Why good news for John Lewis is good news all round for retailers especially Marks and Spencer

Yesterday I made an exception to attending press days. In the main I don't have time what with promoting Girlynomics and writing my novel as well as delivering copy to earn my crust. But I really couldn't resist going to the M&S high summer one. I am a big fan of M&S but equally a harsh critic.  My criticism stems from love, truly it does. And boy did I feel the love yesterday.

The samples on view were simply terrific. Totally terrific in terms of design and price point. This is good news for the consumer. I admit I loitered over the Limited Collection and Autograph samples more than any other but that was for a good reason - it is because I think these collections are coming back to a point of veritable consumer excitement! I can also highly commend the M&S Woman stuff in parts. Per Una remains an anathema to me and I suspect, although horrified to admit it, I'm in their target market or slowly moving that way!

Not only was there a nice cup of tea if one wanted on arrival but a gorgeous little nail bar where the lovely Lizzie Court of Lizzie Court Makeup made my nails rather perfect with Limited Collections Polish in Ultra Violet which is really a delightful forget me not type of colour.

I've picked out  a selection of items that start hitting the stores from late March, early April. Starting with childrenswear my eyes spotted a gorgeous little scarf with flamingos on it - so cute I might get it for me.

Look at these lovely retro romper suit set for girls. I know someone who will be a recipient of these!

Not forgetting the boys, some nice alternative print shorts for the little man in your life, tres chic.

And these beach cover ups for girls need to be sized up for us big girls as well.

Back to womenswear the accessorises continue to go from strength to strength...

And these were some of the garments I snapped and believe me there could easily have been more.

Limited Collection shirt - two trends ticks for this one graphic stripes and yellow.

A great splash of neon with these M&S Women tees.

A simple shift dress from the Autograph range.

 I love this purple metallic shirt from Limited 

And actually this image doesn't do this gorgeous Limited skirt justice 

I really had to tear myself away from the press room as it was a haven of loveliness and I so easily relax in these circumstances. I was so relaxed that when taking the lift down I nearly followed someone out to the first floor. Realising my mistake I immediately said to another person in the lift 'Opps need to concentrate more' and then went on to say that actually was what my school reports used to say. Luckily the fellow person in lift was kindly disposed to enter into school report banter of 'should try harder', 'if made more effort would do well' and obviously 'needs to talk less in class.'

Which brings me neatly to M&S going forward and of course the current A* pupil John Lewis. John Lewis, whatever anyone might think currently, was the worst store in the world about 8 years ago. You couldn't fault it for white goods and kitchen stuff but everywhere else was a bit dull. In fact it was all round dull and the sight of managers with clip boards (which occasionally still happens) was too frequent and very depressing. What did they do? Their move much earlier into a new purpose built John Lewis store at Cribbs Causeway from their old Bristol city centre store afforded them a view of what they could be like. It was probably true for M&S. Both were poised to draw lessons of how to remodel and refit their existing stores. It gave these businesses with flagship stores to examine in this environment what new buying patterns might yield and then... the internet hit. Suddenly areas like womenswear were hit very badly, access to beguiling garments away from the high street offerings really hit a cord. John Lewis stepped up to the mark and improved their buying. It still isn't right but along the way they improved every other bit of the store and started to join the dots with Waitrose and their online business. Now you can look online, check out in store walk away and order at your convenience to your local Waitrose. Where once I had to schlep up to Oxford St to get what I wanted (mainly Eve Lom cleanser) I now order online and pick up with my copy of Grazia and some bread. 

John Lewis build up a brand mix of accessibility, mixed in clever things like Little Home and made the internet work for them which conveniently is the way the consumer wants it to work as well. M&S has yet to get that exactly right. The shops are still over stocked, not enough clarity of merchandising or rather where there is, it is stuffed to the rafters. They still need their stock system to understand supply and demand to make the necessary adjustments for the future not necessarily just to restock best selling  items (which they seem to fail to do to). M&S still seems hell bent on pushing items in womenswear and woefully getting it wrong (a lot). In fairness this is true of John Lewis womenswear, there is a lot of irrelevance there too. However John Lewis happily reported great trading and great trading in these difficult times must give hope to everyone. I am particularly happy for the partnership staff who can enjoy the fruits of their labour as 9 weeks of wages, although taxation will dent that a bit. The only downside in this news is the tragic fact that the cleaning staff are woefully underpaid and are not partners and the possibility that a layer of management amounting to 300 redundancies is imminent . Maybe Mr Selfridge would have something to say about that - the tv version of course.

