M&S knickers - what’s happened?

[gillefc82]

I’m in my 40s and for most of my life I’ve bought my everyday wear knickers (thongs to be precise) from M&S. They’ve always washed well and lasted but I’ve found that the ones I’ve purchased during the last year or two have fallen off a cliff in terms of quality, e.g. holes appearing around the stitching after only a couple of washes.

Is it just me or are others having this issue? And can anyone recommend somewhere else where I can buy quality, comfortable cotton thongs that will last more than a few months?

Just got some from Cotton traders-with decent gusset!

I bought the microfibre ones thinking they were the previous cotton/no VPL and they’re AWFUL!

I’ve gone to British boxers too. Great bamboo pjs and their big knickers are very comfy

Are women's nether regions getting bigger along with the average dress size ?

I’ve done the same, M&S my whole life they’ve always been great then in the last 5 years, awful and full of holes.

I switched to Next “cotton rich” ones. The ones listed as cotton rich seem to be a match for the M&S ones I knew and loved, albeit with fewer pattern options.

Been using these a couple of years and all in the world is good again.

Sainsburys were ok but seem to go out of shape quickly. And never find my size in store. A good pair of black knickers was M&S and maybe 2 years ago? Hema used to be good. Accessorize used to sell nice knickers but don’t seem to sell much these days.

M&S think women’s gussets have narrowed!

And shortened.

Oh god, yes that annoying seam in completely the worst place.

The quality of M & S knickers is appalling now. The material is so thin that it has ripped when removing a pad with adhesive. And after a few washes my knickers are almost sheer with elastic so slack I need to wear trousers to keep them on. Wearing a skirt or even shorts I've had to yank them up every time I move. And I can see my pads through them which isn't great if I wear skirts or A line shorts.

The midi knickers have gone from their range too. High Rise Shorts are not the same Midi cut because they have lowered the leg to give boyleg shorts but they have also given up the real estate of a comfy wide gusset and for many of us who wear pads, even mini pads overhang the gusset. The shape is all wrong for anything above a UK 12. But also because of the way they're shaped, pads don't stay stuck on the gusset. They move, roll and even drop out the shorts legs (especially now they've redesigned TENA Lady pass too to that are shorter, thinner and unstable).

For the past few years I have been wearing Sloggi knickers. I like the Sloggi 24/7 Cotton Midi Knickers. Really comfy and fits to standard UK clothing sizes (I take an 18). However, they are discontinuing this range and moving into non cotton microfibre/synthetic ranges and styles that rival other sporty style underwear companies like Boody etc.

Sloggi do have a Basic+ 95% Cotton Midi Knickers and they are really comfy for average people. But not as low in the legs as the 24/7 and I have a big sticky out mole on my thigh/hip just where the elastic is on Basic+ and it gets cut into. If you don't have a mole near your knicker leg Basic + is just fine.
In general though, the quality on Sloggi has also declined. I have a pair on today from 2020 and they're still thick cotton and not fine or see through. My last Sloggi 24/7 are not quite as dense cotton as this so not as hardy and the dye faded more quickly. But Sloggi are still way better than current M&S and the elastic is strong.

I still have some old M&S Midi knickers from 2014 and they're still better than new ones. I change my knickers several times a day and have about 50 pairs at least so each pair foesnt get over worn on a rotation. Newer M&S though, they are getting worn out quickly after just one wash and wear.

Somebody on my own knickers post about this suggested another brand that does good briefs called La Marquise and they have a cotton range.

They also suggested Innersey and Wirarpa on Amazon. I have tried them but in my size they have widened them at the hip to size up, but the cut on inner groin doesn't suit me because it's too high and exposes my privates area each side. And the gusset is too narrow for a TENA lady mini pad.

I have tried George (Asda), Tu (Sainsburys) and Next cotton rich midi knickers and they're so thin it is like wearing nothing plus the usual problem of a gusset too narrow for a pad in the size 18. And weak elastic that doesn't even meet at the side seams indicating poor quality control. I like the legs to be around my actual legs.

The market thinks it's catered for me by having loads of full briefs. But I'm 5 ft and those kind of briefs go over my stomach over the bottom of my bra, and some styles can reach almost to my armpits. I have an abnormally short torso. Midi knickers go over my belly button and up over my waist.

If I discover any other alternatives, I'll try to find this post and update you. In the meantime try Sloggi for their Basic+ or look out for last stock of their 24/7 range.

