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

My favourite item of clothing this summer was a pair of brown, linen-mix, wide leg trousers which only cost £22 from Marks.

This is my opionion and clearly others, I feel the quality is generally low. You jist have to see the clothes to know that, of course it is, they are not a charity, to keep the price point low the quality has to be low. And yes many people do prefer to pay more for better quality, otherwise brands like Reiss, me and em, etc wouldn’t flourish, sure they are a smaller percentage, but still many in their numbers,

you can disageee with my opinion. But calling me a liar is beyond bizzare.

The original statement was that m&s is now cool & the op proposed that 'we all knew that already'

Then a huge bunfight ensued about the quality of the fabrics used & the prices - missing the point entirely

M&s is a bit like the nhs, it has a national remit with shops in a huge number of towns. It provides a solid, reliable service across multiple demographics

But it is not 'cool'. It consistently fails to deliver with its clothes offerings what it achieves with its food

And that's interesting. In the food market it hold position for high quality, unique offerings. It charges more & people are happy to pay for that level of quality

In the clothes sector - people want quality but most don't want to pay so they use cheaper 'ingredients'.

And i guess it also depends on the definition of cool. I see m&s rolling out dupes of other smaller brands. Last year there was a lot of sezane inspired blouses & knits etc

I simply don't think it's possible for an operation on its scale to be cool. For me cool is something hard to define but certainly an element of it is not looking like everyone else in your town

@HotGrapefruit not silk, but I absolutely want wool jumpers! Synthetic knits (to me) feel plastic-y and horrible, bobble and don't wear well, and are sweaty. M&S were previously known for quality basics, so this shift towards fast fashion, high turnover of trend-led items, synthetic fabrics etc is a big change. Whether that makes them "cool" or not I don't know

The awful dupes are one of the worst things about M&S.

Great, so all mainstream shops aren’t cool. You’re a boutique/thirdt girl, which is fine.

So why do so many see M&S’s attempt to be trend-lead as worse than Zara? At least you can return M&S clothes for free.

M&S market their brand as quality.
Zara don’t!

When was that, 1978? I see advertising about being stylish (whether you agree with it is entirely up to you), but I can’t remember when M&S was last about “quality.” Unless you’re talking about the multi-packs of knickers?

I don’t think M&S are really saying they are high quality. Definitely in the 80s and 90s they were and I had a fantastic boucle wood suit from them with velvet trims which was more or less a Chanel copy. In se respects I wish they could do
more classic styles like this. I expect the fabric would be very expensive though but back then I looked expensive in Marks clothes. I think you can now but they are not like Zara. Zara does do some great pieces by the way. You just have to look.

Really?

Their adverts say things like ‘This is not just food. This is M&S food’ and tie their clothing brand to the food brand with slogans such as ‘Only M&S’ and ‘100 years of dressing the nation’ and ‘Leading Ladies’.

They are absolutely leaning into the M&S means higher quality’ handle.

Really?

I don't know about you, but I don't eat clothes.

Their 'Leading Ladies' campaign was 2013.

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~ I guess the template customers are a timelessly stylish man with a fashion-forward woman, both committed to a comfortable lifestyle featuring 'exclusive' food.

I think they communicate this very clearly. And they realise you can't be ahead of the trends, quality and exclusive on an M&S budget.

The jumper thing - every shop in town carries synthetic now from Oliver Bonas to M and S to Mint Velvet. It's not exclusive to them.

Yes, gads, I know - I tried on a lovely jumper in OB the other day, then realised it was about 6% wool for about £60 so did not buy it. So definitely not just M&S!

@Judystilldreamsofhorses So what’s wrong with the M&S merino and cashmere jumpers then? Have you looked at them?

Of course other makes are not pure wool? This thread is about 25 years out of date! Most high street shops don’t have a lot of pure wool because it’s expensive!!! The great British public won’t pay for better quality - they want cheap and cheerful whilst looking the same as wool.

This is an interesting point, we mainly eat m & s food and yes we pay a premium to do so. The quality is excellent snd consistent and I’d say on a par with Waitrose. We mainly order from Ocado, but often buy in our nearest town. So I’m an existing and repeat customer. But I’m not a clothes customer. I like their fresh cut flowers, but recently bought some which were much lower quality than normal when in one of their stores.. And I like their bras.

but I don’t buy their clothes. I’m right there, I’m in store. I’m an existing customer.Im a regular clothes shopper, I should be a prime target to buy, particularly from autograph or jaeger. But I don’t, I look at it and find it either low quality, ill fitting, or dated, and my card stays in my purse.

I buy from those they copy, Reiss, me and em, onitsuka tiger, they copy them a lot, but why are they only copying and selling at a low price point and low quality , why can’t they also create something decent at a higher price point. Do both. Jaeger is generally really odd dated stuff, and autograph is now just a label they shove on when it’s not next or primark pricing and more one small level up.

it’s odd, as they have a ready made target audience for their clothes, those who buy their food regularly, and they can’t convert it.

Well, let's hope their head of ladies' fashion is on this thread, @Notsosweetcaroline 🙂

I posted about the wool jumpers. Would happily pay £40, which is what the mens 100% lambwool ones costs, if M &s deign to offer one in womanwear. I bought two of their merino ones last year. They were very thin and didn't wash well. I don't want to have to buy £100 cashmere just to get a warm real wool jumper. In m&s I do.

@Monndayhello The merino this year seems thicker to me. Merino IS a thinner wool though! Cashmere is great and no one does cashmere on the cheap. Lambswool has more or less gone from my wardrobe. Doesn’t wear well. You need country stores to find it now.

Lambswool is more difficult to find now because it’s quite itchy. You can find it at Seasalt, House of Bruar and Woolovers if you want it. It’s more of a country look.

This was a recent appointment too from Reiss . We were taking to a department manager as my husband was looking for the same pair of trousers he had before and wanted 🙄😂 and he helped us find them in the Autograph range.

https://www.drapersonline.com/news/ms-appoints-head-of-menswear-design

Everyone is not able to afford to buy from the likes of Me and Em eg 370 pounds or whatever for a cashmere and this one in what I would call a " trend" in its pattern . This company offers other credentials as shown. I think M and S do a great job in keeping up with some of the trends with a decent quality for the price point. I personally don't buy jumpers from M and S . I source cashmere from elsewhere. Their jeans are spot on for me. I buy their top end ones. I've just bought an amazing wireless strapless bra - so comfy. I'm going back for more.

That jumper had better be bloody lovely! I'd be terrified of washing it, the risk of watching £300 shrivel before my eyes. It does look good (new).

You found a comfortable strapless bra, @fuschiaproudparrot? What is this miracle?

They have some great bomber jackets in M&S, but they have mostly sold out! Grrrr

@MeetMeOnTheCorner per my previous posts, I generally buy knitwear in Cos, Arket, and &OtherStories - they suit my style and are at a price point I am happy to pay. I also get student discount in those stores (perk of being a lecturer!) which makes purchasing more affordable. I wash them carefully by hand, and have sweaters I have had for many years waiting to come out of storage for autumn. The M&S knits I like the look of tend to be synthetic, so I don’t buy them.

I buy food in M&S, pyjamas, the odd thing for exercising in, and bits for the house. I like the beauty hall in our local store. I buy flowers there every Friday. My DP needs new slippers and I just ordered him some from M&S. I am not on a mission to ruin them by not buying my day clothes there. I think it’s funny you are so keen to advocate for them, but I also think they are doing okay.

You don’t source cashmere 🤣 unless you are going around the local goat farms. You buy it.