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 discovered me &em here. I haven't purchased anything and unsubscribed from the mailing list after I bought a skirt that was hideously expensive that washed really badly....was also see through but I didn't realise this when u tried if on initially. Still get stuff in the post..it just goes in the bin.

I have just looked at the dresses on Hobbs website. Err. They are really nothing like Me&Em

They are all sort of dated looking

Jeans were £175-195 last year too. The prices haven’t gone up there.

It looks lovely but omg £££

@ColdHenrietta who have you found to replace Raey? I miss Matches so much in general.

Yes, I went 2 years ago and got several items. Prices were good and they did further reductions while I was there so I paid even less! Missed out last year but I've got a ticket to their next one on Wednesday.

I like the concept of some of their bits and I always have a browse...then look for similar cheaper! I would buy in the sale, but am keen to go to a store in person as I find that's the best way to get to know a New brand. I do think some of their pieces could easily look dated unless the very timeless ones.

I love their clothes but agree their pricing is crazy. Currently in love with this dress but £300! 😳

https://www.meandem.com/midi-shirt-dress-intense-orange

God, it’s hard, isn’t it? I’ve only very recently deleted Matches from its position saved on my screen …

Fortunately (not really because I was ill) Raey’s demise coincided with a period when I didn’t need purposeful meeting clothes, and it’s been easy enough to shop my wardrobe. (And to borrow the odd thing from my mother - last Summer I lived in a wondrous pair of ink coloured linen trousers - old Toast - that she didn’t need.) I have just taken out my much worn Raey chinos for Spring and am feeling very fabulous in them.

But I’ve desperately missed the browsing entertainment. And buying something simply because it’s perfect. La Fetiche has provided the colour in my wardrobe, so that hasn’t changed. I had a Studio Nicholson knitwear habit pre-Covid; now I’m having to consider their coats and trousers much more seriously. I’m loving the look of Róhe, though it’s more London and Europe, definitely too luxe for the city I live in. I hadn’t bought any James Perse for aeons - and the prices have rocketed - but I can definitely see a place for a few of their things again. & Daughter, Acne Studios, Cawley Studio, Loulou Studio, Margaret Howell, Lemaire, Sofie D’Hoore, Toteme, YMC … (Blue arsed fly emoji.) Most of those I’ve shopped with previously. Bite Studios, (sometimes weird, sometimes glorious.) Cordera, Teurn Studios … I’m waiting for a lottery win - must remember to play it! - so I can buy up all of Casey Casey, Co Collections and Carven. Bits of Cecilie Bahnsen. The Elder Statesman (where massively reduced).

Nowhere near an exhaustive list! My Winter coat was from the men’s department of Toast - pure love at first sight. And I adore the thrill of the odd perfect thing from Zara

Bloody hell. It’s so much work! 😄 Raey made life so easy. And none of the other multi-brands quite hits the spot like Matches.

Where are you shopping now, @spoodlesee??

I bought M+E early on and still have my (now useless) black VIP card 🤣

Issues (IMO)
Quality down, prices up. I know clothes have become generally more expensive but they’re taking the proverbial.

Somec bizarrely unflattering colour/pattern choices (hello, Rayner green suit🥴) exaggerated cuts & the frills on frocks aesthetic are killing their formerly understated quality/luxe vibe. Stock is now instantly recognisably M&E and not in a good way.

Trousers/skirts/dresses cut to flatter tall,skinny models or Amazonians rather than the average core customer.

Endless sales. Infuriating when you’ve bought full price the week before. Baffling to find so many sale items that I’ve never seen on the UK site, ever. Makes me think that there’s a lot of unsold stock, possibly from the USA venture?

@ColdHenrietta thanks will check those out. Matches was always so good for slightly cheaper but different designers.

The Raey designer was the Topshop Boutique buyer and a lot of the handwriting/styling is similar if you fancy some eBay purchases.

I only ever look on the sale section really. I did buy a pair of full price trousers which I have worn endlessly since, so I don't regret that. Vinted also has a lot of Me+Em although the prices are optimistic fairly often.

Quite. I bought a couple of pieces from them but sent them back, because I wasn't paying hundreds of pounds for polyester.

Yes, I recall reading a great interview with her somewhere - really hope she’ll be doing something equally great soon.

Topshop Boutique was always impressive in terms of design - but I’m happy to move on!

Agreed. Hobbs is for a much less trendy demographic. The good thing about Hobbs I guess is that they haven't changed for 20 years so if you are looking for that style you know where to go.

I quite like Ba&sh as an alternative to Me+Em, although not much cheaper they have quite a lot of nice styles. Sezanne has also lost quality in the last couple of years unfortunately.

I've really not shopped much the last year. Combo of saving/other things going on/feeling uninspired. I have some gorgeous Isabel Marant knits that I have lived in with new jeans & new some Cos trousers. A lovely Maje jacket & i bought a Topshop boutique silk slip dress from ebay which I wore out but mainly shopped my wardrobe & quite a bit from Zara although not liking anything in there this yr so far.

I think of them as the Labour Party's favourite. If Lord Ali is buying, why not put the price up?

I've always liked their clothes but too pricey for me. Definitely more expensive than previously too.

Good to know thank you, I have a ticket for tomorrow and was second guessing whether to go

I have just looked at Vinted and Me&Em clothes are quite reasonable on there. If you don't mind second hand it could be worth looking.

I've got a couple of bits from Vinted and really like them. I can't justify Me+Em full price, but second hand it's a step above what I was wearing (Next, New Look & Oasis type stuff).

They are one of the brands I look for on Vinted when I have a wardrobe gap I am shopping for.

I'm sad to report that the sample sale was very disappointing and I didn't buy a thing! Perhaps I would've been luckier if I'd got a ticket for a morning slot because by 3pm there wasn't much left.

Do you have to be a model size to get stuff from sample sales?

Also, does anyone know if there are any Me and Em discount codes around?

They usually offer 15% off your first order if you sign up to the mailing list.

Where was the sample sale?

It was at the Chelsea Old Town Hall on King's Road. Next year I'll try and get a morning ticket.