Penny's/Primark

Pigwidgeon · 16-02-2008 11:39pm

used to buy a lot of clothes in pennys but found the quality has just gotten worse, would buy underwear/pyjamas/accessories/work clothes there but for the rest i would generally go to H&M or A-Wear for jeans, tops etc.

LuckyStar · 17-02-2008 2:00am

Dunnes have gotten sooo much better lately- they used to just do frumpy stuff but now do have nice clothes, they are the first place I go to for work clothes anyway.

I love H&M because I love bright colours and I love the patterns on their hoodies etc.

kizzyr · 18-02-2008 3:18pm

Dreadful shop, dreadful clothes that never last and are usually made from some horrible material. I think buying things there is such a waste of money as its usually one wash and the garment looks nothing like it did when you first bought it. Must point out that I say that and yet haven't been inside one of their shops in more years than I care to remember.

speedboatchase · 18-02-2008 5:09pm

I'm actually surprised that the consensus of people who love fashion on here seems to be "go buy a crappy cheapass outfit from pennys, who cares bout even washing it or if it doesnt fit proper, throw it out and buy another". Sad stuff.

watna · 18-02-2008 5:29pm

I used to go in to Penney's and spend a fortune and buy loads. In the last few motnhs I've been trying to downsize my possessions because I'm going travelling. I found that I had Penney's things I hadn't worn and most things I had worn didn't look the best anymore. I read an atricle recently about this woman that tried to shop environmentally i.e. buy the best quality she could afford so it lasts. She wore penney's for a week to see and had nothing nice to say about the clothes and the shopping habits of people there. The article also said a lot of penney's stuff was being sent to be recycled with the tags still on. Since then I've started using my money to buy better quality clothes and recycled a lot of stuff. Wearing disposable clothes isn't good for the world or me. I found that I didn't appreciate my penney's stuff and didn't care for it where as with my good quality clothes I handwash them and take care. It just suits me alot better as well to invest in clothes now i'm not as fashion conscious as I was when I was 19 so want to buy more staple items.

However, you can't beat Penney's for knickers (but most definitely not bras, their sizes are horrific), socks, pyjamas and vests. Things like this are overpriced in a lot of other places seeming as you wear them out quicker and under your good clothes!

Jay P · 18-02-2008 5:33pm

5 pairs of black socks, only €3.50. Noice!

sunnyside · 18-02-2008 10:31pm

speedboatchase wrote: »

Arrogance? Penneys is absolute slave labour cheap ****e. If you cared about the quality, fit and design of your clothes then you'd know Penneys stuff holds up in none of these categorys. If you're only buying socks etc in there then fair enough but if I had known a girl had bought an entire outfit there I'd have a good laugh.

Penneys is to fashion what pot noodles is to food

Are you crazy? Some items from Primark have been featured in Vogue recently.

speedboatchase · 18-02-2008 11:24pm

Which proves..? If you're mentioning Vogue to somehow prove that Primark is high end fashion then I'm still not the crazy one

Nightwish · 18-02-2008 11:31pm

I love Penneys. I dont follow the fashion trends but they do great tank tops, fitted tshirts and skirts. I also love their underwear, socks and tights.

flynnc8 · 18-02-2008 11:47pm

Ah would you all stop aout the quality of the clothing... I shop in a huge variety of shops all over town and online and I find that Penneys clothing lasts just as long as any other store..

Okay so they sometimes they dont fit well but I have clothing which ranges from a size 12 - 16.. In each high street store the fits are random... and like wise in each high street store different garments last longer than others.

I recently bought a skirt from river idsland which fell apart the first time I wore it.. But I have a similar skirt from Penneys maybe 2 years or more which still gets the occasional wear..

I often mix penneys items with other stores clothing, but then I also wear an entire outfit from Penneys... Either way I often recieve compliments about my clothing...

I seen that some of you think it receives a certain cliental... Sure thats only obvious People with less money Shop in cheaper stores.

Its just another case of "I wouldn't shop in Lidl or Aldi"

speedboatchase · 18-02-2008 11:56pm

You have a really strange .... concept of grammar .... full stops... are your friend.

People are perfectly entitled to not shop at Penneys and say that's its cheap crap because if Pennys isn't cheap crap, then what is the definition of cheap crap?! I can't think of anywhere cheaper than that dump. And why go to Lidl or Aldi when Tescos... is the greatest thing in the world?

