Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer enjoys strong community support as a go-to UK high street brand for everyday basics, particularly underwear, basics, and knitwear, with many users reporting items lasting a decade or more. However, a meaningful minority of commenters note that quality has declined in recent years due to cheaper materials and overseas production, putting some doubt on whether current M&S purchases will match the longevity of older stock. The consensus is that M&S offers one of the best quality-to-price ratios available on the UK high street, even if it no longer represents the gold standard it once did.

M&S offers genuinely impressive longevity across many product categories and represents the best quality-to-price ratio on the UK high street, but declining material quality in recent years means buyers should focus on natural-fibre and premium sub-lines rather than assuming all current M&S products match the durability of older stock.

Community members frequently praise M&S for exceptional durability across underwear, basics, belts, and knitwear, with many reporting items lasting 10–20 years. The brand is consistently cited as a strong value proposition for the UK market.

• Underwear lasting 10+ years with elastic and seams intact
• Belts holding up daily for a decade or more
• Knitwear and jumpers looking new after 20+ years
• Dress shirts described as indestructible with collars that don't wear
• Best quality-to-price ratio among UK high street brands
• Vintage St. Michael line considered especially high quality

A notable number of users say M&S quality has declined significantly in recent years, with more synthetic materials, overseas production, and prices that no longer reflect the quality. Some specific product categories like certain boxers and wool items are called out as underperforming.

• Quality has dropped due to cheaper overseas manufacturing
• More polyester and acrylic blends replacing natural fibres
• Some users say current quality is on par with budget brand Primark
• Wool items reported to pill quickly by some users
• Certain underwear styles lack support and go saggy quickly

A user described discovering their partner's boxers felt like silk after 20 years of wear — they turned out to be ordinary M&S cotton that had simply softened beautifully, with elastic and seams still holding.

One commenter noted they still wear M&S dress shirts bought in 2005 on a weekly basis, saying they are the only shirts they've ever owned where the collars simply don't wear out.

Several users pointed out that M&S quality used to be much better before production moved overseas, summarising the decline as a casualty of cost-cutting that has eroded a once-great brand.

A user with multiple designer underwear brands in rotation said the M&S Autograph briefs were actually the most comfortable and breathable of everything they owned, beating far more expensive options.