to shop at Primark

[Mamumu]

A few years ago I read Naomi Klein's "No Logo" and was shocked to learn where clothes and other stuff came from. Today, I find myself shopping at Primark, main reason being that it's cheap and I find that what you get is similar to what's in H&M and other hight street chains (only that they charge more, but in the end it all comes from the same place).

Anyway, I always feel guilty when I find a bargain, like a jumper for £4 or a tee for £1.50. But I've recently had a look at Primark's website and found that they seem to be working hard to fight slave work - www.primark.co.uk/Ethical.

What do you think? Should we believe them or not? Will this stop my remorses? How do you deal with it? Unfortunately, I can't afford buying ethical traded / cruelty free clothes, if I could my dilemma would be over!

I found for DS, when he was small, and growing like a weed, that Primark was fine. If he crawled in it, climbed etc in it and it got a bit scuffed, it didn't really matter cos he'd grow out of it soon enough anyway.

I'd parcel it up and give it to my cousin for their DS to wear or to do with it what they liked.

Now he is approaching 5yo, but in a 6/7 year old size, Primark is no longer much use to us.

I won't put my DS in god awful Ben fecking 10 shite, or monster this or trouble that. This sadly is what the bulk of Primark clothes for his age tend to be now. Jeans may be useful when he needs them, but he's at school now so needs less day clothes.

As he is slower to grow now, clothes need to last longer so H&M is my favourite shop for him.

Very high quality for the price, clean, stylish without being too prissy or preppy (he really doesn't suit that look).

That said, this year I got a ton of wonderful stuff sent over to me by my best mate, all sent to her by her barmy SIL, all designer and all sized 8yo clothing.... friend's boy is 3

I love primark

LittleMissHissy you will find many highstreet stores uninspiring for boys and the same old, not only Primark. In H&M one time I was looking for something for my little nephew, scull and crossbones, monsters , not really for a 2 year old. No just because its M&S or Next does not mean its qauality, even though you pay more, just the same as the supermarkets if you ask me. Payed £40 for and M&S jumper only for it to become littered with holes on one wear

I haven't been to Primark for ages but popped in last week to pick up a few bits for DD. Generally the kids clothes are quite good but there was hardly anything to buy - all the girls clothes were pink. Well 95% of them, and the other 5% are slutty. Slutty clothes for 3 year olds - my god what a disappointment!! (DD does have pink clothes as I buy bundles off ebay and you always get some pink in there. She can wear pink that is fine, but I don't want to dress her in pink 24/7 - there are other colours, yes even for little girls. So if I buy new clothes I make big effort not to buy pink unless it's something I really like).

I thought I'd get some 'boys' pj's for DD - not pink. They were blue (of course) but all covered in either skulls or really ferocious t-rex's. yuk yuk yuk.

I'll get the sewing machine out & convert more of DP's old tshirts into pj's/nighties - they are pretty cool actually.

I did get some singlets & thermal tops from Primark - all have pink on them. Really Primark, is this really necessary?????? Think green, yellow, purple, red, turquoise, orange, cream, grey, blue, brown etc etc

Shadeofviolet

How you can accuse me of having a NIMBY attitude from my posts i really dont know

The majority of the clothes ive bought from Primark are still going strong and that includes lots of clothes worn by my 3 boys-they have really been put through the mill [and the washing machine] and most still look great.

RE charity shops- i DO shop in charity shops, mainly for books which i refuse to buy at full price, but i dont and never have felt comfortable dressing my children in 2nd hand clothes-i am from a working class background and where i grew up kids dressed in 2nd hand clothing looked like they were wearing 2nd hand clothing and were known as 'tramps' the smelly kid' etc etc, now i know it doesnt have to be that way but it just doesnt sit well with me.
call it pride or whatever i just dont want to do it.

also charity shops are NOT cheap! you also cant go into a charity shop and get exactly what you need and in the right size bearing in mind i have 3 little people to dress its just not gonna work.

piglet, I agree, clothes for boys are very samey, but at least it stops me spending money!!!

I found M&S horrendous, either preppy and just wrong, or monsters and characters.

I look in all sorts of shops for clothes in general, it's really hard to find decent stuff, even if you spend tons of money....

TK maxx can be OK, but again hit and miss...

