Forget Adidas, we fell in love with this £36 M&S jacket with an unexpectedly feminine twist that's the perfect extra layer - Netmums
Many women want one jacket that works for school runs, office air con and weekends away without costing designer prices. Marks and Spencer's new Autograph Cotton Rich Zip Track Jacket is fast emerging as that. . .
Many women want one jacket that works for school runs, office air con and weekends away without costing designer prices. Marks and Spencer's new Autograph Cotton Rich Zip Track Jacket is fast emerging as that hero layer. Priced at £36 in the UK and available in sizes XS to XL, the cotton-rich zip-up is already being talked about as an Adidas-style dupe and the ideal extra layer for unpredictable weather. Why the M&S Cotton Rich Zip Track Jacket feels like an Adidas dupe© M&SVisually, the jacket gives classic track top energy: a dark charcoal base sold as black, full zip, stand collar and neat contrast stripes down each sleeve. Side by side with the Adidas Firebird track jacket, which sits around £70, the similarity is clear. The appeal is that you get that sporty, slightly retro silhouette at roughly half the price of the Adidas original. For anyone tempted by the three-stripe trend but wary of the spend, the Autograph version offers a gentler way in. Where it differs is in the detailing. Delicate white lace traces the collar and runs beside the stripes on the sleeves, softening the sporty feel so the jacket pairs as easily with dresses as with leggings. Early reviewers on the Marks and Spencer website describe the Cotton Rich Zip Track Jacket as soft, light and not too thick. It currently sits at about 4. 5 out of 5 stars, with everyone who has left a review so far saying they would recommend it as a handy extra layer. Inside the Cotton Rich Zip Track Jacket: fit, fabric and practical detailsThe jacket sits in the Autograph collection, which focuses on elevated everyday pieces rather than pure gym kit. It has a regular fit with relaxed dropped shoulders and measures about 60cm in length in a size 12, closing with a full zip and stand collar. Fabric-wise it is 85 per cent cotton and 15 per cent polyester, with ribbed cuffs and hem in 96 per cent cotton and 4 per cent elastane to help it hold its shape. Price in the UK: £36. Sizes: XS to XL, generally described as true to size. Care: machine wash at 40°C, tumble dry and iron on medium. Those numbers mean the jacket feels breathable and soft rather than plasticky, so it works over a T-shirt on milder days as well as layered under a coat. The lace trim and clean cut make it surprisingly versatile: you can throw it on with joggers, jeans or a midi skirt and it still looks pulled together rather than purely sporty. Most shoppers report that the track jacket fits true to size, so your usual size should work if you plan to wear it over light layers. If you like a slouchier, oversized feel or want to add chunky knits underneath, consider going one size up. © M&SHow this track jacket fits into the M&S sportswear boomThe success of this Adidas-style jacket sits within a wider push by Marks and Spencer into sport and athleisure. Its Goodmove activewear brand, launched in 2020, now sells more than 1. 6 million items each year. The sportswear market is worth over £4 billion and forecast to grow 6 per cent from 2023 to 2028. During the FIFA Women's World Cup, searches for sportswear on M and S. com rose 39 per cent and searches for football tripled. M and S has invested in The Sports Edit platform to curate sports brands alongside its own ranges. A track jacket that echoes Adidas but adds a feminine lace twist fits neatly into that sport-meets-style strategy. For shoppers, it simply means a sporty, feminine extra layer that can move from school gate to sofa to city break without needing a different jacket for every occasion.