M&S Just Made 16Arlington Affordable and Everyone’s Going Mental

My mate Sarah sent me a photo last week. “Since when does M&S sell £250 crystal dresses?” I thought she’d lost the plot until I saw it. M&S x 16Arlington dropped on 30th October, and it’s genuinely stunning.

16Arlington is what Amal Clooney and Alexa Chung wear. Feather-trimmed tops and sequin dresses that normally cost £800+. Now you can get their stuff at M&S for way less. Marco Capaldo, their creative director, designed 43 pieces just for this collection.

The range is all party season. Crystal dresses, beaded skirts, leather everything, cashmere jumpers with sequin fringes, and this shaggy coat that looks straight off a catwalk. Georgia May Jagger fronts the campaign wearing the tuxedo suit (jacket and trousers cost £240 together) and that showstopper crystal maxi at £250.

The crystal dress is the hero piece. Covered in crystals but cut like a relaxed tee, so it doesn’t feel too fancy. You could wear it with boots and a leather jacket or dress it up with heels. The colour palette is moody; you can have bitter chocolate, ice silver, and midnight black. No pastels.

The M&S x 16Arlington Jacket Situation

Two jackets matter here. The leather biker at £280 is butter-soft, proper heavy, and classic-cut. Fashion editors reckon it’ll last years and only get better with wear.

Second is the tuxedo jacket at £140. Sharp tailoring, satin lapels, fits like it was made in an atelier. The cut matches 16Arlington’s main collection, which normally costs three times more.

There’s also a chocolate faux-fur coat at £300 that’s gone viral. Long and shaggy, it looks like something off a red carpet. The shorter version comes in off-white but the black longline one is the standout.

M&S x 16Arlington Trousers and Jeans

Leather trousers are £280. Come with a coordinating metallic vest top if you want the full look, but the trousers work with anything; you can wear them with a boxy tee for day or a silk blouse for evening.

The jeans use the exact same pattern block as 16Arlington’s mainline. That’s massive because designer jeans usually fit differently from high street ones. These are meant to have that perfect fit you’d expect from a £300 pair.

M&S x 16Arlington Dresses Worth Buying

The dresses are where it gets good. Crystal maxi is getting all the attention, but there’s also an off-the-shoulder dress with a beaded skirt, a sequin knitted dress, and a cashmere jumper dress with sequin fringe.

The sequin pencil skirt at £95 is versatile; you can wear it with the matching top, a tucked-in blouse, or a casual jumper.

My favourite is the metallic embellished dress. Long sequins that catch light, but silver instead of gold so it feels modern. Perfect for Christmas parties.

M&S x 16Arlington Shoes and Accessories

Shoe selection is smaller but solid. Fringed heels that match the embellished bags. Black boots with chunky soles. Nothing crazy, just well-made shoes.

Accessories start at £35 for statement jewellery. There’s a seashell clutch in chocolate brown getting loads of love online. The jewellery has that oversized curved 80s shape that’s everywhere right now.

Why It Actually Works

Most designer collabs for the high street feel watered down. You get the name but not the look. This one’s different.

Marco Capaldo said the fabrics feel as luxe as you’d expect, with cuts that mirror 16Arlington’s mainline. The heavy embellishments across everything far exceed typical high-street stuff.

16Arlington is known for texture, such as feathers, sequins, satin, and leather. All of that’s here. The satin shirt at £95 has their signature oversized collar. The beaded skirt uses the same technique as their main line, with everything attached by hand.

The collection took a year to make. Most high street collabs get knocked out in months. The time shows as pieces feel thought-out instead of rushed.

Fashion Editors Love It

British Vogue threw a dinner at Bocca di Lupo in Soho for the launch. Julia Hobbs said there’s “loads of fun” in it and called the crystal maxi “the heroine of the collection”.

Marie Claire’s Fashion Director said this collaboration has “knocked it out of the park” and called it “the high street collab of the year”.

Elle called it “a love letter to getting dressed up”. Who What Wear said, “Peek inside any fashion editor’s party wardrobe and you’ll spot 16Arlington’s signatures.”

The Money Talk

£250 for a dress is still pricey for M&S. The collection ranges from £35 for jewellery to £300 for that chocolate cashmere dress. Most pieces sit between £95 and £280.

Compare that to 16Arlington’s main line, where dresses start at £800 and can hit several thousand quid. Suddenly, £250 doesn’t seem bad. You’re getting genuine designer pieces at a third or quarter of the usual price.

Sizes go from 6 (XS) to 18/20 (XL). Better than most luxury brands, which stop at size 14.

Where to Get It

Available online and in four stores: Battersea and Marble Arch in London, Manchester, and Grafton Street in Dublin.

Dropped on 30th October, so some pieces have already sold out. Crystal maxi keeps going in and out of stock. Leather jackets sold out in most sizes within 48 hours but they’ve restocked.

If you want something, buy it now. M&S collaborations disappear fast. Remember Bella Freud? Sold out in days. This one’s going the same way.

Worth It?

I was sceptical when I first heard about M&S x 16Arlington. Another celebrity collaboration? Another excuse to charge more?

But after seeing the pieces in person (I went to Marble Arch last weekend), I changed my mind. Quality is there. Design is there. These aren’t cheap clothes with a designer label slapped on.

The leather feels expensive. Sequins don’t look tacky. Tailoring actually fits instead of gaping at the waist like loads of high street stuff does.

If you’re into party dressing and want something special without dropping a grand on one outfit, this delivers. Even the cashmere jumpers and jeans work for everyday, so you’re not limited to once-a-year pieces.

M&S has been on a roll lately. Their fashion turnaround over the past couple of years has been remarkable. Went from somewhere your mum shopped for cardigans to a proper fashion destination.

The Bella Freud collaboration proved they could do designer collabs right. This 16Arlington one confirms it wasn’t a fluke. They’re bringing actual luxury brands to the high street in a meaningful way.

Marco Capaldo was also a judge on M&S’s Dressing The Nation on ITV this autumn, so there’s a genuine relationship between designer and retailer. Not just a business transaction.

Party season’s here. Everyone needs something for Christmas parties, New Year’s Eve, and winter weddings. This collection covers all of that.

Whether you go for the full crystal dress moment or just grab the leather jacket and jeans, you’re getting designer quality at high street prices. Most collaborations disappoint. This one doesn’t.