M&S is cool, but we knew that, didn’t we?

[jellybobs]

Interesting article on the BBC website today. I’m actually really surprised that it’s not done a London Fashion Week show before.
Certainly over the last few years it’s become one of my go-to places if I decide I need new jeans, a particular kind of dress etc. It’s even acceptable to my 16yo DS who’s very particular about where his clothes come from and has quite a small list of “acceptable” high St brands he’ll deign to go into!

Is it cool to wear M&S clothes now? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cje3rk4p39zwo

This one ! After years of wearing uncomfortable wired ones when on holiday I got this and it is the bee's knees!

You do need to hand wash, I bought my daughter a similar one last year from them and she wears it all the time, I have a few cashmere pieces from them , I like their sleeveless tanks, and again it’s all a hand wash job, but they wash wonderfully and hold their shape, it genuinely feels like a completely different material to the cheaper cashmeres, very soft and luxurious, but yes they are hand wash in cool water.

i think as much as the markies ones are cashmere, just lower quality, i do think it’s a bit of a rip off, they would be better with wool. I think people see the label cashmere and thinks it’s all the same, it’s not, it’s not even close to being the same.

on saying all that, as said, I rate markies for food, bras, cut flowers, and will often pick up a shower gel or something, I also buy their socks, but that’s it for me sadly,

In praise of M&S Cashmere it machine washes brilliantly. It's not the softest but it's immensely durable. I have several colours in the crew neck cardigan and it's part of my winter 'uniform' with barrel jeans and a scoop neck t. It's the one thing I buy consistently. I'm not sure I will carry on buying much else.

I think in most shops, if you are a savvy shopper, you can find one or two decent things at least. You just have to spend a lot of time and there can be some welcome surprises! You need an open mind as well.

Other than Zara I don’t shop from any brand / store where I wouldn’t want to buy most of the stock. There’s no question of burrowing for just one or two decent items.

With Zara I browse the website for the better pieces that never make it into local stores. (Probably buy one thing a year from them.)

I only buy food from M&S.

And along those lines, I was admiring a nice grey 90% wool vest for a mere £90 yesterday that had care instructions that put the whole “quality lasts” argument in some doubt.

Handwashing in cool water, blotting by rolling carefully in a towel, flat drying, cool ironing under a cloth AND THEN guarding against moths is quite a bit of effort to not ruin your “quality” piece. And if you’ve carefully curated a small-but-perfect high end wardrobe of them…

I have a carefully curated small but perfect high end wardrobe of 100% whatever wool. 😅 I find it no effort whatsoever to look after in just the way you’ve described. Though each piece is only washed probably once a year. Handwashing is meditative and absorbing …

Once a year? How large is your small but perfect wardrobe??

I brush and air knitwear (either outside or by an open window) after each wear!

Have you considered getting an actual pet, @NorWouldTilly? 😂

But I can’t wear the pet … 😄

What brush do you use?

One of these:

https://kentbrushes.com/products/double-sided-cherrywood-bristle-nylon-mix-clothes-brush-cc20?srsltid=AU7gw4XT-5226ayvmeg62D1PNPzIgbPfiPhUnCN6kDxom0xFeRwhIOOS

The short bristles are for wool. I’ve had mine since 1988, when I started my second graduate job and bought a wool gabardine Burberry trench coat. Lord knows how it comes about that I’ve abandoned clothes willy-nilly for decades, but still have the brush. 🤷‍♀️

Someone on a S&B thread about fifteen years ago asked me what a clothes brush was for.

So owning quality knitwear is party a hobby? I bake bread so I do get the appeal of meditative work, but I can’t say as I’ve ever steamed onto a thread about M&S food to tell everyone how low the standards are because of all the bagged, sliced bread. 😂

Why are they doing £40 lambswool jumpers in the men’s then if it’s all “a big fat lie”.

Jesus. I posted innocently about the fabric quality (which I stand by) and came back to a massive scrap! 😂

To the people who say those complaining don’t know how to use the website, I assure you I am perfectly technologically competent.

It is not snobby to care about fabric quality. My mum shopped almost uniquely in charity shops when I was growing up and it was she who taught me about the importance of quality fabrics. I know that doesn’t fit the mumsnet stereotype but yes, we were a benefits claiming family who also appreciated the importance of a good bias cut silk skirt.

People need to chill! It’s a high street department store, not your nan.

This . I can’t get my head round it, markies would be delighted. Let’s face it they know full well the quality of their clothes, 😂

Anything i have purchased from M&S clothing in the past few years has been so badly made ive had to throw it away. The worst was a henley long sleeve tshirt that was so awfully put together that the shoulder seams were twisted into points.
I do suspect they put one heck of a budget into pimping their wares via MN though!

Thank god the food is still ok.

I’m tentatively influenced by this thread to look at the bras again. I haven’t bothered with Marks since I spent a dispiriting hour in the M&S in Dublin two years ago trying to find a black bra to wear under a slightly sheer top (so exactly what M&S should be catering for) and every single black bra had one or more of the following faults: huge, non-detachable foam pads; see-through or cut away at nipples; white or yellow or neon pink detailing to show through my top; scratchy lace; only available in 28AA or 38G; no underwire/support structure; porn-inspired harness straps across the cleavage as far up as the clavicle. I just wanted a plain black non-see-through underwired bra. But I will go back and try again, because nowhere does decent bras now so pickings are very slim, unless you’re willing to pay £50+. I’m a 34C, it should be a piece of piss for me to find a bra!

@MaryLennoxsScowlFantasie are less than that. Plenty of brands are unless you want something special.

However, I was in the M&S in Burnley recently and their womenswear buyer has not got the memo that they’re cool now.

Thanks, l’ll look at Fantasie!

@GoodwitchglendaUnfortunately you won’t get premium fabrics at M&S prices. It’s that simple . I like decent fabrics too but you have to look for them, as you do in other high street stores. There is wool, cotton and silk but not loads of wool or silk for obvious reasons. Hobbs and others are exactly the same. If you want better, you pay for it. M&S must get into volume sales because of their floor space and overheads. It’s how retail works.

@MaryLennoxsScowl so do you think Burnley is a high spend area? Lots of people need to be earning well to justify the better items. M&S do the stats on who is likely to buy what and I suspect Burnley isn’t top of the earnings tree. Again, it’s how retail works and for M&S, has done for 50 years. Shops are graded and the lowest performing ones have closed. At least Burnley is still open.

lol, of course not!