We sold haberdashery including buttons, thread and elastic by the yard for customers who wanted to make their own clothes at home.

Although we weren’t yet selling garments, accessories such as gloves and jewellery were sold in our early stores.

The 1920s saw the introduction of womenswear, with the opening of our Drapery department in 1926. In 1927, products sold included poplin jumpers, winceyette petticoats and tennis pullovers.

By the 1930s we were selling smart separates and overalls for busy housewives, along with glamorous, dressing gowns, party frocks and knitted swimming suits.

Stock control documents from 1939 included embroidered Hungarian blouses, sports skirts, Directoire knickers and Indiana capes.

A central Design department was established to keep up to date with fashion trends, employing Parisian designers as consultants.

We began buying printed fabric designs from Paris studios – described by M&S director Harry Sacher as ‘Really genuine designs, produced by a Paris artist’.

We helped the Government develop Utility clothing standards, a set of rules for clothing manufacturers to ensure garment quality remained high. We produced a range of Utility clothing that was not only functional and hardwearing but stylish, all bearing the CC41 label.

Bestsellers at this time included women’s trousers, or slacks as they were known, and heavy wool dressing gowns – both were considered ideal shelter wear.

After the war the primary concern of our technologists was to develop new fabrics to help make good design available to everyone.

A new textile laboratory opened to explore nylons, plastics and other synthetic materials, resulting in synthetic fabrics that were easy-wash, easy-care and fade-resistant.

Christian Dior had introduced the ‘New Look’ (as it was dubbed) in 1947 on the Parisian catwalk, featuring full skirts and narrow waists. Our customers wanted to replicate this high fashion look, so we produced full-skirted dresses in bright fabrics.

As demand for parachutes decreased following the war and nylon became more available, we began making garments with nylon fabric.

We launched our first petite range ‘For the Shorter Woman’. M&S employees were asked to come up with a name for the new range, with a chance to win 5 guineas!

Marspun was a spun rayon fabric developed during the war, originally known as Utility Schedule 1005.

Following the war it was rebranded, and by 1955 we were selling Marspun dresses in 2000 different colour combinations.

Following complaints that our stockings weren’t satisfactory, our Research department undertook a huge survey.

The team measured the legs of 600 sales assistants, taking 17 measurements on each leg. Following the survey, a new range of stockings was launched and proved very popular with customers.

In 1958 Chairman Simon Marks stressed the importance of synthetic fabrics: ‘Not only do they provide attractive garments, but they also have the advantage of easing the housewife’s daily burden’.

Fabrics such as Terylene, Orlon and Tricel were introduced to create drip-dry, easy-care garments that were hardwearing yet fashionable.

An increasing number of women were now going out to work. We produced stylish yet comfortable clothes to wear at the office.

Womenswear in the 1960s was heavily influenced by our consultant – Michael Donnellan, employed by the Design department’s Hans Schneider in 1962. Michael was seen by The Times as the most ‘perfectionist of London designers’ and in 1966 M&S made it into their ‘Absolutely In’ list.

The changing fashion for shorter hemlines contributed to the successful trialling of tights by M&S. By the end of the 1960s, the Hosiery department reported sales were 80% tights to 20% stockings.

The colour coordinates trend of 1966 was made possible by the in-house Colour Council’s work to standardise colours. They discovered, for example, that we were selling garments in 44 different shades of navy!

An emerging teen market resulted in ranges ‘designed to suit the tastes and figures of the in-betweens’. Ranges included 1962’s ‘Young Fashions’ and a ‘Junior Miss’ range introduced in 1965.

In 1966 Twiggy made her first appearance modelling for M&S in a dress with a hemline ‘well above the knee for the young go-ahead’.

At the start of the 1970s synthetic fabrics made up over half of M&S textiles sales, however we saw a resurgence of demand for natural fibres such as wool, denim and cheesecloth. In 1972, we launched our first machine-washable lambswool and Shetland wool garments.

The highest selling woman’s garment in Britain, as reported in The Times, was our black polo-neck jumper, which sold for £2.50.

We launched Miss Michelle, a range aimed at ‘the fashion conscious 18-25 age group’. The collection included dungarees, jackets, skirts, dresses and a velour jogging suit.

Designers such as Betty Jackson and Bruce Oldfield were enlisted as consultants to develop our womenswear ranges. Power dressing and Dallas-inspired shoulder pads featured heavily.

We launched a dedicated Plus range for women up to size 24, later 28, and a Maternity range offering both a formal working wardrobe as well as casual garments and nightwear.

The first model of superstar status – Claudia Schiffer – is introduced to our print advertising campaigns. Other campaigns later include Linda Evangelista and Yasmin Le Bon.

We phased out the St Michael brand name, and introduced new sub-brands to help customers find a style that suited their taste and budget.

The Autograph range was launched in 2000, with contributions from designers such as Katherine Hamnett and Julien Macdonald. 2001 saw the launch of the per una collection.

We launched a bridalwear range including bridal gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses as well as children’s outfits and formalwear.

We collaborated with designer and stylist Patricia Field on what would become a sell-out collection of womenswear and matching accessories, grouped together under the banner Destination New York.

We celebrated our 125th anniversary with vintage-inspired limited edition pieces, including a 1940s style grey spotted dress and a 1950s-inspired party dress.

Prints produced in collaboration with Zandra Rhodes appeared in the 2009 collection

After modelling for us for 45 years, Twiggy designed her first collection for M&S. This silver sequin jacket sold out within two hours of going on sale.

A coat from the AW13 collection became a sell-out hit. Before the coat was in the shops, our Marble Arch store had a waiting list of 100 customers.

The Best of British range was launched in 2013 combining M&S’s heritage with modern styling and British manufacturing. Garments were made with premium fabrics from Scottish cashmere to Yorkshire cloths.

2013 saw the launch of the Leading Ladies advertising campaign, featuring 12 well known British women photographed by Annie Leibovitz.

We collaborated with author, presenter and model Alexa Chung who explored the archive and reinterpreted her favourite pieces. The range was inspired by garments including a 1930s dressing gown, a 1940s man’s shirt, and a 1990s blazer.

We began working with presenter Holly Willoughby. The new campaign Holly’s Must Haves initially featured a 20-piece edit including a sell-out navy boiler suit.

January 2018 saw the launch of the Curve range, available in sizes 18 to 32. The collection was developed in consultation with more than 2000 customers and was designed on a size 24 block (rather than a usual size 12).

We rolled out the M&S Insiders project – specially selected colleagues from across the business who modelled and shared our clothing via Instagram.

As a result of the pandemic, more customers began working from home. We saw a customer shift towards casual clothing during lockdown, so we increased our loungewear range. We promoted stylish shirts and tops as perfect for
video calling.

As part of our Never the Same Again programme, we began selling guest brands on M&S.com, including Hobbs, Joules and Phase Eight.

Following the purchase of the Jaeger brand by M&S, we now offer a womenswear collection by this British heritage brand.

Sienna Miller was announced as the face of M&S autumn womenswear campaign, she commented: ‘I have always had a genuine love for Marks & Spencer. It’s a brand that is part of the fabric of British life and holds special associations for so
many people’.

We joined forces with designer Bella Freud to create an exclusive collection. Inspired by the M&S Archive, the range included her signature knits, playful phrases and exquisite tailoring.