I was backstage at a fashion week adjacent show. You know the ones; one of those stark white/black set shoots where everyone takes themselves far too seriously for discussion of hemlines; when I noticed it. Sat on a sofa snacking on Pringles was the most effortlessly stylish woman I’ve ever seen, rifling through a bag of Marks & Spencer basics.
Not just any old bag; I kid you not, an Actual M&S bag. The little green and white striped shopping bag your mum gets hideous reductions home from every Thursday. I honestly stopped in my tracks to stare.
Because this woman styles actual celebrities. Celebrities who have entire websites dedicated to filming them leaving Pret.
She looked up at me and chuckled. “Their sixty deniers are honestly better than anything else double the price” she muttered conspiratorially.
She was right too.
Political conspiracies aside, it is a well kept secret of the fashion industry. At the time I was still a junior stylist.
That blissfully delusional stage of your career when you genuinely believe everything you see on glossy magazine pages is actual editors buying direct from BFF-access-only boutique launches that you’ll one day be invited to when you ‘make it’. Fast forward 8 years and I’ve touched enough over-priced designer jersey slinking through the rails at sample sales to know the truth; half the clothes hanging in your local M&S belong in shoots. But are too expensive for anyone to admit they buy them.
A few weeks ago I was chatting over a bottle of wine with my friend Theo. Theo styles actual musicians; so cool, with intern credits on albums so legendary you can practically hear them sniffing at your choices from across the room. But he gets it.
We’d reached that deliciously buzzed point in the night where your walls come down and spill the secrets of your industries and I asked him about the cream of white t-shirt I swear he used on his last shoot. “They’re from M&S” he muttered shame-facedly. “Pure Cotton crew neck. They do them in white, grey and baby blue. £7 a pop. I buy like fifteen of them at a time and bin the labels before shoots.” He made me promise not to tell; which I’m about to do.
Soz Theo. But you’re not the only person I know with such shocking industry intel. Trust me, I’ve bored enough of my fellow stylists with relentless interrogations to know we’re all doing it.
Especially when it comes to M&S. As with anything this MUSE-like magazine we work in perpetuates; we’re all guilty of pretending on the outside that band t-shirt versus £350 silk tombo withholding evidence top debate is real. But I promise you; if you speak to any stylist, assistant or junior designer who has had to actually PUT AN OUTFIT together in ourindustry they’ll admit it.
M&S are everything. When I first started out working in styling my sweet Magnolia Editor told me they were my go-to for nothing can look cheap basics on a low budget shoot. She introduced me to their Collection range; perfect for shooting because it hangs like a dream and seriously hides rolls and lumpes better than any high street contender.
My favourite? Their black wide leg trousers; you cannot get them from budget retailers that look as tailored and expensive as they do from M&S. And their merino jumpers are honestly so good.
Not good-for-the-price-given-but-I’m-wearing-it-because-its-budget jumper good, but legit chic jumpers. I was helping her style the then-unknown-on-paper Alicia Vienna for glossy magazine’s workwear editorial. Nothing too crazy, just some really cool office outfits on a cute new actress nobody would’ve heard of until that magazine hit the stands.
But as you can imagine on a stylist salary we weren’t using actual office clothes. We were making do with a fraction of the usual wardrobe budget and PANICKING. Hitting up old mentor Leila for advice she wasted no time. “Get into M&S” was her speedy response. “Collection.
Their tailoring is seriously flattering. Those black wide leg trousers are swear by me; you can’t tell they’re high street from across the room. And don’t even get me started on their merino jumpers.
Honestly the best.” She wasn’t lying. Of course she wasn’t. That shoot was easily one of the best I’ve ever worked on; Alice Vaughan looked comfortable (MOST MODELS LOOK DISCONFOOTED IN SAMPLES SO THIS WAS A BIG DEAL) and you’d never have guessed what she was actually wearing was affordable.
I got emails after the magazine came out asking where I found those ‘gorgeous trousers’. If they’re still in stock at your local shopping centre they’re £39.50. Go insult my styling credentials all you want but I spent weeks bragging about that trouser find to anyone who’d listen.
Okay so where were we? Oh yeah, because I’ve been styling for almost a decade now I know what we secretly buy from M&S when the going gets tough. And I’m not talking about what they force us to wear during the PR invites to their monthly fashion shows.
No, I’m talking about the REAL staples stylists raid on those days where it just has to look chic but you don’t have time for judgment. Underwear. Okay hear me out.
I know what you’re thinking but hear me on this; nobody wants to see your trousers line. Not through that gorgeously wrinkly silk shirt you thrifted in Bangkok. Not under that slinky sequin bodice you’ve had your eye on for three months.
But trust me on this; M&S know how to do underwear. Their No VPL full briefs in microfibre are seriously the best. It sounds gross but shoot graciousness; if you’re wearing light wash jeans and leggy shots are on the agenda you need those full panties in your wardrobe.
I had five girls on a shoot last May swear by them. Not glamorous, I know. But lifesaving.
