When it comes to fashion, M&S is on the right wavelength

Reliable sizing, sweet-spot pricing and contemporary - but not faddish - styles are helping high street retailer stand out

Fashion matters at Marks & Spencer. Clothes are an emotional purchase, and when M&S is successfully delivering clothes that its customers desire, it's a strong sign that the retailer is on the right wavelength. Food may be a much larger part of the business these days but fashion is the bellwether.

The strong sales figures for the past year that M&S revealed on Wednesday have been driven not just by the below-the-radar basics of underwear and T-shirts but in the fashion-forward categories of denim and dresses.