I've bought all of my new summer wardrobe from M&S - here's why you should too
Marks & Spencer has long served me well for two things: underwear and cashmere, arguably two of its most popular departments. I’d dart into its giant Oxford Street store to stock up (classics are easy to find in-store) or I’d place an order online then collect them the next day while buying my lunch.
Over the years I’d only strayed from those two trusty departments a handful of times, to little effect. I’d tried its basic T-shirt line years ago and wasn’t overly impressed, and its footwear always felt a little dated. This season, however, I’ve done a U-turn. Or rather, M&S has.
Had I spotted its fuchsia linen trouser suit on someone in the street, I’d have assumed it was Jigsaw or Massimo Dutti thanks to its sharp cut and heavy-duty linen fabric. But after spying it at an exclusive press preview, checking over its quality and fit, I knew it would be something I could humblebrag about, so I checked the website regularly waiting for it to come in stock. A linen trouser suit in this season's It shade ticks so many trend boxes that it was impossible to believe it was from M&S. I snapped it up and have worn it to two al fresco dinners with chunky sandals since.
Linen blazer, £89, Autograph at M&S; Linen wide leg trousers, £59, Autograph at M&S
I’ve found myself scanning its new-in section as often as I do & Other Stories and Zara ever since. Over the last few months I’ve ended up with quite the new season capsule wardrobe: a pair of fabulous could-be-designer leather flip flops, well-fitting mid-blue ‘mom’ jeans and a summery striped shirt that I’ve had lots of compliments on - a fashion editor friend had assumed the latter was from high street tailoring aficionado, COS.
M&S is an unexpected source for these fashion-forward pieces, even more so when its business strategy is taken into consideration. Late last year the label began totting up a roster of brands that would boost its online presence: Finery, Nobody’s Child and Hobbs were included, and an edit from over 10 brands now sits alongside M&S’ own brand items. Such a plan meant that M&S could seemingly leave these new brands to tick those trend boxes, while safely sticking to its bread and butter (those cashmere knits and hero bras) without having to prepare for any financial losses should its own-brand fashion pieces not prove popular.
Striped shirt, £19.50, M&S; Mom jeans, £39.50, M&S; Leather sandals, £35, M&S; Preppy sunglasses, £15, M&S
But it is those own-brand pieces that are so excellent this season. Not only was that linen suit one of the best I’ve tried on on the high street, but the flatform sandals were impressively comfortable, and our whole fashion team was surprised at the chic design.
Last month the brand published its full-year results, revealing a loss of over £200 million, which it in part blames on poor clothing sales. Being a fairly new M&S fan with myriad new buys to prove it, such a loss (its first in 94 years) was a surprise - especially since its spring/summer collection is one of the strongest in years, in my opinion. If you’re after summery work staples that look more expensive than they are, its striped oversized shirts, linen smock dresses and wide-leg trousers are great options.
We’ve long been dissecting where the label falls short, and while it has a lot to work on, it has a handful of stylish gems this season, and they’re well worth digging for.
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