Me and Em gone mad

[changecandles]

I like Me and Em. I see them as a safe option for decent quality top end high street brand.

My shock at seeing their new arrivals. £495 for a Mac. £650 for a tweedy Chanel knock off blazer. £195 for jeans.

What happened???? Frankly I just don't value them as being relevant at that price point. I do buy things at that price point and above but I'm buying brands that I consider more luxury and higher end when I spend that sort of money. Not Me and Em

I only buy in their sales now

I’d never call them a high street brand, but recently they seem to be favoured by various royals (not just UK, but others), so I wondered if that’s pushed their prices up?

I used to buy quite a bit from them in their sales, or go along to the sample sales in London. I’ve got pieces that are over 10 years old, so the quality is good.

The women in the cabinet started wearing them so now they have a global audience - prices have probably gone up with the exposure

This was what I was thinking

What happened????

Labour.

At least, that’s what I’m seeing. Labour Party patronage has brought them a whole new level of fame, so they’re on the radar of a much wider range of women who like the clothes, want to be seen in them and can afford to buy them out of their own salaries. I’d imagine it’s pretty thrilling for the brand - a higher profile and increased income must mean they can afford to experiment, and command a new level of pricing.

It is quite weird. I’ve been aware of them for a long time but had no need or desire for their particular very nice, ladylike, mid-market products. It’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve found myself paying them more attention, recommending them to people I know, and to people I don’t on S&B.

Prompted by this thread I’ve just looked at the January collection. It’s still, by and large, much too ladylike for me (by which I think I mean everything fits conventionally) and I would rather eat my own arm than spend money on clothes that might be recognised on high profile wearers - but some of the items are breathtakingly pretty. And in natural fabrics. And serve a purpose for women who need that sort of wardrobe.

I can’t be the only person for whom the loss of Raey @ Matches has meant wailing and gnashing of teeth concerted online legwork to identify replacement brands with exactly that spirit. It’s been quite tough! I’m happy with the places currently saved on my screen, and always on the lookout for more. Me & Em isn’t yet amongst them.

I like them too, but do feel their prices have increased way too much.

Taking another look - I’m not sure I agree about the prices having gone mad, @changecandles. I sorted from highest to lowest price and having scrolled through 300 odd items there are still nearly a thousand to go that cost £225 or less. So still very much upper High St (or top floor of the Selfridges branch I’m most familiar with, where Cos used to be, alongside Soeur, Sezanne, All Saints, The Kooples … ). It’s only the headline pieces that are competing with ‘designer’ labels.

I was going to defend the tweedy jacket as expensive but not a completely outrageous price for good tweed, but then I saw that it's only 37% wool....

I've not bought from them since they did those ruched jersey dresses and skirts years and years ago. I just don't have the lifestyle for their kind of clothes, never mind the income. But I do think Clare Hornby (assuming it's still her) has a very good eye for trends and that she's a canny business woman, as she showed when she dressed Victoria Starmer last summer (although I didn't think Angela Rayner's trouser suit did either of them any favours).

Totally agree. Their prices are now way above what I expect to pay for that brand. I think they have become a bit twee these days anyway - I used to buy quite a lot from them, but now I would look like a labour MP so I tend to shop elsewhere..

I do like me and em as find it works well for my lifestyle. But their latest collection is not for me.

Agree pricing is getting very high.

Just looked at the dresses for potential wedding guest dresses and they’re very frumpy They all kind of almost ankle length.

I like almost ankle length - it's my favourite at the moment

I usually buy one or 2 bits, sometimes more from Me&Em summer and winter but agree their pricing has changed. A pp mentioned their ruched skirts and dresses they used to do. I always have a hankering for one of their dresses I used to wear in the summer years ago. Think it was called a tulip style dress or something and for me at that time it was the perfect summer dress.

Quite. It's the quality vs price that I have an issue with.

Their quality is top drawer high street. It's not exclusive designer and that tweedy Chanel knock off jacket at £650 is made up thus:

Main Fabric: 37% Wool, 27% Polyester, 17% Cotton, 11% Polyamide, 4% Acrylic, 2% Metallised Fibre, 2% Viscose

It's a very substandard blend. Not worth the price at all

I only buy in the sales too. The cut of their trousers is great for me and I like their knitwear at sale prices. They seem to put out more collections compared to a few years ago and there’s more miss than hit for me.

I now mostly just buy in sales, I haven't found any other brand with wide leg trousers that fit me as well as theirs. Prefer their plainer dresses rather than the fussier floral styles.

I stopped buying them new a few years ago when I bought a lovely dress that was a very loose fit on me and the second time I wore it one of the seams split. Took it back and they replaced it no problem but same thing happened again so I had to get my money back. A shame as the quality of the early collections was great and I still wear pieces from those on a daily basis (and trawl ebay for them).

Oh, I have sensational legs so ankle length makes me look a bit Amish 😀😀

When did they get so expensive? I have a few dresses from them that are maybe 3 years old. I’m sure they were somewhere around £100. All developed holes (but to be fair, I lived in them). Now, it’s too expensive.

I can’t be the only person for whom the loss of Raey @ Matches has meant wailing and gnashing of teeth concerted online legwork to identify replacement brands with exactly that spirit

No you're not!

I buy the odd thing from Me and Em . I find them reliable and easy to deal with. They have always been fairly expensive imo and all clothes have gone up a lot. I expect a dress to last me a lot of wears over a good few years and theirs fit that bill. I buy very little.

I don't understand the love. I tried a few of their dresses on and didn't think they were worth the price. I much prefer hobbs for similar pieces.

I also only buy the odd thing, mostly work dresses. I buy in the sales where they are £250-300 ish which I think is ok-ish as they look great. Wouldn’t spend £650 on a blazer! Agree with additional exposure they put their prices up.

I rate their summer dresses. I’m tall and like that they’re smart enough for parties but not overdone and they have pockets.
The cheesecloth ones are cool in hot weather and don’t crumple in a suitcase.
I agree they’ve gone much pricier though.

Has anyone been to one of the Me and em sample sales ? Wonderedif worth a trip into London or just a load of sample sized items