And in conclusion methinks M&S are watching and learning because it really feels as if they have turned a corner. My advice would be to get the good womenswear stuff, pieces that are modern, current and edgy out to the suburbs and towns. Why on earth hasn't the M&S at Epsom got Limited - H&M are cleaning up in that town with every age, having invested in a bigger better womenswear store. Get faster at collections in store from the website. Stop playing music in the stores, this is trashy and John Lewis is testament to how peace from unnecessary noise aids buying. Really look at how you stores are laid out and the fitting rooms need sorting - no music, more homely less harsh and no asking 'was it any good' or 'how did you get on', forgive me but it obvious when you are being handed everything back, it is a no!

Because M&S, John Lewis has proved that everything needs to be just so and seemingly effortless for customers. Having seen your High Summer collection you should be very proud of what you can do and further my recent experiences in your lovely food halls and the helpful staff there at Marble Arch and Tolworth are proof that you can do it - everywhere. Just turn off the music, step up the fashion and I'll be at the front of the queue every time as I know you can be the best.

Oh bless M&S

What do I say? I told you so is no good and no help. I wrote a blog post on M&S Womenswear ages ago when Bolland was appointed Chief Executive and I'm too goddam lazy to find it. Basically I can't face shifting through 6 years of blog posts. But your profits are down (again) most notably in Womenswear.

In essence my views haven't changed and I vaguely remember the points I made so here is my M&S overhaul proclamation part deux.
1. Get rid of Per Una now. I feel there is no need to justify this comment.
2. I would keep Autograph and Limited Collection they are good and can be built on think of them as your Topshop Boutique and Topshop Unique. Stop thinking of Autograph as competition for MaxMara Weekend. Starting thinking of it as cutting edge quality style with a fashion emphasis (see image above). Limited Collection is your bona fide nod to all things fashion.
3. Sort your merchandising out - when there is a run on something get more in and out on the shelves. Biscuit tins or shoes I care not but fulfil demand. Create waiting lists, anything that is a nod to demand and an attempt to satisfy it.
4. Stop playing music in stores. You cannot get it right to suit a broad spectrum of the population - desist at once it is annoying. Be leaders in this field of pointless noise pollution. M&S should be an oasis of calm, a place of serenity that we can pop into for soothing our souls.
5. Start delivering your food.
6. Stop those ads they are now nauseating it is time for a change. The last one was a step too far. We are in hard times and to see people flaunting their fabulousness in an egg and spoon race was a tipping point.
7. Other than Autograph and Limited Collection do not have any other collection titles just apparel in useful categories like jumpers, skirts, trousers and dresses well merchandised within the store. I think it is time for a return to those days of jumpers folded up on stands. An injection of the old would provide a focal point to clarify the heritage of M&S.
8. Relevance - find the relevance again not just when we carried away by biscuit tin appraisal in Grazia or your new A/W moody clothes shots, which I love btw. The relevance to me or to the other person and their needs. To the 20,30,40,50,60 and over person. How do you intend to deal with the fact we are more likely to be shopping for items in Zara than M&S when we are 70 and no Mary Portas is not the answer. She has a very good point but the spectrum is a broad one. There is a disconnect between what you do/offer and how. Those wonderful brooding new images will not be born out in store because the merchandising won't be that good and when the stock comes in won't be known by staff/customer services.
9. Why can't you have wardrobe staples that are executed in a way they are staples within the store for a 5 year period. The white shirt, the navy crew jumper, the white/grey/black t-shirt in crew and v neck options - you know what I mean. A focal point of mediocrity in one sense but a much needed certainty for a woman's wardrobe in another.
10. The changing rooms - they are dire. Both you and John Lewis have the worst changing room systems and spaces. Not an easy one to fix I know but it is to do with the store layout and I'm no expert but they need sorting, that deep red colour is too gloomy for starters.

