I was standing in a Zara dressing room last Tuesday trying on a white button-down shirt that I had picked to be the perfect one. When I looked into the lighted mirror, I experienced one of those strange moments. Those moments happen when you become acutely aware of something you have been avoiding. For me, that moment happened when I realised that I was wearing the most ordinary and practical underwear possible. A five-pack of plain cotton knickers from Marks & Spencer that I had bought in a rush during a shopping trip three months ago.
And I did not feel ashamed. In fact, I felt relieved.
It occurred to me immediately after I had spent twenty minutes scrolling through Instagram looking at the perfectly coordinated lingerie sets of many of the models I follow. How many people live like that? Who has the time to coordinate their underwear to match their mood board every morning? Most importantly, who wants to spend their whole day messing around with the straps and with lace that scrapes against your skin?
I have been giving a lot of thought to this subject since talking to my friend Sarah, a stylist for magazine shoots. After spending the day dressing a celebrity for a red carpet event, we met up for coffee and somehow ended up discussing what we actually wear beneath all of our clothes. She laughed and said, “You know what is funny? I will spend hours searching for the perfect $300 designer top for a client, but I am wearing £2.40 knickers from a five pack.”
After that, I began to ask other women I knew who worked in fashion – editors, stylists, buyers, etc. — what they actually wore every day. Not what they posted about on social media or what they reserved for special occasions, but what was actually in their underwear drawer when nobody was watching.
The responses were… eye-opening, let’s say. First off, almost everyone mentioned the M&S cotton high-leg knickers. Like, without being prompted. I wouldn’t even finish asking the question before they’d cut me off with “Oh my god, the five packs, right?” These cost £12 for five pairs, which works out to roughly £2.40 per pair. This compares to what you could expect to pay for a single pair from one of the many trendy underwear brands that regularly advertise on podcasts.
My friend Emma, who is a fashion editor at a magazine you’d probably recognise, told me she buys her M&S cotton high leg knickers online in bulk. “I experimented with different types last year,” she said. “I bought some fancy modal ones for £25 for a single pair. I loved how they felt in the store, but after two washes they had lost their shape completely. Meanwhile, I’ve had M&S ones for two years now and they’re still fine.”
The practical reasons behind this decision make a lot of sense when you think about it. These knickers do not show lines under the clothing you are wearing, which is essential if you wear anything form-fitting. They do not creep up during the day. The cotton is soft enough that you’re not conscious of it every time you sit down. They wash well and do not require special care. Essentially, they allow you to forget you’re wearing underwear, which is surely the goal of good underwear.
However, it’s not just the basic cotton knickers. Every woman I asked mentioned the seamless Brazilian briefs from M&S. Eight pounds for three pairs, and they’re essentially invisible under clothing. I’ve tried comparable styles from brands that charge triple the amount, and I couldn’t tell the difference in terms of performance.
My friend Zoe, who is a creative director for a fashion brand, swears by the microfiber shorts from M&S. “They help stop thigh chafing without being apparent under dresses,” she explained. “I buy them up in April and they take me through the entire festival season, wedding season, etc.” She may have a point, however, there’s something distinctly British about the need for anti-chafing underwear during our short but hot summers.
Lastly, there’s the bra situation. I assumed there would be more variation here, possibly some loyalty to specialized brands. However, once again, the M&S non-wired bralettes were repeatedly brought up. Twenty pounds each, which isn’t exactly cheap, but compared to equivalent designs from trendy brands that can easily cost £50 or more, it seems like a steal.
“I have expensive bras for when I need genuine support or a particular silhouette,” my friend Kate explained. “However, for the rest of the time? The M&S ones are comfortable enough to wear for 12 hours straight and they don’t make me feel like I’m stuck in my own clothes.”
The boutique range bras received individual mentions too, particularly the balcony style. Twenty four pounds for an underwired bra that, based on multiple women I spoke to, fits just as well as department store brands costing £60 or more. I was skeptical about this until I tried one myself. The fit really is good – whoever is responsible for the sizing and cup construction knows what they’re doing.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was hearing about the more technical items. The adhesive backless bras, for example. Twenty-five pounds may seem expensive, however, when you consider you’ll be using it for every backless dress or top you own for the next couple of years, it becomes a lot less daunting. My friend Lisa, who is constantly attending events where normal bras won’t suffice, stated that she’s never seriously thought about purchasing this type of bra from anywhere else. “Why would I? These ones work perfectly and they don’t charge me extra for packaging or marketing.”
The shapewear received mixed opinions – some women preferred dedicated brands such as Spanx – however, the lighter control slips from M&S appear to find a middle ground between being effective and wearable. Thirty-five pounds for a slip that smoothes everything without leaving you unable to breathe properly or sit comfortably.
I believe what is occurring here is that M&S has quietly developed into a very competent solution provider, without drawing too much attention to itself. They’re not attempting to be sexy or trendy or Instagram worthy. They simply create underwear that works for real women with real lives. And it appears that is precisely what a large number of us really want, including those of us who spend our days pondering fashion.
In an industry that continuously promotes the next trend or must-have item, finding a category where the best option is also the most direct option is rather radical. It is akin to discovering a small area of sanity in an otherwise rather mad world.
I have been replacing my entire underwear drawer slowly over the past few months, and I am not exaggerating when I say it has greatly improved my overall quality of life. Not having to think about whether my underwear is comfortable, visible, or requires special care has given me the mental space to focus on more important issues. Such as whether that white button-down I was trying on was compatible with my current wardrobe (it wasn’t).
Another aspect of all of this is that it challenges some assumptions about what fashion people truly care about. Based on the outside observer, you might assume that we are very concerned with every detail of our appearance, that we would never settle for lesser quality or design. However, what we are ultimately concerned with is that things function properly. And sometimes the most functional option is also the most practical and inexpensive.
I am not suggesting that everyone should get rid of their high-end lingerie and switch completely to M&S basics. There is a place for special occasion underwear to serve as a reminder of how luxurious, sexy, or special you feel. However, for everyday items – the underwear that gets you through meetings and commutes and grocery shopping and all of the mundane aspects of adult life – perhaps the best option is the one that simply functions without requiring attention or special treatment.
Next time you are in M&S and you see someone in an expensive coat carefully scrutinizing the five-pack of knickers, don’t assume they’re compromising or being cheap. They might simply be someone who has discovered that good design does not necessarily come with a designer price tag, and that sometimes the most fashionable option is the one that actually makes sense.
