Ok. I have something to say that the snobby twenty-eight year old version of me would have cringed at. I like Marks & Spencer basics.
Hear me out. I mean I genuinely like them. Not ironically.
Not because I gave up caring about how I look. But because they actually have some really good ones, and they’ve earned a small but important place in my minimal wardrobe.
Before you unsubscribe and stop reading in disgust, know that this is coming from someone who spent way too much money on $200 minimalist shirts and so-called “investment pieces” that were at best on par with what you’ll find at Marks & Spencer for a small fraction of the price.
I discovered them a few years ago when I was first getting serious about paring down my wardrobe. I was going through my ridiculous stash of 60+ tech conference-branded t-shirts and attempting to slim down to a more intentional wardrobe. I had been buying hyper expensive basics before – preacherman you know the drill, convince yourself you’ll wear that plain white t-shirt 100 times so really it’s paying for itself at $80 – and my girlfriend was finally fed up with me stalking reviews of Japanese brands where single items retailed higher than most peoples monthly clothing budget.
So I picked up a Marks & Spencer Supima cotton t-shirt one day. Sort of on accident, browsing their stuff because I was in their store looking for socks or something equally basic and thought I’d try one of their plain tees on for size. Cost me £6.
Six fucking pounds. I buy Starbucks lattes for more than that. Washed it, wore it, loved it.
Got home, stuck it in with my plain tees rotation and promptly forgot about it. Fast forward two months of daily wear / weekly washing and this shirt was outperforming every other t-shirt I owned that cost twelve times as much. The weight was perfect.
Heavy enough to hang nicely on your body but not so heavy that it looks bulky. The neck didn’t stretch out like the neck on cheaper shirts are want to do. It just fit.
Like, literally fit. The way it was cut was everything I’d been paying fancy brands for: Not oversized and boxy like grandpa’s basics, not tight and synthetic like H&M. Just perfect.
I went back, bought four more in different colors. These have since become the backbone of my minimal wardrobe. Literally half my other expensive designer basics pill or lose their shape after two years.
Yet these shirts? Still going strong. Cut me when you can but M&Spacereally solidified my “ minimal wardrobe phase ”.
What I like to call applied minimalism. When every item in your wardrobe needs to earn its place. You can’t have fancy printed shirts that only go with one other item.
Pants that fall apart after a year. Or shirts so expensive you feel bad wearing them on a regular basis. M&S basics solve almost all of these problems.
Speaking of, their underwear is actually great. Sorry if that’s not the most…sexiest topic but bear with me. If you’re living with 40 articles of clothing, your underwear needs to be on point.
I’ll admit I was buying these expensive modal boxer briefs that were something obscene like $30 a pop because BOON tweeted that they were “the only underwear you’ll ever need”. Spoiler alert: they were trash. The waistbands rolled.
The fabric felt weird after washing. And frankly underwear is one of those things where you just shouldn’t care this much about “optimization”. Especially when you can get stuff that performs just as well from M&S for about £8 a pack.
M&S boxer briefs. Supima cotton. Actually a great fit.
Doesn’t roll. Doesn’t do any of that weird stuff your cheap underwear does when it gets washed. Basically just passes the test.
Like socks. Let me tell you about socks. Did you know that there’s a whole world of reviews out there discussing the relative merits of sock cushioning?
Moisture-wicking? Durability? Sheesh I spent way too much money happening down that Reddit hole only to realize that M&S merino blend socks perform identically to ones costing quadruple the price.
Freshfeet actually works too. Those things really do stay fresher longer, which when your trying to downsize your sock collection matters more than you’d think. And here’s the thing I wasn’t expecting.
Knitwear. I’d been coveting some $300+ Scandinavian brand merino sweater for literal months. Stuck it in my cart.
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Closed the tab. Tried again. Bought a Marks & Spencer pure merino crew neck for £35 instead.
Said I’d just wait to buy the good one until I “needed” it. Still haven’t bought that “nice” sweater because this one does everything I need it to do. It fits, looks clean and minimal, pairs with everything else in my wardrobe and I don’t feel self conscious about wearing it on the regular.
Same deal with their cashmere. Will not be the softest / finest cashmere you’ve ever felt. Will probably pill more than that luxe sweater you bought on holiday.
But it’s 100% cashmere. Not some wool / cashmere / plastic blend joke. And at around £75 it’s not so pricey that you scrooge every time you wear it.
I have one in charcoal I live in all fall and winter. Pairs with everything. Breathes well enough for SF weather.
If it gets ruined I’m not having a mental breakdown over it. I’ll give you fair warning that you have to play around with their tailoring a bit. But their unstructured blazers in the Autograph line have a refreshingly modern cut to them.
Not crazy trendy but just…modern. I picked up a navy cotton- linen blend last summer for about £85 and it’s been my go-to casual whenever I need to spice up “business casual”. Tosses over a plain t-shirt.
Works with chinos. Works with dress pants. Works with a good wardrobe.
Here’s kinda hacksy trick I do with their suits that sounds insane but honestly works. Buy their highest quality wool suit you can find. Then take it to a tailor that you trust and have them alter the shit out of it.
You’re probably looking at another £60-80 for alterations on top of the suit’s cost but seriously do yourself a favor and compare that to the price of a similarly constructed suit from your traditional menswear brands. The suit itself is great. Their higher end stuff is well made.
They just need someone to customize the hell out of the fit. Ok maybe mention their chinos too. Curious as hell how they manage to make finding great chinos so difficult but they do.
Too casual and they just look sloppy. Too dressy and suddenly they’re trying way too hard. M&S hits that weird sweet spot they have their Autograph chinos.
Got a few pairs in navy and olive that go with literally everything else in my closet. Just enough stretch to not feel crunchy but not baggy looking like sweatpants. Holds up really well.
Don’t get me wrong, M&S doesn’t have everything figured out. Far from it even. Spend too much time browsing their “designed” stuff and you’ll find articles that scream “we need to be more fashion forward! !1!” for all the right reasons.
Their printed button ups are garbage. Some of their shoes still have that dad carrying a boombox at a barbecue vibe. But they actually get basics.
They understand that for a lot of people those basics are the foundation of your wardrobe and should just work. You’re not going to find flashy printed shirts that’ll turn heads in M&S. You’re not going to find the trendiest jacket that’s 3 weeks behind whatever the it-boys are wearing nowadays.
You will find great fitting, well made, classics that just work. Every wardrobe needs those pieces. Mine sure as hell does.
I was out at a tech meetup last month rocking one of their merino sweaters and some guy I was talking to who works at a “stylish” San Francisco startup asked me where it was from. Told him Marks & Spencer. Was expecting somelook guys thats chic haha kind of reaction but he actually just nodded and replied, “Yeah theirs knitting is actually really good.
Ive got some stuff from there too.” Turns out there’s an entire cult-like following of people who’ve quietly realized that M&S makes amazing basics without the insane markups.
Minimalism isn’t about dropping the most money on things. Its about spending money on the right things.
And M&S has got you covered when it comes to the boring building blocks of your wardrobe. Don’t sleep on them. Tips if you do decide to check them out: – Have specific items in mind before you go.
Save yourself the agony of browsing the seasonal trends and lighter spring/summer stuff by cutting right to their core basics. Stick to neutral colors. – Try things on. They run weird sizing depending on the line you’re shopping in. – Don’t be embarrassed shopping at M&S.
Some of the coolest guys I know have some M&S pieces hidden in their closets. They’re just not going to tweet about wearing a button up from there. Cause….button ups man.
Twitter.doesscareabout that kind of stuff.