Limited Collection Dress £49.50 Leather Gloves £39.50 Belt £25 Bracelet £12.50 Earrings £12.50 

[Image at top: Autograph Coat £129 Autograph Top £49.50 Autograph Skirt £29.50]

Looking Ahead

Dash this weather and the 'it is going to be a rubbish summer' predictions people are so fond of sharing! I'm forgetting the summer and will be making do with what I have given the excitement that is around the corner. I was writing a few pieces for some magazines and had no room to use this wonderful brooding gloomy but glorious model shot from the forthcoming M&S A/W12 collection.

Autograph top £65 Autograph Trousers £59 Shoes £49.50

How exciting will next season be if M&S are producing such great garments. I love that the top and trousers are black but with a fantastic floral motif. At this rate I'll be wearing this combo in July.

High St Pick of the Week

Just because I'm going through a black phase doesn't mean I'm giving up my two other great style loves stripes and sequins. In my world one can never have too much of either.

And it seems I'm not alone in the sequin department as the UK goes crazy, yes crazy (and rightly so) for the sequin jacket. I sadly missed not one but two invites to see the collection (people my diary is full a month in advance). The disappointment in not going to the first and actually seeing Twiggy in the flesh was enormous. Cynic that I am over model/designer collaborations, I, to borrow a phrase, luff this 11/10.

Twiggy is styled impeccably. Women of  a certain age take note, do not, I repeat, do not miss this opportunity to embrace style. Drop the floral dresses and the Per Una offerings - sorry M&S but nothing will ever convince me that range should be allowed - and get with the Twiggy collection.

At £79, the sequin jacket is a bold choice but is versatile enough to wear day or night. By day put on a stripy with jeans and flats, then move it up a gear at night changing the stripy tee for a block colour top, add a statement necklace or earrings, push the sleeves up and add high heels.

This image doesn't really do the jacket justice, as it makes it loo too rigid whereas Twiggy wears it in a more fluid fashion, but nip to M&S to take a peek or look at it online.  Enjoy the images of Twiggy and the collection although I do think avoid the animal and big daisy print dress and tops like the plague, they are veering into Per Una territory.

Back to Black 1.

After my last post proclaiming my parring down and style shift to black, the sorting out has begun. As per usual I've listed on eBay and will be dropping off other stuff to a local dress agency. I decluttered the rest to friends and a local man who buys textiles by the kilo. My wardrobe is a leaner machine. It isn't entirely black as there are some things I cannot bear to part with or I wear them a lot. It is mostly devoid of pattern and colour though.

My good work on this paid off last night when Mr MDS surprised me with a night out. Our first of the year. We have been so good and apart from taking the petit garcon to see JLS at the O2 Sports Relief concert and treating him to Giraffe, we've not spent a penny. I was quite pleased as it meant I could give my new sandals an airing despite it tipping down with rain. We decided to drive and park outside the place saving us money on public transport and drink. Parking was free and the only potential obstacle was Fulham v Chelsea but as it was Putney was fine to drive through and we finished our meal before the end of the match so got back through Putney before the crowds poured into the streets.

My sandal purchase was due to a style steal post I did back in February. I made the classic mistake of not getting something I thought really ticked my personal preference box at a great price right at that moment. Again I was being good and not spending money I didn't have. My ebay sales suddenly realised some funds and I tried in vain to get the sandals in London. But thanks to the power of twitter combined with the fact @marksandspencer is a really well managed twitter account I engaged in a very productive tweetathon which resulted in a couple of calls to M&S stores in Bath and Bristol as we were there for the Easter weekend.

At first a complete blank was drawn and both Bath and the Bristol Broadmead store advised me that they didn't have a pair. I completely appreciated the fact the system doesn't always reflect the actual on the floor stock usually due to 48 hours delays. I pushed my failed last ditched attempt to the back of my mind and thanked @marksandspencer for their help despite the outcome. Then halfway down the M4 I got a call from the Broadmead store to say they'd found a pair and they were put by for me. On Easter Monday on the way home I ran into the branch whilst Mr MDS waited in the car to get the £39.50 sandals. Now who says Twitter is just a social network in cyber space hey?! At the orders desk a lady was ordering some items so I waited patiently for probably only 5 mins and conscious of Mr MDS waiting piped up would someone be able to serve me as we were on the way back to London. Well the lady who was ordering (who I thought was a customer) said to me 'is it the sandals?' of course I replied somewhat taken aback 'yes'. Well a lovely conversation then ensued with me and Margaret (her name) because she had found them for me. She told me how busy they had been and she been given the message and the first person she'd sent out on the floor hadn't found them but she knew they were in the store so went and looked. Not only that she was genuinely pleased to met me and see the person who'd wanted the goods. It was truly delightful, of course the other staff were slightly bemused by our conversation but all I can say is that Margaret is a truly wonderful person who works at M&S in Bristol. I also know what bedding she was ordering too. All thanks to the power of Twitter!

