IRISH fashion giant Primark has opened its first American store in Boston, Massachusetts.
Pennys founder Arthur Ryan was present for the ribbon-cuttiing of the flagship store, which spans four floors and 77,000 square foot of shopping space.
The chain is set to open eight more US stores in the next two years including one in Philadelphia and in a prime location in New York’s Staten Island Mall.
So what can American shoppers expect from the home of fast fashion?
Bargain Basics
Once you realise you can get a couple of vest tops, five black T-shirts, two pairs of skinny jeans and jumper for less than the cost of one designer T-shirt, you will never buy basics anywhere else again. It’s the perfect fashion equation - buy all your boring, every day, basic wardrobe items in Primark, save enough to blow a bundle on those utterly impractical, wear-once-and-never-again high heels.
US customers stock up on their Primark bargains (Picture: Getty)More Bling than Beyonce
The jewellery aisle in Primark is a dream come true for anyone with a serious bling habit. You can appease your inner magpie for mere pennies. They sell an endless collection of ridiculous earrings, necklaces, diamante hair grips, costume rings, rows and rows of shiny sparkly things.
Brown Paper Bags
Step over Macy’s, over here Primark is the original purveyor of the Brown Paper Bag. They’re probably Primark’s main nod to being ethically sound, and they are absolutely useless the moment they get caught in the rain. Which is a shame as it rains here. A lot.
Shoppers were keen to check out the Irish clothing phenomenon (Picture: Getty)Fashion Disasters
When everything is so cheap and plentiful you will end up buying some absolutely outrageous items on a whim. I have bought some truly shocking items that once home, have never again seen the light of day, among them a highly flammable chiffon playsuit and a neon pink bandage dress. The beauty of Primark is that although these fashion faux pas might cost you some self-respect, they won’t cost you an entire month’s wages.
Ethical Epiphanies
Standing in the centre of a Primark store on busy day, you can’t help but be struck by just how disposable fashion has become. This is inevitable when you can buy an entire wardrobe for less than a bag of groceries. It’s brilliant to be able keep up with the latest trends without making a serious financial investment, however all this comes at a greater cost. Consider recycling or donating your old clothes to charity, when you’re done with them.
