The New JCPenney

I think the last time I shopped at JCPenney I was still getting an allowance and pegged my jeans.   Mom Jeans were De rigueur.

You may have heard the buzz surrounding the new JCPenney.  I did too.  In fact, for the first time ever a JCPenney catalog came in the mail.  I used to pour over that thing as a kid picking out my Easter ensemble (cape or no cape? white shoes? check.) each year. I almost threw it away but the bright turquoise and tangerine colored clothes on the cover enticed me to look inside.

I wasn’t floored but I was pleasantly surprised.  There were things I might actually consider wearing.  In current colors and styles.  Shoes that were cute!  Hmm… I might need to investigate.

So I did.  My local JCPenney just had a make-over as part of this new unveiling of lower prices all the time, no sales and better quality clothes.  Armed with my cell phone camera I lurked all over the store and found myself a bit giddy.

Here are some of my finds –

This eco-friendly, non-leather, but sure looks and feels like it, handbag is large enough to be like a messenger bag.  It was located in the super stylish MNG by Mango section of the women’s department at JCP.  It retails for $60 and is gorgeous!

These pair of linen wedge heels were $30 and are spot on for spring!  I also saw a pair of open-toed silver glitter heels that can run over $100 at many stores but was a steal for $40 at JCP.  What a great find for a fun night out!

This orange, faux croc clutch from Nicole by Nicole Miller was only $20 and I want to go back and pick up right now. Its envelope style and size (about 8″x5″) were perfect for so many looks.

While cruising around I noticed a few things.  First, the workout wear section is pretty large and there many sets of coordinated looks.  You can get a reversible pair of workout pants ($20) and find a matching sports bra, tank, shirt and jacket.  I loved that!  There is also a great dress section.  You can find casual, cocktail and day dresses for $30 and up.  The company put a lot of effort into the women’s areas and it shows.  They know who makes the decisions and does the shopping in each household.  The men’s department didn’t seem to be that different from the old stores and neither did the kids section but the addition of an almost full-size Sephora store and a two-sectioned jewelry department are wonderful too.  I will definitely keep JCPenney in mind for the future. I can’t believe I just said that!

Here are some looks in Polyvore that I created based on women’s fashion. You can see more styles like back to work and those dresses I talked about on my JCPenney Pinterest board.