M&S says: Men must have outfits to impress – Women must have fancy little knickers

[stumbledin]

This window display was spotted by Feminists in Nottingham www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156802297720396&set=gm.2185737491438547&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Also shared on twitter by FiLiA twitter.com/FiLiA_charity/status/1064248341763100672

Now picked up by the BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-46279172

So far no response by M&S to complaints and comments on their facebook page deleted. Although one lone comment has remained www.facebook.com/MarksandSpencer/posts/10156397616628612?comment_id=10156398451143612&notif_id=1542657948210413&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&hc_location=ufi

M&S still haven't responded after 5 days. Any ideas how to get them to apologise and recognise just how disgusting this is?

(facebook down at the moment)

There are about 5 other threads on this already

Maybe we should complain?
www.marksandspencer.com/s/contact-us

I did look through 2 pages of links and saw nothing about this.

Could you provide the links? That might be more useful.

And it seems to imply that 5 threads on mumsnet, endless retweets and facebook posts dont make much of an impression on M&S. Exposes the lie about the power of social media.

Maybe now the mainstream media have taken it up something will happen.

So disgusting that women out shopping have to confront this, let alone the impact on teenagers and children.

I've only seen one thread, but it was full of women saying the OP was overreacting and/of they liked sexy knickers or what not.

I see some responses from men have included calling women who object "prudes" (way to spectacularly miss the point, mate) and one who comments that Ann Summers shops have underwear in their windows, so...

As juxtapositioned displays go, this one is quite remarkable, isn't it?

Particularly poorly timed given the Ireland lacy knickers rape case.

Exactly Everard

Regarding that poor young woman in the Irish case, I’ve finally found a Facebook post I agree with.

Who decides on these window displays?
I can I let imagine it's some faceless marketing executive in a back room looking at graphs. As it's m&s I imagine them to be a middle aged man that hasn't seen sunlight in 5 years let alone know what Twitter is.

Who decides on these window displays?

Apart from the sexism, someone who hasn't a clue about M&S core demographics?

M&S can kiss my fancy little arse.

I bought my toddler some dungarees from them recently and they're unwearable because the poppers won't stay done up.

No third chances m&s

It's reassuring that this has made the Beeb. Some hope for it left. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-46279172

Klutzy I had a brief spell working for M&S some years ago and was really shocked at many of their business practices. Any staff member could volunteer to be on the window dressing team. It may have changed, though I suspect not, given the still-abysmal standard of their windows. Other stores have fine arts graduates or similar doing their windows but not M&S. They really do deserve their current market position.

There's a thread in AIBU which is overwhelmingly condemnatory. And it's a national marketing strategy, because the M&S near me has exactly the same window display. The wording is taken from the TV campaign, apparently. Doubtless the window dressers don't get any say about the displays, they just use whatever head office sends them.

I've just checked on the NottinghamshireLive site.Poll finds 67% don't find the display offensive ,(still open).
Comments (mainly from men) depressing

Glorious take down here: www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2018/11/marks-and-spencer-s-fancy-little-knickers-and-nine-other-awful-her

Fizz

Thanks, I enjoyed that

In the Times today

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/marks-spencer-sparks-sexism-row-with-underwear-next-to-men-s-suits-76vgfmggn?shareToken=3b30da274f950d4244c05aea9ee42ed7

Good for The Times. And fuck off, Marks and Spencer.

Radio 4 World at One have just covered this story immediately followed by a segment about how women in Liverpool are being turning to prostitution due to the pressures and failures in Universal credit.
Add into the discussion about the case in Ireland and the appalling treatment of the young woman.

????

its been long recognised that Christmas M&S sales of 'fancy' underwear are primarily aimed at male customers, its a massive feature so too the percentage of returns in the New Year!

If it's aimed at male customers, why are the knickers on female mannquins?

Sersiusly, I used to work in a department store and after xmas there were lines of women exchanging "fancy little knickers" for stuff that was confy and would fit them.

Leads me to believe that a lot of men are throughless cretins but there you go.

One presumes the vast majority are purchasing the as gifts for the women (adult human females) in their life, of course there may be other males making purchases at this time of year for other recipients, M&S would Im sure be keen to be inclusive in respect of male shoppers regardless of gender identity

Large % of the time, underwear as a gift for a woman is actually a gift for the man giving it.

How would men feel if we started giving them too-small mankinis for xmas and expecting them to get all excited and grateful??

Large % of the time, underwear as a gift for a woman is actually a gift for the man giving it.

Absolutely

My local Marks has women's clothes as the 'outfits to impress' as well - don't know if it's a response to the complaints.