THE VOGUE VERDICT

(Photo:short prom dress uk)A Quick browse around Marks & Spencer spring/summer 2016 and it doesn’t take long before you paint a picture of what the design team had on its moodboard. It was like a scroll through Tommy Ton meets a flick through the highlights of Fashion Week; basically, a 3D rendering of your Instagram feed during show season.

Let’s see, there was a version of that hit white cotton off-the-shoulder shirt that US label Tibi sold a million of; a reinterpretation of Gucci’s frilled bib-fronted blouse and geek-chic metallic herringbone-patterned midi skirt; Chloe’s Souvenir jacket popped up (a snip at £69), so too, an adaptation of its popular python Faye bag; there was also a Calvin Klein-ish oyster silk slip dress, layered over a white T-shirt, and a kimono-sleeved crisp white shirt, the sort that glides down Valentino’s runway most seasons.

That’s not a dig. The design team were obviously paying attention to what women are wearing, and will want to wear come February when these pieces arrive in store. “Of course we track the shows and we get a sense of the key designers, but we work on our trends ahead of fashion week,” explained design director, Queralt Ferrer. “This season we looked a lot at street style and how women dress. It’s much more about an attitude.”

The highs: a collection of pieces tagged under the umbrella of Modern Utility, which was a romp through khaki. Standout items included a quilted jacket with popper closure and a paper-bag waist khaki skirt which, on first impression, one wonders how an M&S shopper might get along with a paper-bag waist (it turns out very well since it’s an idea revisited from last season). In fact, they were smart to go back to some big hitters of seasons past. Remember that sold-out-everywhere suede skirt from spring/summer 2015? There was a leather wrap-around version here with D-ring side fastening and daring slit (super chic, even though an almost identical one hangs in Whistles right now, but no matter). A suede buttonless coat, and a V-neck tunic in softest glove leather – the most expensive item in the collection, retailing for £249 – were also winners. So too, was an oatmeal sweatshirt paired with a white eyelash-lace pencil skirt, a languid trench coat, and a jacquard skirt that looked a lot more expensive that its £49.50 price tag.

The lows: the prints; a bias-cut dress with rippling waterfall ruffles that had a lovely silhouette but the floral was too wishy-washy; while a lace dress in a drab, dirty pink, proved a tricky colour to pull off whatever your complexion. But, by and large, there were lots of lovely wearable pieces ready to slot right in to wardrobes across the nation. And yet, it seems a constant struggle to nudge up the numbers. M&S admitted its general merchandise (largely made up of clothing) suffered a 1.2 per cent fall in like-for-like sales during the six months to the end of September.

A note on lingerie, where M&S didn’t appear to be the least bit concerned about a certain Victoria’s Secret show that took place in New York last night. “Our lingerie customer is everyone from the girl who buys her first bra to the 80-year old woman who has been buying her underwear from us her whole life,” smiled Soozie Jenkinson, head of lingerie design and product direction, who added that the store hosts 150,000 bra fittings a week and with 44 bra sizes on offer, ranging from 28A-44J (with 36C being the most popular) catering to “99 per cent” of the female population. This season, the store introduces a new knicker shape launching on Valentine’s Day named the Brazilian-shaped “Rio” – yes, inspired by the upcoming Olympics.

N.B. If you haven’t signed up for the recently launched Sparks card – it might be time to consider it. The members club allows you priority access to new collections, i.e. it might be the only way you can secure that prized piece ahead of everyone else.Read more at:long prom dresses