Why your daughter has finally fallen for M&S too
- Charlotte Levy, 20, said she’s roll her eyes when dragged into M&S when young
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When I was younger, I would roll my eyes when my mum dragged me into Marks & Spencer to try on its frumpy jeans or mumsy dresses in awful prints and fabrics.
To me, M&S clothes were for middle-aged women or older, and there was no way I would have been seen in them. And until recently, that remained the case.
Even as a little girl, I loved fashion. I’m dyslexic, and when I was younger, I found reading difficult. But, aged ten, one magazine that did catch my eye was Vogue, and when my parents noticed my interest, they bought me a subscription. I’ve read it every month since then, keeping a close eye on evolving trends.
Now aged 20, I look out for designer clothes on the online store Vinted or in second-hand shops, and could happily spend hours seeking out items. I look for classic, timeless styles, often wearing men’s trousers or one-off designer jumpers and altering them myself if need be.
My best finds have been a tan Miu Miu handbag that I picked up for £30 online, a great pair of black Prada Gore-Tex trousers from a charity shop and a gorgeous 1950s-style summer dress from a vintage shop that could easily be Dolce & Gabbana.
Blazer, £79, jeans, £39.50, and bag, £25
Waistcoat, £39.50 trousers, £39.50, and boots, £59
Sequin shirt, £49.50
My love of fashion means that all my friends at Leeds University, where I’m studying History of Art with Fine Art, laugh about borrowing clothes from ‘Charlotte’s Shop’.
I do visit High Street stores such as Zara, Urban Outfitters, H&M and Asos, too, and every so often find something I love. But I generally get irritated by the poor-quality fabric and inconsistent sizing.
I had ventured into M&S a couple of times since those trips with my mum, but only to buy pyjamas and beauty products. I glanced with interest at the collaborations with Nobody’s Child and Ghost in 2020 and 2021, but there was still nothing that appealed to me.
Yet, suddenly, this season M&S has become one of my favourite places to buy clothes. And it’s not just me; my social media is full of young people raving about their M&S purchases.
So what’s changed?
Waistcoat, £39.50, and trousers, £45
Trench coat, £55, top, £29.50, jeans, £59, and bag, £35, marksand spencer.com, Adidas trainers, £85, schuh. co.uk
Bag, £35, marksandspencer.com
Partly, it’s because preppy fashion has become much more popular. That classic, pared-back collegiate look is what everyone my age wants to wear now. It’s no longer all about torn jeans and scruffy jackets — even the streetwear brands I like are leaning away from skater style.
But it’s not just that we’ve come round to M&S’s designs; it’s that the brand has come round to ours, creating clothes with younger, trendier silhouettes. Well-cut wide-leg jeans, cute knitwear and brilliant basic T-shirts are all the clothes I want to wear every day, and they are easy to accessorise to make them feel younger.
M&S is taking inspiration from the catwalks, too; its £35 silver stilettos are very similar to an £890 Prada pair I’ve been admiring, and I can’t believe its black faux fur coat is just £89. It’s so soft and glamorous, and the kind of thing Net-a-Porter is full of at the moment (Saint Laurent has a stunning one in faux fur that’s £6,035). The M&S coat is young and fun, and doesn’t have to be saved for special occasions. I’ve also worn it to lectures over tracksuit bottoms and trainers, and received so many compliments. I enjoy seeing the surprised looks when I tell people where it’s from.
Jumper, £19.50
Faux fur coat, £89
Silver shoes, £35
M&S even has a great trench that is clearly inspired by Burberry. A trench with jeans is such a cool look, and a good-quality white T-shirt is a real essential. I’d struggled to find one that doesn’t have a slightly see-through quality.
There are even a few things on offer that I would wear on a night out — flattering waistcoats, like the ones I used to buy from Urban Outfitters, and the perfect black leather boots. They just look so much more expensive than £125 because they aren’t snug at the top and have the ideal heel.
A sequined shirt can be a bit ‘Mum on Boxing Day’ but an ombre one, for £49.50, is very cool; Dries Van Noten and Tom Ford both have similar blouses this season.
Though M&S clothes are well priced, they are generally more expensive than those by brands such as Missguided or Pretty Little Thing. But I don’t want to wear fast fashion; I care about the environment and avoid items that fall apart in the washing machine. I’d rather have one well-made jumper than five tatty tops. Lots of my friends like shopping at Uniqlo for the same reason.
So now, when Mum takes me into M&S, there’s no eye-rolling. I only get irritated if she’s wearing the red cashmere jumper I was hoping to steal from her wardrobe!
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