I was finally convinced of Penneys' poshness when I attended an early summer soiree in a floral, watercolor sheath - a J.C. Penney, of course. The dress was a killer. People are still talking to me about it.
What happened to J.C. Penney? Wasn't this the place our moms shopped via that thick catalog? (By the way, the Penneys catalog was discontinued earlier this year.)
Apparently the mall staple, along with others once seen as matronly shopping haunts, including Dress Barn and Talbots, are undergoing fashion makeovers. Much like fast-fashion haunts Target, H&M, and Zara, Penneys wants us to know that in these tough economic times, we can find hot looks at bargain prices.
But instead of selling disposable clothes, Penneys is positioning itself to be more like Macy's, promising the shopper a little more longevity, as well as bang for the buck. You'd be hard-pressed to spend more than $100 in the store's junior, men's, or even women's sections.
"Over the last several years, we've made dramatic strides in stepping up our style," said Penneys spokeswoman Kate Coultas. "The new banner for our marketing is 'New look. New day. Who knew?' "
Now we do.
Penneys has spent much of this year rolling out cooler clothes under hipper labels. This year, it expanded Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's junior line, Olsenboye, which includes skinny jeans and scoop-necked glittery tanks. And it introduced the menswear line JOE Joseph Abboud, by men's runway designer Joseph Abboud.
Earlier this month Penneys became the exclusive department store for Liz Claiborne. It features women's and men's clothing. The Home collection will launch in January.