This is the final sentence of my post so ill underline it too

lisajane · 19-02-2008 12:26am

I was in penneys today for the first time in years. I used to shop in penneys years ago. They really had some good stuff before. But not anymore. The clothes and accessories, looks quite knackery and thats before u buy. I would much prefer dunnes.
And whats the story with umbro clothes in penneys? I saw a long sleeve tshirt for 17 euro today. That cant be real. I would have expected to pay 30 euro in a sports shop for it.

flynnc8 · 19-02-2008 1:20pm

speedboatchase wrote: »

You have a really strange .... concept of grammar .... full stops... are your friend.

People are perfectly entitled to not shop at Penneys and say that's its cheap crap because if Pennys isn't cheap crap, then what is the definition of cheap crap?! I can't think of anywhere cheaper than that dump. And why go to Lidl or Aldi when Tescos... is the greatest thing in the world?

This is the final sentence of my post so ill underline it too

ha ha this was quite amusing.... yeah i do have very poor grammer.. (lost without my spell checks etc) lol... Full Stops are the cheese...

i never said that people should shop there, I'm just trying to explain that the quality and fit of garments in every high street store varies...

So why should Penneys be put under such prejudice...

pinklady2 · 19-02-2008 1:40pm

flynnc8 wrote: »

Ah would you all stop aout the quality of the clothing... I shop in a huge variety of shops all over town and online and I find that Penneys clothing lasts just as long as any other store..

Okay so they sometimes they dont fit well but I have clothing which ranges from a size 12 - 16.. In each high street store the fits are random... and like wise in each high street store different garments last longer than others.

I recently bought a skirt from river idsland which fell apart the first time I wore it.. But I have a similar skirt from Penneys maybe 2 years or more which still gets the occasional wear..

I often mix penneys items with other stores clothing, but then I also wear an entire outfit from Penneys... Either way I often recieve compliments about my clothing...

I seen that some of you think it receives a certain cliental... Sure thats only obvious People with less money Shop in cheaper stores.

Its just another case of "I wouldn't shop in Lidl or Aldi"

Could not agree more.

Peole also need to be careful when making comments on how other people use grammar in my opinion it is not appropriate.

watna · 19-02-2008 1:47pm

pinklady2 wrote: »

Could not agree more.

Peole also need to be careful when making comments on how other people use grammar in my opinion it is not appropriate.

It's appropriate if it makes the post hard to read, as above.

People appreciate if you use correct grammar when posting, and by that I don't mean using the correct type of colon, people aren't that anal (well mostly!), I mean using proper sentence structures and paragraphs. It makes things easier for everyone and It's not hard to do.

flynnc8 · 19-02-2008 1:51pm

flynnc8 wrote: »

Ah would you all stop aout the quality of the clothing... I shop in a huge variety of shops all over town and online and I find that Penneys clothing lasts just as long as any other store..

Okay so they sometimes they dont fit well but I have clothing which ranges from a size 12 - 16.. In each high street store the fits are random... and like wise in each high street store different garments last longer than others.

I recently bought a skirt from river idsland which fell apart the first time I wore it.. But I have a similar skirt from Penneys maybe 2 years or more which still gets the occasional wear..

I often mix penneys items with other stores clothing, but then I also wear an entire outfit from Penneys... Either way I often recieve compliments about my clothing...

I seen that some of you think it receives a certain cliental... Sure thats only obvious People with less money Shop in cheaper stores.

Its just another case of "I wouldn't shop in Lidl or Aldi"

I'm sorry if I have affended any person by using incorrect grammer and punctuation. Unfortunately I may not have the same skills as other members of this forum. However I do try to make my posts as clear as possible.

If one would like to take the time to help me aquire better skills, I would gladly accept that help. So until that time I shall continue to post the best I can.

pinklady2 · 19-02-2008 2:01pm

watna wrote: »

It's appropriate if it makes the post hard to read, as above.

People appreciate if you use correct grammar when posting, and by that I don't mean using the correct type of colon, people aren't that anal (well mostly!), I mean using proper sentence structures and paragraphs. It makes things easier for everyone and It's not hard to do.

I understand that, what I am saying is that people need to be careful on how they word their comments to people about their use of grammar so as not to offend. Some people may not have that skill,It comes down to people not being so judgemental on how others type their sentence/paragraphs. I do not think that post was hard to read at all in fact it was very clear to me.:)

themadchef · 19-02-2008 2:34pm

It's cheap as chips for kids clothes, and as they grow out of them quite quickly they dont need to be heavy duty.

When you have a big family to dress, how many can afford to shop in Next or Exit?

Apart from the "wow that would look great on my 3 year old ,so cute" *checks tag* €50? for a tiny dress? runs from shop clinging to her wallet

It's never a reality. Penny's ftw. €100 will go a long way to dress all my monsters top to toe with change to spare. How far would it go in the designer shops?

