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Original poster

Talk to me about PRIMARK...everytime I'm in there it's full of crumpled, cheap looking crap

41 replies

SamVimesIsMyHero · 01/04/2009 20:44

but LOADS of people I know shop there, a friend the other day had a gorgeous skirt from there, looked £££.

TBH I feel very uneasy about the way in which they make SUCH cheap clothes, I'm assuming they are produced in sweat shops?

WHY does everyone love it so much, do I need to give it another chance?!

OP posts:
janeite · 01/04/2009 20:45

Step away - it IS crap, in every sense of the word!

random · 01/04/2009 20:46

I like it but then I'm skint

lou33 · 01/04/2009 20:47

skint here too so its good for me, you can get some good stuff if you search

i have bought a dress and some knitwear from there, and they look much more expensive than they actually cost

herbietea · 01/04/2009 20:48

This reply has been deleted

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shonaspurtle · 01/04/2009 20:49

I think you have to have a bit of an eye. It mostly looks like crap to me and like crap on me, but I've also got friends who specialise in amazing Primark "finds".

I mostly steer clear now and pretend I'm being ethical

beansontoast · 01/04/2009 20:50

i have a jacket from primark that i bought three or four summers ago....i wear it everyday when the season allows it.everyone always comments.i love it.there is the odd gem.

it was probably made in hideous conditions by someone who deserves more

Original poster
SamVimesIsMyHero · 01/04/2009 20:50

LOL! I'm just too lazy to search. Having said that I HATE those shops with just three of everything (folded using a protractor and set- square) and uber-trendy sale assistants, I'd rather rummage [smile

OP posts:
Flamesparrow · 01/04/2009 20:50

I very rarely find anything I like in there, my friend seems to look stunning in Primark though

princessmel · 01/04/2009 20:52

I have a lot from Primy.

I seem to be the right shape. My petite friend never finds anything she likes.

mrsmaidamess · 01/04/2009 20:55

I have the odd gem from there too. Its always the thing folk say 'oh I love your......(fill in gas) Where's it from?'

BUT on the flip side I had a major wardrobe clearout t'other day, and all the stuff I no longer wear/has shrunk/looks awful is from Primark. And the vest top I bought in Kew 5 years ago is as good as new.

The Oxford Street branch had a window as good as Jigsaw last time I walked past. The Birmingham store looked like it had been cleared by ram raiders.

mrsmaidamess · 01/04/2009 20:55

fill in GAPS, not gas.

Original poster
SamVimesIsMyHero · 01/04/2009 20:57

Yes the ramraiding look does seem quite common in there! I have to say I'm still not convinced, not sure the 'gems' are worth spending hours wading through the crap for.

OP posts:
ABetaDad · 01/04/2009 21:00

I like Primark for fleeces and stuff to wear outdoors when I am doing mucky jobs and playing with the kids.

It is not at all bad. Shirts last about a year if I wear them under a jumper they are OK for semi smart casual.

Surfermum · 01/04/2009 21:01

The Poole branch is great. It's always neat and tidy and it's well laid out over 3 floors.

DrowningInClutter · 01/04/2009 21:02

I'm not sure primark is any better or worse when it comes to the sweat-shop thing than a lot of other shops. They just have a smaller mark-up, a lot of expensive, designer clothes are still made in awful conditions.

I have had a few nice things from primark but I've also had an awful lot of stuff which fell apart really quickly. My favourite skirt came from there but I've had to totally sew the lining back together as it fell apart after the first wash.

I've never found a pair of trousers which fit me properly in there though.

Ronaldinhio · 01/04/2009 21:03

Quality wise as my granny would say you could spit through it...

random · 01/04/2009 21:04

The only moan I have is the jeans are never long enough...and the sizes seem small ...no way am I that big [deluded emoticon]

Meglet · 01/04/2009 21:05

Don't go on a saturday or during school holidays. Its tweenage hell in ours at 2pm on a saturday afternoon.

lunamoon2 · 01/04/2009 23:44

Can be very mixed.
The last time I went in (one Saturday pm) it did look as if the entire teenage population had been in running around and throwing everything about.
I came out empty handed.
Sometimes it is good for cheap bargains though.

Twinklemegan · 01/04/2009 23:53

It most certainly is cheap crap. I've been lured in there a few times only to be v disappointed when I've actually felt the clothes. Having said that, I got a pair of pyjamas in there for 2 quid and that was a year ago. They've only got one hole in them.

frazzledgirl · 02/04/2009 06:50

I got a fabulous brocadey dress in there which has been variously attributed to Jigsaw, Whistles, vintage and Karen Millen.

Cost a fiver in the sale.

There are some amazing bits, I just wander through and see what catches my eye. Second the Saturdays thing tho - just don't do it, it's awful.

Pruners · 02/04/2009 07:36

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naomi83 · 02/04/2009 07:47

I have two beautiful gypsy style skirts from there- both cost under 10 pounds, and still wearing them 2-3 years later. I also have a black cashmere jumper that I wore the whole way through the winter. It's clearly not top quality, but as good as uniqlo, and cost 20 pounds. It's also fab for buying cheap, colourful raincoats, esp at this time of year. You can get three or four in different colours for 1/2 the price of other shops, so it doesn't matter if you have to buy new again next year. Also fab for vests.

SoupDreggon · 02/04/2009 08:14

You have to be prepared to search and, of course, bear in mind that you do get what you pay for. Obviously not worth it for something you want to last for years and years but for wardrobe fillers and children's stuff, it's fine

janeite · 02/04/2009 17:01

But buying 3 or 4 cheap raincoats rather than one reasonable one just perpetrates the idea that clothes are made to be worn for a few months and then thrown away, thus adding to environmental problems. Primark is wrong on so many ethical levels. Nobody NEEDS 3 or 4 raincoats in different colours!