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Me + Em. £350 for something that is 62% polyester!!

295 replies

pomeglamate · 27/07/2026 21:39

I’ve been on the lookout for one of their oversized blazers in a colour/material I like and was foaming at the mouth when I clicked on this but then looked at the garment composition… 62% polyester! £350 for something that is 62% polyester!! Luxury heritage-inspired tweedy 62% polyester!! Deranged. Not sure what my point is with this thread really but I mean… wow.

www.meandem.com/intelligently-oversized-jacket-pecan-brown-multi

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
PetulaGordeno · 28/07/2026 11:44

ClippyMuldoon · 27/07/2026 22:53

Reiss too. A trouser suit at 700 euro made of a wool-poly mix, emphasis on the poly. My husband bought one from the men's section - beautiful lightweight soft 100% wool for the SAME price. This is not okay.

I can remember going to Reiss when it first started. In winter it would be heavier wool, in summer much lighter, cool wool. I still have some pieces including a beautiful wool coat.
I am not paying so much for a polyester mix suit either. The quality is ‘better’ than Zara, maybe, but the prices are getting ridiculous, aren’t they?
Quality just isn’t what it was. I can remember when George Davies launched Next over for decades ago. The prices felt so high - £100 for a trouser suit. But the fabrics and quality were just beautiful. I had a tuxedo coat that I passed on to my mum, which then got given to a friend, and it’s still going.

friedaklein · 28/07/2026 11:44

Upskittled · 28/07/2026 11:29

Not sure if PP have come across Palome. Has an ethos of using natural fibres only. Not a huge range and mainly classic clothing rather than high fashion. I have bought a couple of pieces from them recently and have been very impressed by the quality and price. Items I will wear for years I think.

https://palome.com/pages/material-philosophy

These look lovely and very much my thing.

Cherrytree86 · 28/07/2026 12:00

YellowSpade · 28/07/2026 10:06

Quite. I have a great Me and Em heavy cotton skirt which will last me forever. And a black top I love. Doesn’t mean it gets away with the polyester content. Or maybe I just don’t ‘understand’ my clothes ;-)

I know right! Course @TheRealGoose be any more patronising?! I understand perfectly well that natural fibres are superior to man made and that the reason that brands don’t go for them is to increase their profits.

TRS20 · 28/07/2026 12:15

I buy loads from Me+Em and Reiss but all their lovely cheesecloth cotton, silk and linen. There is loads of it. You don’t have to buy the polyester

TheRealGoose · 28/07/2026 12:27

Lol, tin foil hats off ladies, liking a brand and not thinking their clothes feel like plastic doesn’t mean I work for them. Any more than not likening them and saying the clothes feel like plastic means you work for primark. 😂

TheRealGoose · 28/07/2026 12:29

Cherrytree86 · 28/07/2026 12:00

I know right! Course @TheRealGoose be any more patronising?! I understand perfectly well that natural fibres are superior to man made and that the reason that brands don’t go for them is to increase their profits.

Well yeah I could be, especially with the do you work for them and they sent a minion to defend them . I really don’t think any retailer feels threatened by some randoms on mumsnet not liking their clothes, but I do admire the way you feel the forum and your opinion is so important a company would do that.

I mean that is begging for some condescending response. 😂

Cherrytree86 · 28/07/2026 12:31

TheRealGoose · 28/07/2026 12:29

Well yeah I could be, especially with the do you work for them and they sent a minion to defend them . I really don’t think any retailer feels threatened by some randoms on mumsnet not liking their clothes, but I do admire the way you feel the forum and your opinion is so important a company would do that.

I mean that is begging for some condescending response. 😂

@TheRealGoose

ok ok we get it. You and Me+Em clearly just need to get a room! ♥️

OnlyUsername · 28/07/2026 12:32

TheRealGoose · 28/07/2026 12:29

Well yeah I could be, especially with the do you work for them and they sent a minion to defend them . I really don’t think any retailer feels threatened by some randoms on mumsnet not liking their clothes, but I do admire the way you feel the forum and your opinion is so important a company would do that.

I mean that is begging for some condescending response. 😂

You're wrong. I used to sit next to someone doing exactly that, for a company that I shan't name.

