Stovepipe denims, jelly luggage and woven leatherette co-ords: the brand new spring assortment at M&S launches at this time. Here’s what our Fashion Editor Hannah Skelley shall be including to her basket

Stovepipe jeans, jelly bags and woven leatherette co-ords; among the usual brilliant basics you’re destined to find on the rails at M&S, the new spring offering which launches today is overflowing with set-to-sell-out hits.

In the past year, this high street goliath has churned out high-demand, fast-selling items, including a pair of £38 Barrel leg jeans, a £65 bomber jacket and a £95, 86-pattern-piece, trench coat, which its design team delved into the brand’s Leeds clothing archive to create, all in an effort to impress its growing younger customer base – the under 35’s.

And it’s working. M&S reported its best-ever financial performance in 2025, with pre-tax profit rising to £716.4 million in 2023/24, up from £453.3 million the previous year. Further to this success, in January Sparks was named the UK’s best brand for the fourth year in a row by YouGov.

Its “powerhouse” departments include denim, knitwear, formal bottoms and tops. But this spring you can throw co-ords, shoes, bags and trendy denim on that pile, too.

If the magic M&S effect is anything to go by, your summer sandals are about to get sculptural: cue the wobble-proof notched wedge.

This sophisticated shoe has the usual solid extension of the sole to the heel, but the heel is warped like a boomerang. Angular and sleek, this high-end take on the wedge is a surprising style to see off the runway – but now it can be yours for just £46.

M&S notched wedge sandals, £46

If heels aren’t your bag, M&S’s granny-take on a Mary-Jane might suffice instead. Its knitted ballet flat with a chunky supportive strap comes in poppy red and golden beige and is set to be a serious crowd pleaser in the flat footwear department – the PR team says they’re poised for its release over the next few weeks.

On your arm, this season’s candy is jellified: your new beach bag – or office tote – will comprise of caged plastic in red or blue and is inspired by the nostalgic beach shoes which took over our toes last year. Playful, yet practical, the jelly shopper (£26) comes with matching almond toed pumps, of course. At least they’re waterproof and therefore perfect for British summertime.

Head of womenswear design, Lisa Illis, says she also thinks they have finally discovered the ‘jacket sweet spot’ in this collection. ‘Outerwear is one of our biggest strengths. This spring most styles across the collection come with the sought-after “anti-ageing” funnel neck. And all of them sit roughly around the £55 mark,’ she explains.

Funnel jacket £50, shirt £28, top £24, trousers £40, sunglasses £16, shoes £36, marksandspencer.com

Co-ords are another key focus this season for their versatility. ‘We always think about outfit-maxxing,’ says womenswear director, Maddy Evans. 

‘We want to supply something that can be worn matched and mismatched with everything else you own,’ she adds. Polka dot scarf tops and skirts, striped shirts and shorts, as well as crisp wedding-worthy suits are plentiful.

But there’s one stand out to watch. Set your alarms for the 26th March, when a three-piece M&S Collection faux leather mocha hued mini skirt (£32), shirt (£35) and jacket (£60) set will drop online and in store. Having fondled the woven leatherette fabric myself, I can attest it’s so convincingly soft I had to ask if it was real, rather than faux, leather. Effortlessly cool and expensive-looking, this cult co-ord won’t be around for long.

M&S Collection Textured Faux Leather Jacket £60, Faux Leather Woven Mini Skirt £32, Faux Leather Woven Shirt £35, Woven Bag £36 launching 26th March, marksandspencer.com

Over in the denim department, there’s a new jean on the block. You may have only just got to grips with the bulbous Barrel leg, but now the streamlined Stovepipe is top of the crop. Autograph’s has a high-rise waist with a straight-leg cut that falls cleanly from hip to ankle. Think of it as a modern, polished alternative to skinny jeans. Plus, rather handily they’re leg lengthening, and only £55. That’s a steal if you ask me, although an unsurprising one when wonderfully, 40 per cent of M&S’s new denim range is £30 and under.

Finally, if you think your boxy cotton white t-shirt cuts it, think again. M&S has elevated this bog-standard staple and now the new covetable silhouette comes with shoulder pads, in Daz-level white, dusty pink and rich burgundy (£26).

Trends are all good and well, but its shoppers are truly clinched by its value driven approach to price tags; impressively 57 per cent of these new-in clothes are £30 and under. That’s a 15 per cent rise on last year, without sacrificing fabrication or the quality this stalwart is known for.

If that wasn’t enough M&S magic they now have a fabulous new, household name to front it all. Earlier this week the Sex Education and X-Files star, Gillian Anderson, was announced as M&S’s new CCO or ‘Chief Compliments Officer’.

Not quite a CEO, Anderson will ‘champion affirmation, positivity and connection’ as the front woman of a campaign that grew out of a social media series launched by M&S last year celebrating small, but powerful affirmations between strangers.   

Just yesterday, Anderson walked the runway and closed the Miu Miu fashion show in Paris. That today’s M&S has the same celebrity pull as a big-name luxury brand is testament to its rise and rise through the ranks to sit at the very top end of the high street.  

Moreish Colin the Caterpillar cakes, affordable great-quality clothes and Hollywood campaign stars. Nothing is out of this retailer’s reach.