I remember watching a documentary tracing goods made in sweatshops in India to Primark stores. There were little girls beading dresses that were on the racks in Primark - no doubt about it, their suppliers use sweatshops. Just because they say they have ethical policies doesn't mean a thing. Besides - the stuff is junk. Disposable clothing is revolting.

Scarabeetle I think that the same can be said for other highstreet brands too, Gap and Nike were pulled up about this in the past, little children sewing their trainers. I think that Primark and the like come in for a lot of flack, try tracing other well known brands back and they will most probably be made in sweatshops too. Clothing to me is only disposable once it falls apart or looses shape and looks horrible, lots of my Primark/Asda stuff still going strong and looking good.

And this is the week I went out and bought armfuls of t-shirts from Gap. You make a good point.

30% off I hope Scara..

The only thing worse than Primark is charity shops that sell Primark crap for more than it originally cost.

Primark, would not be seen dead in there.

Rather wait for the sale at Debenhams or shop in TKMax for decent clothes. I bought a pair of £90 shoes in TK for £45.

Primark yeuch

Most high st clothes are made in the far east.
Primark just has less of a mark up.

I prefer Peacocks myself.

Peacocks and Primark are infact part of the same company, just slightly higher mark -up and more clothing hung up on hangers rather than folded nicely on large tables.

We buy second hand stuff in large bundles from ebay or are given hand me downs, and we mix them with good quality new clothes. Young children get wet and dirty playing outside and can need several changes of clothes per day so it seems daft to buy everything new.

I don't know if primark are really any worse than any of the other high street chains. I'd ideally buy clothes made in the UK, it would help the economy here too, but I have no idea if they exist, and if they do what they would cost!

Sales day at Debenhams is not as cheap as buying in Primark.

Charity shops and ebay are frequently not as cheap as Primark.

I have some respect for people who really could afford to be buying expensive branded clothing saying they choose instead to buy ethically e.g. from second-hand sources or local suppliers , but not everyone can afford to shop ethically, as in the example given of a jumper for £150 with the weaver taking just enough to survive.

It sucks, but I will be shopping at Primark because my wage (when I return to work) will be quite low.

Peacocks and Primark are not part of the same company.

You don't need as many clothes. This is the answer to your problems. Just stop buying clothes and handbags that you don't need.

Incidently I have not bought anything from Primark in about a year as we dont have one near us, but do mix supermarket clothes with others such as TKMaxx (my fav shop for designer brands), e bay and Debenhams, dont buy all from supermarket. However just because you pay more and your buy from other highstreet shops, is no gurantee that its not made in a sweatshop or in the same factory as Primark/supermarket clothes.

Too right, pigletmania. My parents worked as sewing machinists in the UK and worked stupidly long hours for low pay (would have been less than min wage but it hadn't been introduced back then). They made clothes for a range of stores, including Topshop and DP (fab for me when I was a teenager as they let staff buy seconds). They also made clothes for higher-end labels which sold in dept stores.

I also worked in a clothing factory in London as my first job when I left school and I met illegal immigrant workers and schoolgirls on their summer holidays. The working conditions were blatently illegal regarding things like contracts, break times and sick pay. At that age I didn't care and most of the other workers didn't either - it was that job or no job. But clearly there are workers being exploited even if they're working in this country and for more expensive brands.

People who buy expensive clothes thinking the workers who made it are happy with their work and aren't being exploited are deluded imo.

YANBU. We all buy from Primark in this family. My 3 daughters aged 23.20 and 18 love the shop and so do thier friends,

"just because you pay more and your buy from other highstreet shops, is no gurantee that its not made in a sweatshop or in the same factory as Primark/supermarket clothes"

This is what I was trying to get across. If you need to use the high street shops and haven't got much cash spare then why not use primark? They don't seem any worse than any of the others as far as it is possible to tell.

For myself, I wear some second hand and some new stuff, but it is usually good quality clothing that I wear until it falls apart, so primark would still probably work out cheaper.

Questions:

When did you last see a Primark ad on TV?

On a billboard? In a newspaper? Online? etc..

and for GAP?

I like Primark because instead of giving admen the money, it gives it to me!

Other than that there is not much difference with the other shops, certainly nothing that a bit of needle and thread wont fix.

I looooove it!

makes me feel rich!