MidnightMeltdown · 28/07/2026 12:35

TheRealGoose · 28/07/2026 09:16

I think it depends on whay is your personal criteria.

as you can see for some, people don’t understand different variations of material. Some feel only natural fibres is acceptable. Some don’t understand why certain materials are used and want more natural fibres, some the cut and finish isn’t relevant. For many it is simply outside their budget, and they can’t afford it, some don’t understand it. Others just actually don’t know their clothes, never seen them in real life. The comments on cutting corners validated that.

for me, yes it’s worth it, this is the brand I wear the most of the clothes look excellent quality material, the finish is fabulous. The cut, the way the material hangs, even simple things, like I have a pair of cream trousers from them, the pockets are one continual pouch right across the front inside , with just the pocket areas lightly sewn, done in a wavy curved edging for the whole thing , meaning when wearing the trousers there is no way to see the pockets outline as you do often in cheaper trouers.

another example is a dress where it’s a slight puff short sleeve, inside there is a sort of little fan of material, which ensures the sleeve always sits as it should. But like the pocket completely hidden.

they aren’t cutting corners, yes the price has gone up. Most things have right now.

everyone has their own criteria, for me yes absolutely worth it. For the quality, the cut, the finish, the very beautiful materials, even the polyester looks and feels like Silk or wool , but performs and hangs much better, due to the quality of the raw material

so one persons worth it, is another persons no. And that’s ok. They are growing hugely but will never be mass market like primark or markies.

Your comments are extremely patronising. Yes we’ve all been to high end shops, we’ve all seen their polyester and we all know that it’s different from Primark polyester. That doesn’t make it worth the money they’re charging.

YellowSpade · 28/07/2026 12:35

TheRealGoose · 28/07/2026 12:29

Well yeah I could be, especially with the do you work for them and they sent a minion to defend them . I really don’t think any retailer feels threatened by some randoms on mumsnet not liking their clothes, but I do admire the way you feel the forum and your opinion is so important a company would do that.

I mean that is begging for some condescending response. 😂

I think that retailers do keep an eye on social media for feedback these days. They would be silly not to.

It is just very odd to get sooo defensive of a brand and to take it so personally when others criticise it. And making passive aggressive (and unfounded) comments about people’s lack of money is very classless behaviour. There are clothes I like, that others hate, but I couldn’t care less!

TheRealGoose · 28/07/2026 12:35

OnlyUsername · 28/07/2026 12:32

You're wrong. I used to sit next to someone doing exactly that, for a company that I shan't name.

Ok well I can asssure everyone I don’t work for me and em. I’d quite like to if it meant a clothing discount though,

and @OnlyUsername you used to sit next to someone who trolled mumsnet and employed them to rebut a few folks opinions online, wow,Confused

ClaudiaCasswell · 28/07/2026 12:37

TheRealGoose · 28/07/2026 12:27

Lol, tin foil hats off ladies, liking a brand and not thinking their clothes feel like plastic doesn’t mean I work for them. Any more than not likening them and saying the clothes feel like plastic means you work for primark. 😂

You’re just so bloody patronising.

YellowSpade · 28/07/2026 12:38

And it’s the amount of polyester relative to price also that’s an issue. I am sure we all have polyester in our wardrobes. My lovely Me and Em skirt has polyester lining the pockets, not a problem; the skirt is heavy cotton and well made. If I was buying a jacket with 62% polyester in the fabric, and costing £350, that would be an issue. It’s not black and white.

OnlyUsername · 28/07/2026 12:46

TheRealGoose · 28/07/2026 12:35

Ok well I can asssure everyone I don’t work for me and em. I’d quite like to if it meant a clothing discount though,

and @OnlyUsername you used to sit next to someone who trolled mumsnet and employed them to rebut a few folks opinions online, wow,Confused

Did you think this wasn't a thing? Bless you.

They're all over this forum. I can easily spot them. Sometimes they'd do it honestly and post as the brand but you don't see that as much now.

PhaedraTwo · 28/07/2026 12:50

OnlyUsername · 28/07/2026 12:46

Did you think this wasn't a thing? Bless you.

They're all over this forum. I can easily spot them. Sometimes they'd do it honestly and post as the brand but you don't see that as much now.

Edited

But you said you were sitting next to this person? Where was that? Were you and this person both at work?

VikingLady · 28/07/2026 12:51

Some o pi sople are more sensitive to certain fabric feels/textures than others. It’s just like microfibre towels. Some people love their softness, other people want to claw their own skin off when it touches them. I’m in the latter category.

Certainly some high end polyester can feel lovely and very similar to silk - I’ve been fooled by artificial silk before, and I was raised to tell the difference - but I can’t buy it because I won’t be able to wear it. I will be fully aware of how much I’ll stink by the end of the day, the massive sweat patches that will need special laundering and probably won’t fully come out, and the risk of ruining my expensive bra when I can’t get armpit stink out of that either! (At a 36GG all bras are expensive).

And that is without considering the environment or price.

