M&S slammed for ‘vomit inducing’ knickers promotion

Marks & Spencer is facing a social media backlash for a Nottingham store window display that suggested women must have ‘fancy little knickers’.

The retailer said in a statement: "M&S sells more underwear, in more shapes, sizes and styles, than any other retailer, especially at Christmas. We've highlighted one combination in our windows, which are part of a wider campaign that features a large variety of Must-Have Christmas moments, from David Gandy washing up in an M&S suit through to families snuggling up in our matching PJs."

But it stirred up controversy when a photo was posted in a Facebook group called Feminist Friends Nottingham.

Fran Bailey asked: "Ok, M&S Nottingham, have we really not learned anything in the last 35 years? Or am I alone in finding this, their major window display, completely vomit inducing?"

Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I think M&S using the slogan 'must-have' over Christmas fripperies is very distasteful when true necessities are lacking for many working and non-working people; the true necessities being warmth, shelter and food.”

"I also feel very, very strongly about the representation of women as being preoccupied with fancy little knickers, whereas men are presented as powerful and needing to be impressive. I don't have a problem with people choosing to wear whatever they want to wear, I just feel like the juxtaposition is what's grossly, grossly offensive,” she added.

“We are surrounded by sexual images of both men and women. M&S are not by any means the only offenders but that particular window just epitomises everything that's wrong with current marketing and how far backwards we've gone."