The clothes in other places like Tesco or Dunnes are of equal quality imo. If i was wealthy i would never shop in Pennys. Penny's is hitting a particular market. Rich people need not shop here.

Piste · 19-02-2008 10:06pm

The only stuff I'll buy there is knickers (not bras, I prefer high-quality bras), socks, shoes that I might only wear a couple of times, bags and maybe accessories. The kind of stuff that's pretty disposeable once you're tired of it/ it gets worn out. I wouldnt buy proper clothes there though, I find the quality's a bit crap and they have a weird fit.

19-02-2008 11:42pm

It is hit and miss. Most of the stuff is a load of tat but sometimes there is really cute stuff. You just need to have an hour spare to be bothered to look around and try everything on. I generally prefer to pay for fairly decent quality clothes and have them last longer but I've been pleased with most of the stuff I've bought in Penney's the last few months - one of those 13e woolly zip up hoodies (its acrylic which I normally hate but its really warm!), and 5-6 tops which I regularly get compliments on. A couple are really cute and vintagey looking - people ask where I got them and are shocked when I say Penney's! I do try to look after my clothes, but it's really hard to handwash where I live now, so I like that I can throw the stuff in the wash without worrying too much - I'd rather ruin a 13e cardigan than a 50 e one - and it's always fine anyway.

I realised while reading this thread that I've had pyjamas since first year of college (2003) that I still wear and are still in OK shape, along with knickers and socks. I never expected them to last 4+ years. Their tights and slippers are usually nice as well. Loads of wear for something that cost a few euro.

I have some of their boots/shoes as well - I sometimes like to wear 'kitsch' shoes, for which Penneys is great (I'm not gona spend more than 6 euro on shiny purple shoes) and I even bought a pair of black boots there for 20e that I wear for work every day and look grand and fit perfectly.

I'm not saying Penneys is high quality but it's often not as bad as people think, especially for little things like underwear and pyjamas.

D. Coughlan · 20-02-2008 3:56pm

I used to shop in penneys, grand for basic things as people are saying but the staff can be rude, and unhelpful ( They would never check for size's for you). The place always seems to be in a mess with stuff thrown on tables and on the ground, rarely in there nowadays, but i suppose it still suits a certain market.:)

Sugar Drunk · 20-02-2008 6:46pm

The mary st and dundrum shops are great. I have clothes for years that I bought in penneys only yesterday 2 people asked me where my jumper was from - I bought it in penneys last year. I have short legs and a small waist so its the only shop I can actually buy trousers that fit me without me needing to alter them (river island size 8 fits but the waist is always too big). I mix and match penneys stuff with other shops stuff and often with different jewellery (often the jewellery cost more than the clothes!). I tend to buy plain staples that are not just trends and if you can match these with other clothes no one will ever even guess its from penneys. I also love h&m for the same reasons.
I have a horse so I buy loads of hoodies, t shirts and sweatshirts in penneys which are perfect for wearing to the yard but that unlike equestrian brands will not break the bank. These clothes get a hell of a lot of wear and tear but usually last me ages so the stuff is good quality!
I often see v badly dressed people in very expensive clothes proving again that its how you wear it not where it came from (britney spears anyone? lots of designer clothes but right now no matter what she wears she looks a mess).
2 things i have learned though:
1. ALWAYS try onm before you buy (somethings just dont fit at all!)
2. always check the size on the clothes matches the size on the hangars

Mrs. MacGyver · 20-02-2008 7:57pm

I buy handbags and cardis/jumpers in pennys. I've 2 jumpers with the last 8 years and they wash grand and still fit. I suppose some of the stuff is hit and miss like a lot of other shops but i've no problem shopping there.

Daisies · 26-02-2008 12:26am

Personally I love Penney's. Full time student = non existent funds for shopping. Have to agree quality isn't always the best but you can be quite lucky. Great for cheap shoes and basic string tops, scarves etc.
Always always always try things on before you buy as everything fits really differently.

JavaBear · 26-02-2008 1:12am

eo980 wrote: »

Walk into Penney's and you see that it generally attracts a certain type of customer. The kind who doesn't think anything of wearing pastel colours with their bright white addidas 'trainer's.

Completely ignorant statement to make. You're wrong.

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Cheap nasty disposable clothes catering for the lowest common denominator
in 'fashion' - much like Dunnes.

Did Penneys do something to hurt your feelings? That's a pretty "nasty" comment.

Archimedes wrote: »

Its a disgusting place. Wouldnt be seen dead in there.

speedboatchase wrote: »

if I had known a girl had bought an entire outfit there I'd have a good laugh.

jezza wrote: »

no way would i be caught in pennies god

Seriously?

speedboatchase wrote: »

Sad stuff.

