M&S dress up for summer

The Magic & Sparkle television ads may have drafted in one of the highest celebrity counts of the festive season to push its Christmas goodies, but back at Marks & Spencer HQ they have their sights firmly fixed on spring/summer.

"It's all about being a girl," says M&S's Carol Richardson, pointing to the rails of soft pastel colours, elegant dresses and oh-so-pretty prints for next spring, previewed this week. "It's very feminine. We have lost a lot of the hard edges and the utility feel."

Creative director Yasmin Yusuf couldn't agree more. "Next season is more about a mood rather than definite themes," says the woman responsible for turning the store's fortunes around since joining the high street giant just over two years ago.

"The dress is the key piece. I think we are going to see some serious dress-buying next spring."

Thankfully for M&S, fashion is swinging in its direction next season with the emphasis on all things grown-up, elegant and feminine, which should prove to be a winning combination for the store which caters for a hefty 12 per cent of the British clothing market.

Apart from dresses - and there are some seriously pretty ones such as the chiffon-edged satin wrap item in soft plum - there are many straight-from-the-catwalk looks.

Taking its cue from Prada, M&S has embraced the Italian Riviera look with dip-dyed knits and Fifties postcard prints on full skirts, tops and bags. And, with Marc Jacobs very much in mind, there are cute key pieces such as wrapover cardigans in pastel yellow with ripped chiffon edging, tweedy, open-weave jackets with ribbon trims, full skirts in washed-out florals and sidebuttoned, cropped trousers that will no doubt be best sellers when they hit the shops on 5 January.

Searching for brightly printed swimwear? Look no further than M&S's mix-and-match two pieces that have more than a passing resemblance to Pucci and are a snip at less than £30.