 The M&S sandal haul en route back up the M4

Anyway I wore the sandals with an all black outfit for our diner date and as per Mrs Fabs and Too Many Shoes request to show my all black outfits I hastily snapped what I was wearing (badly of course!)

 The look - black jacket, black satin trousers, black top - actually all H&M, the tux jacket I have had for 7 years now, the trousers were from the Conscious Collection and the top is just a run of the mill number with a cowl neck

 The sandals

 The top and trousers

 The statement earrings

And I thought Faux Fuchsia would appreciate this simple flower arrangement on the table. Sorry for sharing my olive stones!

Just as useful as a dress

I know it still should all be about the dresses but sometimes a skirt is as useful as a dress. Firstly when it is an evening maxi skirt you don't have to worry about hairy legs, your calves, whether you need to add lotion to dry legs or if you need a fake tan. Boots, sandals or courts will work with the skirt and then it is adding a shirt (satin or leopard methinks) or a top.

I've had a Kate Moss for Topshop maxi skirt from her first collection, the only item I ever bought and it has proved entirely useful. It is starting to look a bit worn but I'm determined to squeeze another two years out of it!

If I wasn't being so tight and did need to replace it then I would be hot footing it to M&S to get this number which is also handily has 25% at the moment making a £45 bargain even more of a bargain.And don't forget to save on postage by opting for collect in store.

I would wear this skirt a la Ines ( de la Fressange)- flat pumps, a tee and a statement necklace, for what it is worth. And by day a la Sarah (Lund) with a knit. Who needs jeans!

Sequin embellished maxi M&S £45

High Street Pick of the Week

True it isn't Saturday, the usual place for this regular post...but as I'm on school holiday mode all rules/bets are out of the window/off.

Anyway who am I to deny you the immediacy of a great high street buy for your sartorial wardrobe. A winner right now for the evening (isn't it chilly of an eve) and a keeper for the coming winter months. It is an all round winner. Wear with red skinny jeans now and then your soon to be bought pencil skirt. Grab it while you can!

Limited Collection Star Blouse T69 3010 £29.50 in stores now.

Has it really been that long...to heart M&S

Truly I do, love M&S. I'm sure it is in part an association with many memories over the years, even a hideous pair of sandals for school one summer. It wasn't Markses fault, I just wasn't allowed a more on trend but obviously 'cheaper' pair from Stead and Simpson. The cheapness was in the shop of course and M&S stood for all those wonderful middle class/petite bourgeois values. And to some extent it still does. Who wouldn't prefer to do their weekly shop at M&S or Waitrose over the rest, if we were moneyed. Now the old purse strings are sort of shut - indulgence is at a premium and has reverted to being a luxury, not a necessity.






Whilst M&S celebrates a 125 years of trading on the high street in all it's many manifestations, it is also facing a drop in pre-tax profits of 40% ( down from £1.1bn to 706m). Now there are lost of reasons for this due to lowering margins, restructuring etc. etc. But, one can't help but feel that the high street clothing offerings are not hitting the mark.


I have a few areas of criticisms and a whole heap of praise after all who would want to see it disappear - I'm still getting over Woolworths and holding a torch for Snob (I felt so grown up the first time I shopped there).


It's not the first time I've made a few remarks and so a couple of remarks are repeats!

Over stocking on the shop floor - please there's too much stuff, given the current layout of the store. Browsing is harder and so it getting something off the rails without knocking half the items to the floor.