Why are you calling other people sad because they shop in Pennies? Would you prefer for everyone to have brand names plastered across their chests or everyone to wear clothes in a certain price range?

My opinion on it is that Pennies is just another shop. I don't shop anywhere exclusively. I have some clothes out of Pennys. I am not ashamed to go out in them, even though some people might prefer if I was. I think that train of thought is insane really. :rolleyes:

Leonard Cohen · 23-06-2008 4:43pm

Penneys drops firms using child labour

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0622/penneys.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7468927.stm

KatCookie · 23-06-2008 7:00pm

bought a nice top there last week.. love it! made sure i tried it on though..
everything is of mixed quality, the socks can often be of poor quality,(did anyone else buy the 5 pairs of stripey socks?)
the bras are often terrible, -my friend swears by them but i cant fit into any of them properly!
the jeans are usually quite nice.
i can never find any hoodies that are warm or ones that you could wear over a large t-shirt.
overall, if you can dress yourself for less than €40 from top to toe including shoes,your not going too far wrong!

sunnyside · 23-06-2008 7:23pm

JavaBear wrote: »

My opinion on it is that Pennies is just another shop. I don't shop anywhere exclusively. I have some clothes out of Pennys. :

I agree. The programme about Primark is on BBC1 tonight at 10.35pm.

pretty*monster · 23-06-2008 7:24pm

Pennys tends to be more hit than miss and if money were no object I probably wouldn't ever bother going in, however, I have two coats from Pennys which I absolutly adore that have stood the test of time.
I got one for Christmas from my Mum (along with some pricey stuff before anyone comments on her being scabby) that's very cute and the other is a winter coat I bought six years ago that's still in great condition. I frequently get compliments about both of them. So not all their stuff is 'wear once and then bin'.

I also bought a pair of fabric boots in November. They were €15 and I assumed they'd fall apart within a month but they're still in good enough condition.

Leonard Cohen · 23-06-2008 7:37pm

I've no agenda against them per se but because this item is pertinent for tonight I'm posting it here.

BBC will tonight air the Panorama investigation and video footage of where the clothing items allegedly originate. See previous thread from Sunnyside.

Make your own opinions.

http://smetimes.tradeindia.com/smetimes/news/top-stories/2008/Jun/18/whos-the-guilty-party-primark-or-sacked-Indian-suppliers.html/

soapfan · 23-06-2008 8:10pm

well I have dark skin and love buying their lovely bright summer dresses and their flip flops too. Always pick uo nice jammies and undies and lots of bits and bobs.

And exactly, its not wat u wear, its how wear iT

FabulousGirl · 23-06-2008 11:50pm

I think Penneys is great for high fasion items you may only get a few wears out of before it's "uncool". I remember a few years ago when little cardies with brooches and pearl buttons were in. Penneys had them for about €13 while M&S were charging €45 in the Due student range. Bah!
Penneys undies, costume jewellery, Christmas gear and basics like plain t-shirts are good too in my opinion.
One thing I don't like about them is I find it almost impossible to get a decent fitting pair of trousers or a jumper long enough to cover my torso.
I'm 5'7" with a 34" leg and am generally a size 10/12 in other shops so I wouldn't really say I'm a weird shape but the trousers never right! Oh well!

MissHoneyBun · 24-06-2008 1:22am

I am generally not a fan of mass produced ubiquitous clothes and much prefer to spend more money on a high quality classic piece that has some identity. However, having said that places like Penney's are great for everyday essentials from pyjamas to panties. Basically, the basics! It seems that Penneys has gained a reputation for being fashionably cheap. That's all very well for those who can afford such choices however lets not forget that there are plenty of families who depend on places like Penneys to cater for their tight budgets. For all those who run to BT's for silk socks so too will there be people who rely on Penney's reductions.

Gavin "shels" · 24-06-2008 2:26am

Haven't really bought much in Penny's but what I have bought it's usually good quality. 2 pairs of shorts the other day and a few pairs of slacks and a odd shirt all very comfy.

xOxSinéadxOx · 24-06-2008 3:11am

i always buy things in penneys. i've never bought pants there before.

has the devil wears primark been on telly yet?

Gavin "shels" · 24-06-2008 3:32am

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

has the devil wears primark been on telly yet?

Was on the 1st June at 9.00pm on Channel 4 according to google.

doubledown · 24-06-2008 8:10am

Gavin shels wrote: »

Was on the 1st June at 9.00pm on Channel 4 according to google.

