First look: our verdict on the 7 key trends from Marks & Spencer's SS18 collection

M&S clothing sales are up - no wonder spring brings a relaxed attitude
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Emma McCarthy24 May 2019

In recent years, M&S’s hopes have been pinned on Percy Pigs, not pants. As clothing sales continued to nosedive, steady food sales long provided a stabiliser for an otherwise bumpy ride.

In response, M&S’s solution was to slash the floor space devoted to shift dresses and cashmere jumpers and open 200 new food stores by 2019. But fashion is fighting back.

Last week, the brand reported a jump in pre-tax profits to £118 million - four times its result for the same period last year. While food sales slumped and its planned expansion slowed, in an unexpected turn of events things are on the up for its beleaguered clothing division with a rise of 5.3 per cent in full-price sales.

It’s not all plain sailing; under-performing clothing stores still face closure and Jo Jenkins - the brand’s director of womenswear, lingerie and beauty - will part ways with the company after this new season launch.

But with the retail shake-up comes the promise of a renewed focus on its most successful locations, plus a drive towards online sales, while new home and clothing managing director Jill McDonald now has her feet firmly under the table. But crucially, what’s most telling is that there is still an appetite for what M&S has to offer beyond caterpillar cakes and posh ready-meals.

Perhaps it’s due to the brand being on more comfortable ground again that next spring’s offering is a relaxed affair. Cool, calm and confident separates hint at a design team that has let out a figurative sigh of relief. Hero items are still trend-led, but they don’t suggest that the fickle fashion press or elusive younger customer is their target market.

Instead, this is a collection brimming with considered pieces designed to make a quiet statement, rather than fighting to catch the eye of a shopper on her way to pick up a four-pack of avocados. Moreover, this is a reflection of how modern women want to dress: in unrestrictive workwear and just-thrown-on dresses suitable for both a wedding and the weekend.

“Comfort underpins everything that we do,” says Belinda Earl, style director. “Our customer tells us she wants to look modern, but she also wants to feel relaxed. Fabric innovations have allowed us to give her that in her everyday wardrobe. We call it ‘fit and flatter’.”

From the easy suit to the casual cocktail gown, here are seven laid-back solutions for next season. Of course, only time will tell if M&S’s chilled-out attitude can continue to freeze falling profits.

1. The paper bag waist skirt

While the idea of a skirt designed to add bulk to the waist is one to make the most hardened follower of fashion quiver in her kitten heels, bear with us. Because while this skirt style may not flatter all shapes and sizes, it will offer those adverse to the full cinch-it-in cliché a cool - and crucially, comfortable - alternative to a waisted silhouette. (£35)

2. The city kaftan

Summer in the city is often a difficult proposition, namely because most who call the city home don’t consider spaghetti straps and hot pants to be in their comfort zone. All we really want is a nice, breezy dress - one capable of keeping us cool without any unnecessary exposure. This Seventies-style printed option should do the trick nicely. (£79)

3. The waterfall shirt

Big sleeves are a big thing in fashion right now but in reality, not the most practical. For those who want for more than your average shirt, but would prefer to retain full use of their arms, consider the waterfall shirt a viable alternative, as championed in M&S’s figure-flattering Wall Street stripe incarnation. (£39.50)

4. The easy suit

If a great fitting suit is the bread and butter of your working wardrobe, then this option is the peanut butter on top. Cool and collected, the jacket is cut with a fluid fit and, thanks to the relaxed waistband, comes with what M&S have dubbed “formal trousers for the track pant generation”. (Jacket, £129, trousers, £79)

5. The smock coat

With every M&S collection comes the inevitable question; what is the new pink coat? Next spring, one contender has caught our eye - a loose, lightweight mac made remarkable by its balloon smock sleeves. Fashion-forward, yet not so out-there it would put off those who just want a coat to be a coat, act fast if you want this in your shopping basket. (£89)

6. The elasticated dress

If you’ve ever peered into the depths of your wardrobe and dismissed it all on the grounds nothing is as comfy as your joggers, you’re going to like the elasticated dress. Ruched in such a way to be wholly accommodating should an impromptu lunch at Five Guys arise, yet smart enough to not look like you’ve just rolled into work in your comfies, this is the sort of office dressing we can get on board with. Expect this to be a regular sight on your commute come spring. (£65)

7. The casual cocktail gown

Dressing up in London often constitutes little more than the addition of red lipstick and a shoe that makes a noise when you walk. But every now and again, there comes a social engagement where your best pub jumper just won’t cut the mustard. For those occasions, M&S has a solution in what we’ve dubbed the casual cocktail gown. Crafted from velvet in a figure-skimming cut, it’s relaxed, black-tie sophistication that won’t leave you feeling like the overdressed guest. Plus, it boasts a number one requirement for many an M&S customer - sleeves. (£79)

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