Despite scenes of snowfall and plummeting temperatures across Leeds lately, spring is fast approaching and shops are already stocking up with sunshine-ready clothing.
Before my spring and summer calendar fills up and adds an extra expense to my purse strings, I wanted to get ahead and get some spring outfits ready in my wardrobe. I have lots of plans and a holiday in April, so I'm hoping the sunshine will prevail then and I can ditch the trousers and coats season.
I had already seen Primark's online store began stocking up with crop tops, sunglasses, and more, so decided to head to the Leeds store in Trinity shopping centre. I was searching for the perfect cute spring dress, jacket, and accessories - this would be perfect for a warm day out in the UK, abroad, or can be dressed up for a night out.
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To be honest, I haven't shopped for an outfit in Primark in a while; the Leeds city centre store gets so busy that I often cannot face the never-ending queues. I tend to head in after work or on a weekend - peak times - so decided to shop on a Wednesday early afternoon and it was nice and quiet.
I was keen to stick to a budget, and didn't want to spend any more than £25. I am guilty of buying something, wearing it once, and then it being dumped at the back of my wardrobe. This can become expensive so I was keen to stay on budget.
Walking into the shop I was surprised by all the beach clothing that greeted me. From bold-coloured bikinis, to beach bags, and flip-flops, Primark is certainly ready for the warmer months. I was expecting a lot of denim jackets and t-shirts, but there is a lot of summer clothing in stock. While it does seem rather premature, I do think after people have struggled with the rising cost of living crisis recently, rather than rushing to buy our summer clothes in May or June, it means the costs can be spread out over the next few months instead.
To my pleasure, there were a lot of spring and summer dresses to choose from. There were a lot of cotton, slip dresses, which are priced between £8 and and £16. I definitely noticed an increase in prices compared to previous years. Two years ago I would be in Primark almost every week and could pick up a dress for £4 or £5.
I found a lovely orange-coloured floaty dress which I thought would be perfect for warm days, that will also work well with a blazer or jacket over the top, and can be paired with trainers, flat sandals, or heels. It was priced at £12 which I was happy to pay. This left me with £13 left for a jacket and accessories.
I was looking for a lovely white jacket or blazer but sadly couldn't find one. Nearby I found a bright orange jacket which looked like it was made to match the dress, however the jacket alone was £25, which in my opinion is pretty steep for Primark.
I found two bags, a tweed-style clutch bag priced at £10, and a small white bag priced at £7 with gold embellishments. Anyone who knows my style, know I adore wearing a headband. I found a white headband which was priced at £2.50.
I also found some lovely white sandals for a bargain £5. So the final choice was either to get the sandals the dress and headband, or the dress, headband, and bag.
I also saw a beautiful turquoise-coloured blouse and skirt which would look stunning on holiday. The skirt alone was £16 and the top was £18. AT PRIMARK? That's ludicrous. I would be happy to pay £34 for an outfit at River Island or New Look but Primark comes with a bargain guarantee.
I went into the changing room and was a bit annoyed when one worker told me that I wasn't allowed to take the bags into the cubicle but I could take the clothes. I didn't understand why this was a rule at all. Rather annoying, as I wanted to see my outfit in full.
Regardless I went to try on the orange dress and I loved it. It was a tick straight away for me. The colour may be bold for some people but I like to stand out personally. I tried on the jacket and thought it was really lovely and fit well, however I don't think it worked with this particular dress. The orange was a little bit over the top at this point.
I decided to ditch the jacket as it didn't work with the outfit and it was way over my budget. I opted for the bag instead of sandals for an accessory, as I already have a few pairs of shoes I could pair with the outfit.
The final outfit:
- Summer orange dress - £12
- Small white handbag - £7
- White headband - £2.50
Total = £21.50
Final thoughts
While I thought there was a lot of choice in Primark during my visit for a spring outfit, I was a bit shocked by the price increases. I thought the price of the dress, headband, and bag were very reasonable but was disappointed I couldn't pair my outfit with shoes and a jacket for under £25.
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