I really don't know what some of you do with your knickers that they are ripping apart 😂 ! I treat knickers as disposable items - they only have a certain shelf life. I wouldn't wear tatty knickers and they are discarded once beyond their best.

I'm sticking adhesive pads to my knickers, removing them does wear out cotton. But many of my M&S purchases etc are just a lot thinner. I wash my pants in a protective bag on delicate wash. I might be hard on pulling my pants up because I can't reach and use equipment to do that. But I have Midi knickers in my drawer from around 2014 and that are really good thick cotton and rladtic compared with current M&S knickers and others where it's all thin, weak estatic and poor finishing where threads come undone. I can only wear cotton. Cotton production is hard on the environment so I want my knickers more sustainable and not a throw away item. I am also too sick to work. I can't afford to replace my knickers every few months on my tiny medical pension. And I only buy new clothes and shoes every 4 or 5 yrs and can only afford to get new glasses every 5 yrs. Spend a fortune as well on incontinence pads and bed pads. Some of my knickers are already getting disposed of for hygiene reasons so to add pants that are only a few months old and haven't been soiled by incontinence is an added expense
If M&S made their knickers like they did in the 80s and 90s thered be no reason to not kerp knickers for years and help the planet. Even if I was the richest person in the World I'd want clothes to be less throwaway. Synthetic clothes break down to microplastics that really pollute. Even cotton knickers are at most 95% natural.

Yes. Have been relying on them most of all for DS’s pants and weirdly after a certain number of washes they all, without fail, fall apart. All within about the same time frame (6-8 months ish?). They used to last for ever.

I have some from 8 years ago that I am still wearing. The ones I bought a few months ago are already in the bin. Absolutely awful quality.

Yes I’ve become disappointed with M&S thongs. Found matalan ones very good and reasonably priced. Next good too but pricier although they often have 3for 2.

I really miss LaSenza

They’re not. It’s impossible to find the microfibre ones now, which is what I want. They’re all horrible cheap cotton.

I wear TENA lady mini pads and they are tiny and still overhang a Shorts Knicker style gusset. The way the leg holes are cut on shorts styles is cut in a way that only leaves a small diamond shaped area for a gusset so if they have to fit a full gusset in, it's usually very narrow. Size of the gusset is made worse by the way shorts fit. With me it caused my pad to roll rather than sit, and it then stuck to my body hair so ended up giving myself an unwanted waxing. I actually had an injury where it was ripped out. Then another time at home thank goodness, it rolled into a tube then just fell out of my floppy denim shorts leg. Unless you have a long wide gusset, pads font even stick to it.

I now wear Sloggi 24/7 Cotton Midi Knickers. They're great. They only come in Black and White. They have other Midi Knickers too, the Basic+, but I need to size up on those. Sadly, Sloggi who were only cotton from when I wore them at school in the 1970s have brought in synthetics and they have D discontinued the 24/7 cotton range though they still have the Basic+ Midi.

Another ex Sloggi wearer says La Marquise knickers are a good replacement.

I was a very good customer of M & S but I have probably only bought a couple of things from them in the last year. The quality has gone awol. One of the purchases was a multipack of high leg knickers, literally pants quality. I will miss them if they went, the thought of them, but the reality is they do nothing for me as a shop now. The food is okay but the rest of it is Primark quality for higher prices. Looking at this thread I would be worried if I were in M & S leadership. Nobody wants it to fail, it’s an institution, but it has lost its USP which was quality at affordable prices in convenient locations - the quality has nosedived, the prices have sky rocketed, and a lot of the stores have closed. Sad times.

Yes, I'm having exactly the same issue with M and S knickers ( bras still seem OK). As others have said try Sainsbury's and Asda (George) aren't bad either

I agree. Funnily, I could still spend quite a bit in the Men's department for hubby though.

I switched to Sainsbury’s pants years ago and have recently discovered Stripe and Stare knickers, which have the widest gusset I’ve found in many a year. Just heaven! I can only afford them in the sale but they’re fabulous!

M&S stopped making knickers in the UK years ago. They used to be 100% British made but no more. So much is made overseas now that they shut down a big warehouse not too far from where my friend lives a few years ago that was a distribution hub.

I get mine from Waitrose these days. John Lewis big old multipack. At least they cover the bits you want covered, and don't disintegrate in the wash.

What are you suggesting people are doing?

It is definitely not Primark Quality 😂