18-03-2025
Lisa Armstrong's verdict on Marks & Spencer's spring collection
The new-season M&S collection is about to arrive in store. On Thursday, they unleash their fashion campaign on TV. It's safe to say, you'll be seeing a lot of the brand over the next few weeks, if not months, assuming they can deliver some big hits. But will they? I went to their showroom at the Marble Arch flagship store on London's Oxford Street to preview their key pieces. Here's my verdict.
First thing to say is that if, like me, you're a stickler for good quality fabrics and balk at the amount of slimy polyfibres in so many clothes today (including from brands that are far more expensive than M&S), then you may be pleasantly surprised by what you see – or rather touch, because we all know that it's possible to make just about anything look good in a campaign image if the lighting's sufficiently magical.
A word of reason: the uptick in fabrics may be because these are spring/summer clothes rather than any overarching ambition at M&S to leave synthetics behind altogether. It's much easier to find reasonably priced summer friendly materials than it is wool and sheepskin, so let's enjoy them while we can. The polyfibres will be back come winter. And let's be clear, there are also some this summer. I wasn't mad on a lizard print synthetic shirt (the organza silk one from Autograph on the other hand was excellent). I wasn't mad on the lacy number here either – seductive in the picture. IRL, not so much.
Achieving net zero polyester is as realistic, M&S say, as achieving net zero emissions – or it is at these prices. Sigh. Surely it wasn't always like this? Or are we looking at the M&S of yore through rose-tinted specs? The 1970s were, after all, a bonanza of Crimplene. Drip-dry was King.
I'd love to hear from those with reliable M&S-related memories. For now, linen rules. As does cotton, including some unbleached trousers. They also seem to have mastered the super-soft Armani-worthy suede jacket – M&S have several suede jacket styles, cropped, wrap and slightly longer in Per Una, Autograph and core. They top out at around £269 but look and feel far more expensive.
Autograph Suede Jacket, £279
They've clearly been working on their blocks, as their cuts look much sleeker and luxurious. If your conscience won't allow you to wear real animal skins then you might be tempted by M&S's microfibre iterations. Until recently fake suedes and leathers have tended to disappoint IRL, but this microsuede is really very good. Synthetic, it nevertheless feels breathable and drapes well. Suede is everywhere in 2025 – because it strikes that balance we're all seeking between relaxed but sleek. I would seriously consider their microfibre jacket.
Also welcome are all the British spring-friendly layers, from a sleeveless cream parka to an array of jackets in taupe, sand, chocolate and soft-khaki (very Max Mara). Included in this group is a cropped shower resistant 'trench'. You can tell there's an increasing amount of attention paid to quiet but well thought through design. The colours are the right shade, whether they're cherry red or lemon. Whole groups work together, and where individual items are meant to be layered, they're actually compatible or matching lengths. You can tell the design team are feeling confident – critical and commercial success will do that to a department. They're not just going for showy editorial pieces (easy wins if you have the barest clue what's in fashion) but really drilling down, focussing on details.
They've gone wholeheartedly for co-ords, from this lovely balloon-hem skirt and matching top – perfect for summer parties, or style with denim on weekends – to stripy cotton and linen shorts, shirts and trousers which will be perfect on the beach or at balmy barbecues.
Balloon? You read that correctly. After the success of barrel jeans (at one point, their most popular style) and carrot jeans (less exaggerated than barrel, but a similar shape), M&S have realised that women of all ages are not interested in wishy-washy frump wear, but want to look current and are happy to try out fresh ideas and new styles provided they're intelligently presented and look flattering.
Denim is a highly competitive category that's steeped in mystique and snobbery but increasingly, M&S seem to have broken down the considerable resistance that some customers had to wearing M&S jeans. It's now, just about, cool to own some of their denim. You can't argue with the VFM, at around £29 for some pairs. There's plenty of choice too, as there is across all their trousers.
There are many more skirts too than previous seasons, including this polka dot mini and the pencil silhouette (also red – there's quite a bit of it around) with white stencilling which makes it easy to pair with a white shirt as well as this stripy one. Tailoring is still a feature, 'but we've been looking at modern ways to be feminine,' says Lisa Illis, Brand Director. 'There's more emphasis on the waist, but it's all very gentle and comfortable' (note that this is also reflected on the catwalks).
A word or six about those balloon hems – in layperson's terms, they're modified puffballs. Not 1990s style, but more subtle and sophisticated. I wouldn't be surprised if the M&S design team hadn't been looking at Sophie d'Hoore, an if-you-know-you-know Belgian designer whose understated avant-garde meets earthy aesthetic produces quietly striking, timeless clothes.
I remember a long time ago a very highly paid consultant working for a rival brand telling me that M&S's avowed intent to appeal to all people was ridiculous. But I think they might be cracking it. It's not yet a rival to Zara, but for the moment, it has something Zara doesn't: the unexpected factor. If a stylish woman finds something terrific and fashion forward in Zara, no surprise. If she finds it M&S, kudos to her. These ballet-teacher shoes are a case in point: at £29.50, they're potentially this summer's equivalent of that 2019 Zara polka-dot dress.
Ballet-teacher shoes, £29.50
For more classic customers, Jaeger is getting better. This summer they have a version of their hit winter kilt, complete with a matching shirt – more co-ord action and a good option for special occasions. Bags are squishy, sandals are flat or mid heel. There's a distant relative of The Row's jelly shoe – and some lovely little silk scarves which should appeal cross – generationally. They haven't forgotten the boho crowd either, with some pretty tops that look quite Sezane. That stylist who thought it was impossible to appeal to a wide range of ages couldn't be more wrong. These days, mothers, grandmothers and daughters often buy the same item – but wear it differently.
As for those bikinis, I mentioned earlier. M&S has lots this summer, plus co-ordinating cover-ups in the form of oversized, breezy shirts. As a colleague remarked when I told her, 'isn't their swimwear known for being a bit staid?' That's all in the eye of the wearer. Others might call it supportive and concealing. That will still be there, but as Maddy Evans, previously from Topshop and now head of fashion at M&S says, 'we're finally seeing younger and younger customers coming in and we want to make sure we have what they're looking for'.