Tights. Honestly we could write a whole other blog post on tights. How many times have you spent £30 on designer tights that run from your knees trying to get them up?
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Seen an assistant bawl their eyes out because their £60 Italian jobbies split when they bent over to cheque a fitting? Me too. Buy buy BUY the M&S 60 denier Bodysculpt ones.
Best thing about them? They actually smooth you out without creating that weird muffin top at the waist. I once watched a model cartwheel in a pair and they didn’t roll OR sag.
The 100 denier are even better; that teeny tiny brushed effect on them really DOES photograph like velvet. And now for my number one guilty styling secret; thermals. Look I understand what you’re saying; thermals SUCK.
They’re never comfy, always itchy and who wants to talk about actual thermals on a fashion blog? But when you’re shooting winter coats at minus freezing like we often have to; you NEED thermals. Trust me.
I styled a winter accessories shoot up in Scotland last December where it was minus 3 degrees at 3pm. My model was clad in M&S Heatgen thermal from her neckline down to her ankles under her coats and it saved the shoot. Nobody is looking at those warm, wool coats popping on that Scottish hillside thinking ‘bet she’s freezing butuggers those high street thermals’.
Those babies are seriously thin enough to layer under pretty much anything but warm enough to stop models freezing their nipples off. For menswear their classic white t-shirts are a total secret weapon. Since Theo ratted me out I cannot un-know their plain crew necks are worth buying BY THE PACK from the men’s section.
They wash so well (hello lipstick stained under breasts APRÈS look) and that thinness means they photograph like a dream. No weird sheerness or colour tints showing up under studio lights. BOD wears them all the time on shoots.
SO BASIC. But their cotton socks are THE BEST. I know you’re rolling your eyes right now but hear me out.
Think about how many male models we’ve ALL got in shoots who have ripped, holey bedroom socks they WEAR. When you’re doing ankle shots of men in suits do you REALLY want to see those splods of holes at the toes showing through their designer brogues? Nope.
Neither do I. M&S black cotton socks are lifesavers. Breathable enough that models don’t get sweaty feet under the studio lights ( trust me, guys having gross sweaty feet is WAY more common than you think) and they really do photograph as black NOT sad dusty grey.
The knitwear game at M&S is seriously where it’s at. When I want that ‘Effortlessly Chic Cashmere Jumper’ look I know I can always rely on them to deliver. Whether I’ve layered it under a £5000 coat; used it as a stylish sparkly thigh-flash for some seriously skimpy looks or shoved it on a model whilst high rating ‘Easy On Easy Off’ as their ‘ outfit’ M&S knitwear is magical.
The neck sits prefect; not up too high but not loose like some sad worn out grandma jumper. And those killer colours they do? Rich, saturated shades that always photograph well.
The best taupe/cognac/khaki/middle brown you can get. Seriously. Last year I styled this ‘Investment Pieces You NEED In Your Wardrobe’ feature.
You know, the ones magazines do every six months with headlines like ‘ Ten Classic Items Worth Splurging On’. Yep. I was mocking the entire concept of ‘investment’ clothing by styling my model in a £2750 Burberry Trench WITH a Marks & Spencer cashmere jumper I’d got for £75 from the sale rail.
And when anyone looking at the published pics asked me where she’d got her jumper from I couldn’t TELL THEY WERE THE SAME BRAND. The FD actually commented on how ‘beautiful’ the knit was. BEST FOR MEN AND WOMEN.
For summer months their linen shirts are where it’s at. Those relaxed boyfriend style linen shirts they do in white and navy are so versatile; you can’t even really tell they’re linen until you’re about five shots in and they’ve started to rumple in all the RIGHT places. Linen = MAGIC for that ‘I threw this together but actually spent ages getting it just so’ shirt and jean look but M&S have mastered it.
And lastly. Don’t even get me started on how well everything basically FITS at M&S.
Not in a how-are-these-skinny-jeans-so-trendy-in-2023 way.
But in a classic ‘these shirts actually hang correctly off the shoulders’ way.
Their plain white shirts don’t ride up. Their jersey doesn’t cling and even the stupid straight leg jean has a decent rise that works with tucked in tops.
Bless. Editors and stylists can pretend forever about needing to shop at hip boutique launches for inspo but let’s be real; when it comes down to actually dressing real live humans we’re ALL loading up on basics from poor ol’ Marks & Spencer. That assistant dashing to M&S on Old Compton street with ten minutes to spare before shooting starts is not scrolling Instagram for cute options.
They’re dashing to the Marble Arch shop stocking up on Basics they KNOW will give them those all important none-hour additional clothing options. That stylist walking into pre-shop with a suspiciously hefty bag is not smuggling drugs; they’re stuffing their bag with £7 tights in every skin tone known to mankind. Of course they aren’t perfect.
Please let me never hear you suggest those dodgy jeggings they’ve been peddling since god-knows-when. And their boho maxis are about as exciting as watching paint dry. But their basics.
Don’t even get me started on how good the staples are.