More importantly the reason I suspect for the drop is the fact many of us have been turned off from M&S clothing in the last few years due to our glam purchases on Net-A-Porter, Matches, My-Wardrobe to name a few supplemented by Topshop. Primark et al. Why buy at M&S when you can get what you want from Oasis to Reiss or APC to American Apparel. If you're a boutique shopper or a Dover Street Market person then M&S has no relevance for you. It is the lack of relevance for the savvy shopper, the confident car booter and Internet purchaser.


Those of us who are avid followers of fashion form trends to individual quirks and style then step into M&S and be greeted by Per Una and we are out of the door or just hot footing it to the sandwich section. I'm only prepared to check out their stock for clients and M&S can satisfy a range of issues from size to budget that a broader mix can't.


Whilst Per Una might satisfy today's 50+ lady it certainly isn't true of those hitting 50 in the next few years ( the Madonna factor). By and large they wouldn't be seen dead in such garments. I could go on for ever on my loathing of Per Una!


Yet, even the rest of the products tend to lack a certain something supplemented with some really brilliant pieces - which become an amazing find because a) they are in M&S and b) they are great value for money.


Take these kick flare jeans at £19.50 they are a complete bargain and they are fab! Then you can spend your money on a expensive top instead.





I'm a great fan of their knickers but would never buy a bra there. The children's clothing is getting better and better after probably being the worst high street offering for ages. Certainly the Menswear Autograph range delivers great value and now is getting its act together on the jeans. If you want a functional, good value and lovely denim jean then it is worth a browse in Autograph.

If you hunt long enough you can always find something of value or worth for your wardrobe in M&S...but if it wants to keep it's market presence in womenswear for the next 125 years it needs to take stock and bring in some fresh eyes!

Dear M&S

I think you need my help. I'm sure you might assert that on principle I'm just another opinionated stylist, however, I would like to assert back that this isn't the case. Currently, after many successful years in fashion journalism, marketing and as a freelance stylist (who isn't!) I'm undertaking an MA in Fashion and Film at the London College of Fashion.

My view is that you need to undertake a radical rethink and over haul of your womenswear offerings. I have struggled over the last few years to attire one single female client in anything other than your pants - waist clinchers and tummy tuck ones to be precise, oh and some great claret tights last season. BTW we are talking 40+ peeps here, I'm taking my 50+ lot to Kew and elsewhere to reconnect them with style, they all felt tired and dull.

With what do I find fault, I'm not going to list it all but here is a selection:-

1. Overstocking on the shop floor, this is with regards to the rails, the multitude of them on the floor and the fact you can't see things. Yesterday with one item, product code T572433A - a Perfect Military Pocket Knee length skirt with belt to be precise, I had to struggle with a multitude of skirts all hung on one rail intended for 15 to swish nicely at best. There were about twenty size 10s in amongst a few other sizes. This is unnecessary and immediately puts the customer or stylist in a sweat as they grapple to stop the items falling on the floor, as you bump behind into the adjoining equally overstocked rail and then stick your right and left elbow into the others.

Please go for a stroll around Selfridges 2nd floor, enjoy the stroll, the ability to view items and browse. Note how items are hung and think about how you could achieve the same.

2. Bring back the square jumper/tshirt things - even Primark has these and yes they do get untidy but you don't have to overfill them and restocking and keeping things tidy would reconnect the sales assistants with the customer and save them pulling rails around in a random fashion. I'm not advocating old style but a new interpretations of an old classic presentation retail style.

3. Less is more - please scale down Limited Collection, Autograph and Per Una (actually I'd love you to get rid of Per Una but that will happen naturally), in fact scale down everything. There is too much volume. Have better processes that improve production on lines selling well and an ability to deliver what the customers want, think Topshop. Topshop deliver a line of basics that only vary occasionally, in colour or a minor style tweak. Then they add the rest. You do basics too but they are not quite right, not clearly defined except on the knickers front. don't just go to Topshop, go to Zara too. Look at their cardigans and jumpers folded on the shelves. Do this for UK women and get a template that is trendy but for the over 35 year body - it'll be a winner.

4. Do a line that are style classics, do not mess with these, get the cut, cloth and colour right and exploit this gap in the market. Get the body standard deviation right too based on post twenty something (see above). I know that you might think that your new Perfect offering is doing this but. The above mentioned product is quite nice but you are delivering an old school Next offering mainly in polyester and it isn't going to be a winner - but you can come back to me and tell me I'm wrong with your amazing sales results.