VikingLady · 28/07/2026 12:54

For replacing the polyester lining in a skirt, if you are going to cut it out anyway then you might as well take the lining apart and use it as a pattern to make a nicer lining. A fabric shop should have staff who can advise on what fabric to use. It wouldn’t take much fabric. If you leave a small amount of the lining attached to the skirt, you can sew the new lining to that to avoid the whole palaver if removing waistbands etc.

DoloresDelEriba · 28/07/2026 13:07

EleanorMc67 · 27/07/2026 22:52

What used to be commonly known as polyurethane or PVC!!!

Yes!

Another favourite is 'PU Leather' - just relying on people not understanding what PU means - polyurethane or PLASTIC 🤔

TheRealGoose · 28/07/2026 13:11

OnlyUsername · 28/07/2026 12:46

Did you think this wasn't a thing? Bless you.

They're all over this forum. I can easily spot them. Sometimes they'd do it honestly and post as the brand but you don't see that as much now.

Edited

Yeah I’m not sure you’re not really imagining things, I’m sure your co worker did do this and I’m sure it exists but I really don’t think big brands are employing people to read mumsnet and well do whatever you think they are doing.

Thebigarsedbitch · 28/07/2026 13:12

pomeglamate · 27/07/2026 21:40

Really not sure what my point was in making this thread but damn. I mean I am so desperate to give them my money for one of those blazers but I just can’t. All the other colours have got 100% polyester linings too. Even the summer ones. Not even viscose. A niche problem I realise. A very, very niche, first world problem.

I'm not sure that people realize that there are many different grades of polyester just as there are with cotton, wool, linen and silk. The highest grade of polyester will, to the uninitiated, be virtually indistinguishable from a natural fabric with the same appearance characteristics. It's all to do with the width and fineness of the yarn and the weave. And since the advances in digital printing, most clothing manufacturers now select fabrics that contain either a percentage of polyester, or have a polyester coating,so that they can use dye sublimation inks, which enable them to cut out several steps in the printing process. I think your Me & Em jacket will look and feel just as you would expect a fine wool tweed to look and feel, but will offer the added advantage of being more hard wearing and far less creasing.
I do get really tired of people bleating about only wearing 'natural fabrics' like some middle class bage of honour. In truth, cotton, silk and linen are all bastard fabrics to wear, as they crease terribly and are often a costly nightmare to launder.
IMO no one wearing a linen dress or trousers can ever afford to sit down, if they want to remain neat and fresh looking. And if you are in any way a sweaty person, linen in particular, becomes horribly damp and makes a point of creasing around any area of female fat in a most unattractive way.
I used to travel a lot and my expensive business suits were invariably polyester mixed with a natural fabric. This meant they came out of my suitcase looking as good as they went into it and ensured that I always looked smart and professional. And, as someone who is what a friend unkindly described as 'swarthy' I always felt very cool and dry regardless of the temperature.

So buy your jacket OP and enjoy wearing it because I can guarantee that no one will ever know that it's made from polyester unless you show them the label!

LizzieSiddal · 28/07/2026 13:17

In truth, cotton, silk and linen are all bastard fabrics to wear, as they crease terribly and are often a costly nightmare to launder.

Almost everything I wear in summer is cotton, it doesn’t crease easily and can put out I t he washing machine on anything from a handwashing machine to a 40 degrees. And it’s certainly not a “middle class badge of honour” to want to wear a natural fabric.

friedaklein · 28/07/2026 13:18

Wanting to pay for and wear only natural fabrics in 35 C is now " bleating"?

PhaedraTwo · 28/07/2026 13:20

I don't think the Me + Em jacket bears any comparison to the Colenimo tweed jacket I posted. Even on a screen the Colenimo tweed look like real tweed and the Me +Em doesn't.

https://colenimo.com/products/scottish-merino-wool-blazer-grey-herringbone

(no doubt I'll now be accused of being in the pay of Colenimo)

Newmeagain · 28/07/2026 13:36

Me and Em is like many other brands (Sezane has followed the same path). They started off really well, with quality fabrics and interesting designs that were well made. Now they are just churning out the same stuff, cheaply made, at really high prices.

i know because I have spent too much time over three decades looking at and buying clothes.

i also know that polyester is going to go bobbly quite quickly.

Nanda66 · 28/07/2026 13:41

Im currently wearing a Me and Em dress and I just checked the label and it’s 100% cotton. When I buy clothes I tend to go by the look and feel of the fabric and how the clothes hang rather than just what they’re made of. I’ve loved everything I’ve bought from Me and Em, although there are some things I like but don’t buy because I think they are too expensive.