It was pulled actually because Channel 4 had made a bunch of claims they they could not back up with hard facts. The programme is being re-edited and will be broadcast at a later date.

kittex · 24-06-2008 8:20am

The thing about that BBC documentary was that they targetted Penney's exclusively. The BBC is not supposed to do that. They are supposed to investigate issues, rather than exclusively attack one group.

They admit Penney's knew nothing about it. They also admitted during the show that most cheap clothes shops are using child labour, whether they know it or not.
They found Walmart/Asda clothes in the same child labour place as the Penney's stuff - but did they attack their favourite British supermarket? No sir.
They dismissed it and carried on finding the 'Atmosphere' clothes.

That is against the rules of the BBC Charter and I'm surprised they were allowed broadcast it at all.

As for the use of child labour, I think we need to be realistic, it should not happen, but it does and companies need to be more vigilant in their inspections. They also should stop setting companies unrealistic targets. The reason all those tops were outsourced was because the turn around was too short for the factory to do such 'complicated' beading and embroidery.

Femelade · 24-06-2008 10:53am

i think Penny's is great, for little vest tops and plain t shirts to go under other tops , if you get my meaning..
It great when you are in the mood to buy clothes but you are fairly broke, i could spend €30 in there easily and come home after satisfying my hunger for clothes shopping.

Loopy · 24-06-2008 1:52pm

I buy candles in penneys, they burn perfectly and are €1.50 each..

Acid_Violet · 24-06-2008 3:17pm

kittex wrote: »

As for the use of child labour, I think we need to be realistic, it should not happen, but it does and companies need to be more vigilant in their inspections. They also should stop setting companies unrealistic targets. The reason all those tops were outsourced was because the turn around was too short for the factory to do such 'complicated' beading and embroidery.

Penney's have been in the business long enough to know that the factories they have can not reach the targets they are set unless the ethical trading policy is broken. They knew that stuff like this must have been happening, anyone with half a brain can figure out that these clothes simply can't be made in such bulk so rapidly by these factories alone. That's simply not good enough.

LizT · 25-06-2008 10:28pm

Penneys is good for socks, underwear, vest tops etc. i also have a few paris of pumps from there and they are really good quality and very confy too! I do admit some of their stuff is horribly tacky and brash, but as people have already said it's all about buying the right pieces!!

And btw it's Penneys NOT Penny's, Pennies or Penney's.;)

July · 26-06-2008 12:05am

lizt wrote: »

And btw it's Penneys NOT Penny's, Pennies or Penney's.;)

Thank you! That needed to be said!

I'm not the world's most enthusiastic clothes shopper but when I do manage to drag myself into the shops, I usually pop into Penneys. It's hit and miss. Same as anywhere really.

pfk-0p · 06-07-2008 6:56pm

great for boxers(really comfy) and socks and the od vest for bed but after that the quality isn't great

missmatty · 07-07-2008 2:42pm

Great for basics and the odd gem if you look hard enough

Saw me through 7 years of broke third-level study and I still drop in there on and off to check it out.

Went in for a look a few weeks ago and got 6 tops for 44E.
Class :P And I don't care what anyone else thinks either, I often get complimented on Penneys clothes.

fifomania · 09-07-2008 1:04pm

Penneys sometimes has something decent in the clothes but it is better at bags, underwear and household stuff. The quality of some of the clothes leave a lot to be desired! And there is something nice about wearing a high street label more so than Penneys or Dunnes

mollydolly271 · 09-07-2008 1:20pm

luv it 5 bags of clothes for €70

Kintarō Hattori · 09-07-2008 2:18pm

I'm sorry but if a lady did a fair amount of her clothes shopping at penneys she'd drop off of my radar.

Publin · 09-07-2008 2:44pm

Just wondering, how exactly would you know if a lady did a lot of her clothes shopping in Penneys? Do you mean if she told you or can you tell just by the look of them? To me most of the clothes look the same as items they sell in River Island/Dunnes etc. (design, style, colour).

Also genuine question here, why would she "drop off your radar"? Because the clothes are cheap?

One major selling point for me is that the clothes don't seem to have a massive company name/logo on the front (from what I've seen/bought anyway!

I've shopped in Penneys and bought a few bits and pieces I liked, as I have done in River Island, Topman, Arnotts etc. For me it's no better and no worse than the other clothes shop chains around.

LouOB · 09-07-2008 3:02pm

Brill for 'throw away fashion' and you can get the odd good stuff there.
But overall I try to buy there infrequently as nothing more embarrassing than wearing same top/shoes etc as everyone else as mass produced.

If I found really nice dress/coat in there would keep it for few mths and then wear it.
Least everyone might of forgotten its from Pennys - once its good quality

Penny's/Primark

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