1970 - 1990
Suddenly guests were impressed by how little effort you put into dinner. Lifestyles were changing rapidly. More women were going out to work, so we made things easier by introducing good quality, nutritious convenience food, like boil-in-the-bag meals and microwave dinners. But even if time was limited, it didn’t mean the menu had to be. Exotic Chinese and Indian ranges reflected the new travel opportunities of the times. And in the design department big changes were also happening.
1970 - 1990 in depth
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This is a pair of boy’s cotton BMX pyjamas, age 5-6. BMX bikes were a must-have on Christmas present lists in the late 1980s for most children. -
Marks and Spencer introduced Britain to Chicken Kiev - our first ready meal - in 1979
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Men’s suits have been the focus of much product development, with the first machine washable suit being introduced by M&S in 1987. -
This leisure jump suit is nightwear. It dates from 1978 and is made from brushed nylon, a popular fabric for nightwear in the 1970s.
I remember going to Marks & Spencer at the end of every summer to get new bits of school uniform. It was always exciting to be getting new clothes, but less exciting that the summer holidays were coming to an end!
