Look, I need to confess something that would've made 28-year-old me absolutely cringe. I'm genuinely excited about Marks & Spencer basics. Not in an ironic way, not because I've given up on looking decent, but because I've discovered they make some legitimately great pieces that fit perfectly into my minimal wardrobe philosophy. And before you roll your eyes and click away, hear me out – this coming from someone who spent years obsessing over $200 minimalist t-shirts and "investment pieces" that honestly weren't much better than what M&S sells for a fraction of the price.
This revelation hit me about three years ago when I was deep in my wardrobe reduction phase, trying to pare down from that embarrassing collection of 60+ tech conference t-shirts to something more intentional. I'd been spending ridiculous money on basics – you know, the kind of purchases you justify by telling yourself you'll wear this plain white t-shirt 100 times so really it's economical at $80. My girlfriend was getting tired of my endless research into the "perfect" everything, scrolling through Japanese brands that made single items cost more than most people's monthly clothing budget.
Then I grabbed an M&S Supima cotton t-shirt almost by accident. I was in their store looking for… honestly, I think I was looking for socks or something equally mundane, and I figured I'd try one of their basic tees for comparison. Cost me £6. Six pounds! I've spent more than that on coffee without thinking about it. Brought it home, threw it in my regular rotation, and something weird happened. After about two months of regular wear and washing, it was holding up better than t-shirts I'd paid twelve times as much for.
The fabric weight was perfect – substantial enough to drape properly but not thick enough to look bulky. The neck stayed put instead of doing that weird stretchy thing cheaper shirts do. The cut was exactly what I'd been paying premium brands for: not boxy like old-school basics, not clingy like fast fashion, just… right. I ended up going back and buying four more in different colors, and they've become the foundation of my minimal wardrobe. My expensive designer basics? Half of them developed weird pilling or lost their shape. The M&S ones are still going strong.
This started what my friends now call my "M&S phase," though I prefer to think of it as applied minimalism. See, when you're trying to build a small, intentional wardrobe, every piece has to earn its place. You can't afford to have items that only work with one other thing, or that fall apart after six months, or that cost so much you're afraid to actually wear them regularly. M&S basics, the right ones anyway, solve all these problems.
Their underwear situation is honestly impressive. I know, I know – not the sexiest topic, but when you're living with 40 total clothing items, your underwear better be reliable. I'd been buying these fancy modal boxer briefs that cost like $30 each because some blog said they were "the only underwear you'll ever need." Spoiler alert: they weren't. The waistbands would roll, the fabric would get weird after washing, and honestly, for something no one sees, I was spending way too much mental energy on underwear optimization.
M&S boxer briefs in their Supima cotton range? Game changers. Proper fit, stay put, don't get weird in the wash, cost about £8 for a pack. I bought enough to last between laundry days and just… stopped thinking about underwear. Which is exactly what you want from underwear, right? Sometimes the best purchase is the one that removes a decision from your life entirely.
Same thing happened with socks. I'd gone down this rabbit hole of researching merino wool socks, reading reviews about cushioning and moisture-wicking and durability. Spent probably $200 on various "premium" options. Then I tried M&S merino blend socks because they were on sale or something, and they performed just as well as socks costing four times as much. The Freshfeet thing actually works too – they genuinely stay fresher longer, which matters when you're trying to minimize your sock collection.
But here's where M&S really surprised me: knitwear. I'd been eyeing this $300 merino sweater from some Scandinavian brand for months, doing that thing where you add it to your cart and then close the browser because you can't quite justify the price. Ended up buying an M&S pure merino crew neck for £35 instead, figuring it would tide me over until I could rationalize the expensive one. Six months later, I still haven't bought the expensive sweater because the M&S one does everything I need it to do. Fits well, looks clean and minimal, works with everything else in my wardrobe, and I'm not paranoid about wearing it regularly.
Their cashmere is worth mentioning too. Look, it's not the most luxurious cashmere in the world – it'll pill a bit more than the really high-end stuff. But it's actual cashmere, not some synthetic blend, and at around £75 it's accessible enough that you can actually wear it instead of treating it like a museum piece. I've got one in charcoal that I wear constantly through fall and winter. Pairs with everything, warm enough for San Francisco's weird climate, and if something happens to it, I'm not going to have a financial crisis.
The tailoring section requires more careful navigation, but there are gems. Their unstructured blazers in the Autograph line have a surprisingly modern cut – nothing too fashion-forward, just clean and contemporary. I picked up a navy cotton-linen blend last summer for £85, and it's become my go-to for anything business casual. Works over t-shirts, works with chinos, works with dress shirts. Versatility is huge when you're trying to minimize your wardrobe.
Here's my strategy for M&S suits, which sounds ridiculous but actually works: buy their best wool suit, then immediately take it to a good tailor for alterations. Even spending another £60 on proper tailoring, you're still coming out way ahead of comparable quality from traditional menswear brands. The fabric and construction on their higher-end suits is actually solid – they just need the fit dialed in.
Their chinos deserve a mention because finding good chinos is weirdly difficult. Too casual and they look sloppy, too formal and they're trying too hard. M&S hits that sweet spot, especially in their Autograph range. I've got pairs in navy and olive that work with basically everything else I own. The fabric has just enough stretch to be comfortable without looking like jeggings, and they hold their shape well.
What I really appreciate about M&S is they're not trying to be something they're not. They're not chasing trends or making bold fashion statements. They're making solid, reliable basics that solve real problems. When you're building a minimal wardrobe, this approach is actually perfect. You want pieces that work, that last, that don't demand attention but don't look cheap either.
Of course, they don't get everything right. Some of their more "designed" pieces feel forced, like someone in a meeting said "we need to be more fashion-forward" without really understanding what that means. The printed shirts are mostly terrible. Some of their shoes still have that dad-at-a-barbecue energy. But the basics? The fundamentals? They're genuinely good.
I was at a tech meetup last month wearing one of their merino sweaters, and this guy who works at a pretty fashionable startup asked where it was from. When I said M&S, instead of the reaction I expected, he just nodded. "Yeah, their knitwear is actually solid," he said. "I've got a few pieces from there myself." Turns out there's this quiet community of people who've figured out that M&S makes good basics without the premium pricing.
The thing is, minimalism isn't about buying the most expensive version of everything – it's about buying the right version of everything. Sometimes that's a $300 shirt because it's genuinely better and will last decades. Sometimes it's a £6 t-shirt that performs just as well as something costing ten times as much. The skill is knowing the difference.
M&S has become a secret weapon in my minimal wardrobe strategy. Not everything they make, obviously – you still need to be selective. But their best basics are genuinely excellent, and they let you allocate your clothing budget more strategically. Instead of spending $200 on a basic white t-shirt, spend $20 on five M&S ones and put the extra money toward something that actually justifies its premium price.
My advice? Go in with a specific list. Skip the seasonal trends, ignore the busier sections, and focus on their core basics in neutral colors. Try things on – their sizing can be inconsistent between ranges. And don't be embarrassed about shopping there. Some of the most stylish people I know have quietly discovered what M&S does well. They're just not posting about it on Instagram because basic competence doesn't generate likes the way expensive designer pieces do.
The best purchases are often the boring ones – the reliable pieces that just work, day after day, without drama or maintenance or special care instructions. M&S makes a lot of those pieces, and they make them well enough that you can stop thinking about basics and focus on the parts of your wardrobe that actually matter.
Ruth lives in San Francisco and swears by “fewer, better things.” His posts explore minimalist wardrobes, quality basics, and dressing intentionally without turning fashion into clutter. Practical, efficient, and quietly stylish—just like his closet.
