Would you pay more for British made undies?

fattybumble85

Afternoon all!

I've had a quick look on the forums and can't find this mentioned anywhere else and I'm not even sure that this is the right place but I was wondering what you all thought about Mary Portas' latest venture - http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/24/mary-portas-big-plan-smalls

I'm slightly biased as I'm a Moonraker (Middletonian!) so I just love the idea of supporting not only British factories and workers, but a factory and workforce in my hometown!

They are pricey at £10 a pop and hopefully they'll be sold in more stores, I'm not going to schlep down to Liberty for some new undies, but I will definitely buy some. They probably wouldn't replace my day to day M&S jobbies but rather than buy a handful of cheapy knicks from Primark that don't last, I will treat myself to a pair or two of these.

Even the factory holds memories for me as I went there on a school visit with my textiles class. We went in in about 2000 and I remember it being very busy and seemed quite a frantic place to work! Its sad that it shut a few years later but hopefully this scheme will get it up and running again permanently.

So, if you were able to afford it, would you rather a bundle of cheap and cheerful knickers or would you choose one pair of British made undies?

glowgirl_2

fattybumble85 wrote: »

Afternoon all!

I've had a quick look on the forums and can't find this mentioned anywhere else and I'm not even sure that this is the right place but I was wondering what you all thought about Mary Portas' latest venture - http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/24/mary-portas-big-plan-smalls

I'm slightly biased as I'm a Moonraker (Middletonian!) so I just love the idea of supporting not only British factories and workers, but a factory and workforce in my hometown!

They are pricey at £10 a pop and hopefully they'll be sold in more stores, I'm not going to schlep down to Liberty for some new undies, but I will definitely buy some. They probably wouldn't replace my day to day M&S jobbies but rather than buy a handful of cheapy knicks from Primark that don't last, I will treat myself to a pair or two of these.

Even the factory holds memories for me as I went there on a school visit with my textiles class. We went in in about 2000 and I remember it being very busy and seemed quite a frantic place to work! Its sad that it shut a few years later but hopefully this scheme will get it up and running again permanently.

So, if you were able to afford it, would you rather a bundle of cheap and cheerful knickers or would you choose one pair of British made undies?

Moonraker? What does this mean?.

No I wouldnt make a specific effort to buy them and I wouldnt pay any extra money for them just because they are british or made somewhere specific, I buy undies purely because I like them, some are cheap some are not.

fattybumble85

Moonraker is a name given to people from Middleton ( a "Moonraker" - after the legendary local poachers who threw their plunder into a pond if police were nearby and then later rake back their booty by the reflection of the moon in the water!)

Hermia

fattybumble85 wrote: »

So, if you were able to afford it, would you rather a bundle of cheap and cheerful knickers or would you choose one pair of British made undies?

If I could afford it I wouldn't do either of those things, instead I'd go to a lovely lingerie store and get some nice undies.

I wouldn't pay £10 for knickers. I don't have a washing machine so I would need to pay £100s to buy enough knickers to keep me going! After seeing that clothing range Mary Portas was involved with where you had to be very slim and tall to wear any of it I doubt the knickers will suit me either.

adelight

If they were nice and good quality for everyday wear then yes I would. I regularly spend more than that for really good quality underwear, I personally just think it's worth it as a good foundation makes cheap clothes fit better and makes me feel better!
I do often choose brands which make their stuff in the UK (or where the company is based) over ones that come with a label saying "designed in London made in India" even though the brand tries to claim it's sooooo British and is all "britain britain wooooo go britain!" grrrr.

j.e.j.

fattybumble85 wrote: »

Moonraker is a name given to people from Middleton ( a "Moonraker" - after the legendary local poachers who threw their plunder into a pond if police were nearby and then later rake back their booty by the reflection of the moon in the water!)

Well, you learn something new every day :rotfl:

I don't think I'd pay a tenner just because they're 'beautifully packaged', but I do like the idea of supporting factories who produce goods here in the UK.

I wonder, though, if she'll give in to temptation if/when she sees that the same items can be manufactured abroad for a fraction of the price? She's a businesswoman after all!

PasturesNew

For £10 I'd buy two multi-packs in Matalan that'd last me 5-10 years.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

If they're just cheap nylon with a Made In England label slapped on, then, no. Not a chance.

They also have to have matching bras in back sizes larger than 36B.

And look sexy without being tarty and absolutely not like a middle aged woman's big knickers. That one may be the most difficult of anything she does, as the other clothing in the ranges looked pretty ridiculous.

elisebutt65

Well, I've had a look on Liberty's website and their L is a 14 equivalent, so no I won't be squeezing my 16/18 rear into a pair anytime soon.

Pity she's not making them bigger as she's lost a (ahem) large slice of the market. Big girls like big knickers!

belfastgirl23

Can it seriously cost £10 to make a pair of british knickers? Unless the queen was hand stitching them for me I wouldn't be buying them.

I do believe in supporting local producers but this really is taking the biscuit.

lostinrates

elisebutt65 wrote: »

Well, I've had a look on Liberty's website and their L is a 14 equivalent, so no I won't be squeezing my 16/18 rear into a pair anytime soon.

Pity she's not making them bigger as she's lost a (ahem) large slice of the market. Big girls like big knickers!

I raised this point on another thread on mse last night.

She wants us all to buy british...but i think statistically 50% of british female behinds are a size 16 or over.....so her aim cannot really be acheived.

I would pay a tenner for preety knickers, and i like these, if they were well made, long lasting i would buy more pairs. But.....i am too large sadly!