Never Would We Have Predicted This Year's Ago...

[MissTerious]

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/business/marks-and-spencer-closing-quarter-of-large-stores-9325360

[emmie]

i have bought most of my clothes from Cotton traders. They fit mostly. and if they don't it's no hassle to send them back, which rarely happens.

[barry1010]

Cotton Traders is named after the family that started the company - the Cottons :)

[emmie]

named after Fran Cotton, the former rugby player i believe........

[bhg481]

Clothes are one of the few things that I do not buy online; I need to see them, feel them, check for quality and try them on before I buy them. The result, I think, of having a mother who was a sewing machinist (rag-stabber, my dad called her) and was obsessed with garments being perfect. In the 1950s she worked for Trutex making good-quality school clothes. At one time they had a contract to make some clothes for M&S and she claimed the quality demanded from them was higher than their own garments.

[zebo]

//Back in the day people bought quality clothes and made them last.//

I used to know a shirt manufacturer who had a contract from M and S, their requirements were so very very precise, things like a strict number of stitches to the inch, and they sent inspectors regularly to check. I suppose that these days no UK based manufacturer could meet those standards at the price M and S want .

[MissTerious]

In my teens and twenties I made most of my own clothes because I wanted to be different. I also made clothes for others. I spent hours searching for unusual material.

[pastafreak]

I've always relied on their jeans and underwear to fit and last. Jeans now come from ebay...already broken in!
I get some food...but mostly when marked down now.

[gness]

Many years ago I knew someone who did the machine embroidery for M&S.
She was given notice when they started using more and more foreign suppliers.
During her last week she had to embroider Night Shirt on....well Night Shirts of course.
It was some time before it was noticed she was leaving out the r in Shirt.

[MissTerious]

Actually now all both of wear is casual stuff.

[Canary42]

I'm sorry to see them go.

[MissTerious]

Of us

[roopower]

I haven't bought clothes in M&S for years, overpriced in my opinion. I have bought food, when Ive been on my own for several days, pricey but good quality for a treat.

[barry1010]

You're right, emmie. Fran Cotton is still the company director

[barry1010]

My wife still likes M&S jeans.

[Canary42]

I refuse to buy any clothes which display the maker's name (e.g. Cotton Traders) - I'm not a walking billboard.

[bhg481]

Canary - me too. I was always taught that the label was inside when you came to dress yourself.

[bhg481]

Can I also add that jeans are NEVER smart. I don't care how much you've paid for them or what designer name is on them, they are scruff-wear.

[barry1010]

I've just looked at Cotton Traders online catalogue and can't see any women's clothing with outside labels, with the exception of very discreet logo on two or three fleeces.

[barry1010]

I'll tell my wife you said that, bhg :D

[emmie]

most of the logo's on cotton traders clothes are so discreet, they are rarely noticeable.