What’s going on with women’s knitwear at M & S?

[Albusmum]

What’s going with M & S women’s knitwear? Filtered my search on the website and there are no cotton jumpers or indeed wool. Cashmere and merino available but everything else is poly blends or supposedly wool rich with 6% wool! Menswear has a much greater range in natural fabrics. I loved the cotton cardigans they used to offer in a range of colours as I could buy smaller for a more fitted look but they have none at all. They also washed and tumble dried brilliantly without shrinking. (I know Mumsnet doesn’t usually approve of cardigans, but I love them).
Can anyone suggest affordable alternatives for jumpers and cardigans (up to around £50)?

I 100% agree. Sometimes I am conscious that I am dressed purely in plastic...

I just won't buy it let alone wear it. Cotton, linen, or wool (cashmere or merino) or nothing.

I had to give up on everyday sweaters from M&S because of the lack of natural content... it's a real bugbear for me as a knitter. Now, I tend to buy pre-loved on Ebay and Vinted, which might explain my 20+ cashmere sweaters, am aiming for 31, so I can do a month of them! The other issue with unnatural fibres is that they smell... I wash my jumpers once a year because that is all they need, an unnatural fibre needs the sweat removing for every wear

Kettlewell have 100% cotton cardigans for £59 and colour block cardigans for £65 (also jumpers). I know they aren't popular on here (!) but the quality is usually pretty good, and the £59 ones come in 10 different colours.

I think the m&s cardigans you're mentioning were made mainly of viscose recently. There are some on the website made of 82% viscose and 18% polyester priced at £15 but a reduced colour range, only in black, grey and brown and sizes S to XL. I'm now going to buy one in brown so thank you!

I don't know if we have it in the UK, but Muji is good for natural fibres.

I've also got some good quality knitwear from Zara Home.

Skims also uses a lot of natural fibres. I got the nicest 100% cotton sweatshirt there last year. And a cashmere cardigan.

Massimo Dutti sometimes uses natural fibres.

M&S online does have quite a few pure merino wool jumpers. I know they're hard to find in store.
I'm another one who will only buy natural fibres, so they're losing my custom, too.

Uniqlo are great

M&S quality is shocking now, the basic cardis shrink really badly

Boden have quite a few cotton jumpers this year.

i bought three from them last year (I can’t wear wool) and they are still as good as new despite being washed numerous times.

Crew Clothing are having a sale, and they usually have decent knitwear.

I quite like the acrylic jumpers, the extra soft ones that wash well and well, just don't shrink. I can't bear wool, horrible industry and boy, even a small amount makes me itch.

White stuff do cotton cardigans, but I find they come up short, fine if like that though. Joe Browns do a few too, if like something with a little quirk.

Sorry, I think you may be a little out as to why things need washing. Being natural fibres is no reason not to wash something when worn a few times.

If you're 5'1 you may find cotton jumpers in schoolwear ranges - I have bought a few over the years though colour choice is a bit limited (red, blue, navy, green - but often with a bit of interest in the actual knit pattern). And they wash well. I think my last one was JL but probably others do similar.

Noticed the same with M&S and other brands calling clothing “wool rich” or “cotton rich” which come up in online searches for wool or cotton. I don’t want microplastics mixed in with my natural fibres thanks!

I tend to buy 2nd hand higher quality brands now rather than new high street stuff as it’s so crap. 2nd hand is cheaper, better for the environment and the older clothing is better quality in general.

Try combing the racks in TKMaxx. I get a couple of nice merino or cashmere there at a good price every year. Its getting harder, though.Agree White Stuff and Crew for cotton, maybe Uniqlo. You can't beat a good cotton cardi!

PS Have you seen Next clothing ATM? Horrendous. At least Marks is stylish.

I thought it was well known that wool and other natural fibres need washing less. That’s why merino wool is so popular with endurance athletes - because you can wear it for days without it smelling compared to synthetic clothing that stinks after a single day.

I wanted a plain navy jumper last winter, and M&S men's it was - I remembered I did this in my teens in the '80s too, so it's not new.

I have had a lot of knitwear from TK Maxx over the years, cashmere or pure wool. And a lovely cashmere and silk mix, which is so soft and comfortable.

Sorry to sidetrack, have also noticed it's very hard to get a pure cotton bra in m and s now which I wear due to sensitive skin

I can’t stand wool because it’s so itchy.

Agree. Tops with stupid slogans on them(!)

You can get natural fibres for cheap, you just have to look in the sales and online.

I wouldn't really recommend high street stores currently - Next, M&S, H&M etc are all becoming more and more synthetic, although they do have an occasional good buy it's harder to find.

I tend to look at places like white stuff, seasalt, crew clothing, brakeburn, BAM, rapanui, passenger. I usually buy these brands in the sales and on Vinted, because they are expensive otherwise, but I'd rather that than the cheap synthetics on the high street.

I got a really nice pure merino wool jumper from Crew in the sale for £18 the other day (down from £70). That's unusual but it's doable.

Also, don't buy things too often/ for the sake of it - just keep an eye out and get better quality things as and when you see them on sale.

Yes, a handful of times, not for a year and for wool, not cotton (other natural fibres) which should be washed after a day if in contact on skin. The poster said washed once a year. It isn't just about the body, it's the environment, the outside world is dirty!

Quince have just launched in the UK and have pure cotton jumpers & cardigans. Likewise Uniqlo.
I'm not impressed by M&S's cheapness and lack of quality this year and have pretty much stopped buying there. But it's perfectly possible to filter for fabric most other places.
I have a lot of Cashmere - some up to 20 years old.
I wash mine frequently as dirty Cashmere attracts moths.So after 1-4 wears depending on levels of muckiness.

It's also worth considering Community Clothing. They have British made 100% wool or cotton jumpers. Not that cheap, but I'm increasingly thinking that buying 1 good jumper every 3 years is better value than buying 1 bad jumper every year !