Good style and sweet prices at Penneys autumn show

Penneys, the chain store, was always about prices, and the less charged the better, even if it meant a limited range of clothes…

Penneys, the chain store, was always about prices, and the less charged the better, even if it meant a limited range of clothes.

There have been changes, and this season there is a leap forward with some great fashion and still costing half nothing.

The top price at the show was £70 for a cashmere mix full-length coat. A person could be well turned out for winter for £100 and that would mean, say, a charcoal grey hooded duffel (£55), grey flannel trousers (£12), a roll-neck sweater (£14), a mohair scarf (£7), and grey/black trainers (£20). Now that's not bad.

This is a fashionable range which picks up on many of the season's ideas, especially on the grey, black, beige theme now seen everywhere.

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There are also the new-length short coats, worn with slim matching trousers, which, worn with a pale-coloured lambswool sweater and long scarf is the look going to be seen everywhere.

Black nylon bags, now called "organisers", by some, are an unbeatable £6.

The hooded top is another big idea, and, whether on jackets, gilets or sweaters, they add a bit of interest as well as warmth. There is scope for layering.

Certainly the model looked well in a khaki cotton top, an orange hooded jersey zip top, a khaki hooded jersey, zip top (yes, that's three tops), and stone-coloured combat trousers. This all came to £36, and the mixing of colours and textures made it look terrific.

Grey is for formal dressing while beige is more for casuals, and these include some splendid soft fleeces and knits, baggy trousers and cropped biker jackets.

There is black, mainly for lacy and sequined party dresses, glitter tops (£10), and the new-look frilled bias-cut skirts (£14), but black is also for puffa coats (£25), stretch bootleg trousers, and in a range of shoes which includes high wedges and boots.

Penneys has achieved a very good balance, giving a little bit of everything to the customer, and keeping it all simple. Most importantly the price is pretty simple too.