5. I give you a favourite dress of mine. It is simple, well made and has lovely beading detail. It wasn't expensive and not many were made. It isn't an amazing design but it works as a dignified understated LBD when the moment requires one. It is an Autograph New York number - and I bought it because the Autograph section was attended to by a lovely lady who knew her stock, customers and loved her job. In the last 5 years all I have bought from M&S apart from food occassionally are some pants, a pair of ballet pumps on sale and some pirate socks for my 3 year old - and goodness you are actually delivering some clothes for children I can buy again, great Spiderman pants!

Here is my lovely dress. Please ask me to come in to be a consultant for a 6 month period - I will make you millions and save you during the hard times - failing hiring me get some A list designers in again and ditch the F listers you seem to think will make do, well they won't.

Fashion Focus - part 2

What's occurring in stores? Bottom line not a lot - OK new stock is arriving but is it actually the stock you want yet? I'm not sure after a couple of looks that I can really paint a picture. Granted it is still early August and there's the bin end of sale stuff but the shops are stocked to the nines with stuff!

Firstly, that is the nub of my problem. Too much stock. If there is one thing the high street could learn immediately it is this, reduce your number of items in store. Cut back on ranges, anything to reduce rails and increase space to look. And M&S clearly need to do it right away!

I can't abide the fact you have to say sorry every 5 mins because you inadvertently bump into someone amongst the clothes. At least I say sorry! Also it wasn't that busy. When you walk into the Marble Arch store from the Selfridges end you walk into a nice space dedicated to Limited Collection, but even this area can feel cluttered at times. In the last 12 months I've become increasingly intolerant of shop layouts. This over stuffing of lines happened before in the early 90s and M&S had to radically shift then.

Did I feel inspired or uninspired. Well quite frankly I was completely underwhelmed. I'm going to be specific - it's the colours! How does M&S get colours so wrong? What is their obsession with apricot and pale apple green - this is a perennial feature whatever the season. To my eye there is always something off about their choice of shades more DIY store own line of paint than Dulux in the mid range and Farrow & Ball at the top end.

Give M&S pink and it is an odd magenta rather than a Schiaparelli shocking pink. I want colours to be true to nature think a beautiful pink display of bougainvillea not a nasty dye.M&S is fine with neutrals, black, white, grey, and navy but the rest of the colour choices aren't great. May be it's their fabric choice too - who knows? Having said that they have a spectacular pair of bright blue leather gloves.

Pure Leather Plain Gloves £15.00 Colbalt Blue Product Code: T012872

Then there are the shoes - some fab options at great prices depending on your foot size or shape. I'm slowly converting back to my preferred option of wearing sock with all shoes. I broke with wearing socks with everything in an attempt to be more grown up but when Stylist Stuff happily appeared wearing her socks with shoes at the Barbican I felt more than a surge of euphoria, but that's another story!

Back to M&S shoe selection. I'm cautious on the fit. I recommend trying a few sizes on to check fit to find out how comfortable they feel as the cut isn't as high quality as proper shoe shops. Go at the end of the day when feet are swollen and tired to really get the right pair. I've selected a few gems.Lace Up Town shoes £39.50 in Beige product code T022081

Limited collection Tri-panel Shoe Boot £59.50 Grey/Black mix product code T022108

Limited Collection High Shine shoe boot in Grey product code T020521

Now I loathe all things Per Una - really if I was given Superhero powers I'd abuse them straightaway by ridding the world of the fashion evil that is Per Una but..I'd save these..

Per Una Leather Lace Up Brogue in Brown £49.50 product code T021647

You could pair these brogues up with a nice plaid pair of trousers (not from M&S) and this peachy little number on top.

Short Sleeve Bead Neck Top with Silk £35.00 (colour not specified so very very pale pink/peach - that's my call) product code T416243
The picture does it no favours but it is a light delightful easy to wear top with a 1930s feel. It isn't in any defined M&S range just amongst the many items on the many rails. Another item, amongst the rails,was this sweet cable knit- again please ignore picture - they need a stylist!
Short Sleeve Cable Knit Jumper in Grey £29.50 product code T387409

Finally there is a Limited Collection little satchel that would be a handy handbag! And a steal at £25.00, in store they had them in navy too.