Katy Guest: Rant & Rave (15/07/12)

Rant

Marks & Spencer is blaming the rain, it seems, for the disappointing performance of its summer range of clothes. The retailer can't be unaware, though, that the clothes are also not selling well because many of them are really horrible. Why is it that all the experts at M&S are unable to predict what will sell, when any British woman and her mum can walk into any M&S and point out the clothes that nobody will buy?

Hint: Red, pink, orange and yellow are not a good colour combination. And polyester pants are never a good idea. Britain didn't build an empire while generating static electricity with its own underwear, and it won't make it through this recession if nobody can get their hands on cotton knickers.

The next head of womens' wear should forget about trying to make elasticated waistbands fashionable, and instead focus on finding a cheap source of natural fibres, before the country really goes down the tubes.

Rave

If only Olympics organisers had learned less from the O2 arena and other massive, soulless music venues, and more from small festivals such as last weekend's Kew the Music in Kew Gardens.

Instead of a ban on any liquids over 100ml, visitors were encouraged to bring their own bottles of champagne or cider. Rather than being forced to eat McDonald's, they could bring picnics. The result seemed to be happy punters who all took their litter home. Who knows what could be achieved if Olympic venues treated visitors like grown-ups, too, instead of corralling them into securitised cordons, and squeezing out all of their money?