other big problem: we all have different tastes and lifestyles and yet we all expect M&S to cater for us. It's not possible.

I agree there's just too much stuff. Too many sub ranges. It's over whelming. Classics, per Una, per Una speziale, autograph, indigo. I can see what they're trying to do but it's not working.

The Alexa Chung range was grasping at straws frankly. I can see they were trying to draw in younger shoppers but I doubt it worked.

I was in a huge M&S last night. Fur some reason they relocated the kids clothes to the furniture section. Why? Rows and rows of slacks and skirts. Given the people there last night Mrs M&S is an overweight (I'm in this bracket myself) 40+ woman.

I am with nettle. I am Mrs m and s.
I wear black coated jeans and their black cashmere knits all winter. I have to size up 3-4 sizes for their cashmere though.
And their black ankle boots.

Low heeled shoes and a waterfall cardigan.

Marzi - I don't know why but I let out a massive guffaw at this.

I knew the people behind the creation of the Per Una concept. It was supposedly for late 20's to late 30's shoppers initially.

Then my SILs mum was raving about the blouses there a few months later, she's in her 60's. They got it so wrong.

The ranging is panic ranging, they can't take the plunge on riskier products and say goodbye to guaranteed money from crepe flat front slacks with an elasticated waist. So they try and be all things to all men, well women.

And in later years there's so much more competition. My mum when in her 40's really only had M&S and the odd boutique.

I'm 46 and I love the ranges in Zara and H&M etc so have so much more high street choices. I only really buy my underwear in M&S.