Nothing says “It’s June” like an £85 pound coat from M&S. At least that’s the feeling here on the Evening Standard fashion desk, where receiving a sneak peek of the latest collection from our most talked-about high-street chain is as crucial to our diaries as the 10.05am flat-white run.
Conversation catnip from here to Portree, talk of what’s going down at M&S is a pursuit that’s every bit as British as waxing lyrical on the weather — or the Beckhams.
This year, with 100 stores closing, sales figures low and the senior team still recalibrating following a major reshuffle, the sport commonly referred to as “M&S watch” is set to reach fever pitch. But anyone expecting an extreme makeover will be disappointed. M&S is standing firm with a collection that is all about making life easy for its customers: it’s back to basics.
After a promise to “become more relevant to more people” — made by managing director for clothing and home, Jill McDonald — the chain’s womenswear collection for next winter is all about simplicity. Focusing its attention on the key pieces every woman needs in her wardrobe, The Foundation Edit is about making everyday dressing a more straightforward pursuit. Accordingly, trench coats, great-fitting black trousers and Breton tops are among the building blocks on offer to M&S customers next season.
The range, which sits quietly among an autumn/winter edit of purple fur coats, printed silk dresses and a Prince of Wales check blazer that is set to become the star piece this season, is a means to assist the M&S customer in her quest to get to grips with some of the trickier fashion trends.
“We want to make like easy for our customers,” notes Belinda Earl, trading director for womenswear and kidswear. “Women want versatility and adaptability. Our job, always, is to give them options.”
If the Achilles’ heel of M&S womenswear is the challenge of delivering clothes to a dynamic customer group that encompasses women of all ages, a focus on classics makes a lot of sense. It’s still your M&S.
