After numerous complaints from older customers, M&S have decided to bring back sleeves. The pledge came at the firm’s AGM and follows disapproval a year ago from women shareholders about the dominance of unflattering sleeveless and cap sleeve designs.
Older women have shied away from designs that show their ‘bingo wings’ flabby upper arms, which has been catastrophic for M&S sales.
Due to this the chain’s new style director, Belinda Earl, yesterday promised that 90 per cent of all the dresses in the chain’s new collections will have proper sleeves. She said: ‘You told us you wanted dresses with sleeves, so for autumn 90per cent will have sleeves. I can personally promise that I mean real sleeves, full, three-quarters and half. ‘To be absolutely sure that we meet your expectations on this, cap sleeves, which cause much debate have been reclassified as sleeveless. So it’s official, sleeves are in.’ Looking ahead, to future fashion collections, Miss Earl added that: ‘We are determined to reassert our leading position on quality and style. ‘Quality will be reasserted right across the board in every single category, and style, which will be delivered with confidence and the appropriate amount of fashion.’
M&S new collection range features pretty dresses with sleeves, cashmere, leather boots, longer hemlines, and bold colours.
Belinda also added that ‘From this autumn every store will have a dedicated dress department and destination coat department, supported by knitwear, formal trousers and skirts.’
