Student Budget Heaven! (Primark)

Member Name: bkecky

Product:	Primark
Date:	24/06/09 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, throw-away fashion, good beachwear

Disadvantages: Sometimes loads of people and the jumble sale aspect makes it frustrating, weird sizes

A few years ago before I was a student and didn't have to pay for my own clothes, I would have turned my nose up at Primark and wouldn't be seen dead in there! However after experiencing the tight budget that comes with student life, I decided to give it a try and was pleasantly surprised! I am specifically referring to the Birmingham, UK Primark in this review.

Ok so maybe everything is mass produced and to find the stuff on the models in the windows you may be there for a few hours but on that hunt you can come across all sorts of things. The prices on some things are just amazing and although I may not buy my best clothes from there it is the perfect place to find stuff for the gym, fashion accessories, beach wear, handbags, simple basics and sometimes you can find some really nice fashionable dresses. One of the best things is that you can buy something fashionable at the time and when the fashion is over not feel guilty about throwing it away. It is one of my first stops for accessorising an outfit and much better value than such places as Claire's Accessories, where the stuff breaks so easily.

They also stock a lot of neon clothing and accessories. Why would I want neon clothing I hear you cry? Well at university there are always neon parties or UV parties or beach parties and Primark is always most student's first stock. In fact I have been known to get there early just to avoid rush and get the best things.

So ok you may find someone wearing the same thing as you but as Primark offers so many different bits that you can add to an outfit, even if someone does have the same dress, inevitably it will look different on each person.

One criticism I have is that it is sometimes like a jumble sale but I think it is almost impossible for the staff to keep the mess clear, there are so many racks and piles. Another is that the sizes are a bit hit and miss. I am a size 10 but get a size 8 and once I even had to get a size 16 hoodie!

I am also loving the home range, where you can get some little bits a pieces to make your university room feel a bit more like home on a budget.

I have noticed though that actually sometimes the dresses and coats can be a little expensive (not expensive but for what Primark stands for they are over-priced) and you can get something similar and more original from somewhere like H&M for a cheaper price. However for summer wear its great as you can get everything you need for your holiday clothing in that store for a minimum. Even a suitcase is cheap and they have them in some original designs so yours is easy to spot amongst the others.

The queues often seem daunting but they usually are very well staffed and you are being served before you know it. The changing rooms are a little annoying as they say 6 items at a time and usually I have way more than 6 items! This is pretty standard proceedure but its annoying to come out and then actually you can put those back in your basket and take everything left (even if its over 6 items) into the changing room as by this point the attendant has usually lost interest. So I often feel I may aswell have taken the whole lot in for the attention they are paying!

In Primark you basically get what you pay for, ok so it may shrink after a few washes but what do you expect from a £2 t-shirt? You sometimes have to look to find something a bit unsual and sometimes theres a trend towards chaviness but usually there is something for everyone and for the price you get an amazing bargain. As long as you don't expect 5 star quality and are realistic it is a great way to shop, especially for those on a low budget or that regularly get bored of clothes and require throw-away fashion.

Summary: A great place to shop especially for students and people who want to accessorise a lot.