Credit crunch clobber: Supermarket chic

Sep 9 2009 By Siba Matti

SUPERMARKETS are always offering ways to help us save that little bit extra or screening adverts with customers patting their change-filled back pockets – so this month, I decided to put them to the test and see how they fared in the fashion stakes.

Not so long ago, supermarkets were simply larger outlets to buy food and basic essentials – far from the super-sized giants they have evolved into, where you can now find everything from television sets to furniture and even fashionable clothing – apparently all at fantastic value for money.

After doing a bit of research online, I learned that Sainsbury's, ASDA and Tesco were the only supermarkets to offer clothing lines – so once again, armed with just £25 in my wallet, I scoured the aisles in hope of finding a fabulous outfit.

From the outset, I realised this challenge would be completely different to any of my previous columns, purely because none of the supermarkets are within walking distance of another.

My nearest Tesco and ASDA are both in Slough (but about a 15-minute drive apart), with Sainsbury's in Uxbridge, so I would not have the opportunity to flit from place to place before making a decision on a purchase, as I would if I was in a shopping centre. In any case, shopping in supermarkets is supposed to be about convenience, so most people wouldn't have the time (or the inclination) to visit several outlets exclusively for clothing.

I decided I wasn't going to focus on any particular fashion trend or event, simply because I had no idea what I would find in the supermarkets.

But I wasn't expecting to discover such a dire selection in Sainsbury's. Renowned fashion designer, Jeff Banks, once created a range for the supermarket – so I had high hopes – but the clothing was so poor in Uxbridge that I went completely out of my way to another store, in Stanmore, where I also left empty handed.

Unless you are searching for school uniforms or very basic casual wear, there was nothing for anyone with a remote sense of fashion. It may sound brutal but I speak as I find.

Next stop, ASDA, where I had a lot more luck – in fact, I found almost my entire outfit there!

Almost straight-away, I spotted an adorable black and white bow-printed dress for £16, perfect for channelling the monochrome trend. Sadly, when I tried it on, there just wasn't enough room to accommodate my larger than average boobs – and I was disappointed to experience the same difficulty when trying on another dress with a super cute ice-cream sundae print.

But I was delighted to find a bubble-hem skirt with the very same sundae print, for £12.

And after rooting through the sale rails, I found an unusual long-line purple cardigan with short-sleeves for just £4, which I teamed with a basic black vest for £3. In the colder months, I would replace the vest with a long-sleeved black top and add footless tights or leggings. I completed my outfit with a pair of patent red ballerina pumps, a bargain at £6.

Unfortunately, ASDA's accessories were pretty uninspiring so I decided to visit Tesco in search of some statement jewellery to go with my outfit – and also just to see what I might have missed out on.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Tesco's range reflected a lot of current trends, including animal print, which I love. I also spotted several pretty tea dresses, although most were priced at £18 and the only shoes I liked – a pair of black leather Mary Jane heels – would have taken me well over budget. In fact, I was a little taken aback by how expensive some items were.

I might have bought a tea dress if I'd known in advance about the pumps in ASDA, but, again, this defeats the object of supermarket clothes shopping – convenience.

The accessories section in Tesco wasn't much better than ASDA but I did find a beautiful red floral beaded ribbon necklace – reminiscent of my favourite jewellery designer, Tarina Tarantino's work – for £6.

Although my accessories (loose change) budget is usually an extra £5 and incorporates two or three pieces, the necklace worked so perfectly with the outfit that I couldn't resist, despite the fact it was £1 over.

Overall, I was impressed with both Tesco and ASDA, although, based on my own experiences, the latter definitely offers significantly better value for money.

In future, I would probably browse for clothing while food shopping and combine anything I found with other items from the high street – but I would definitely give Sainsbury's a very wide berth.

Perhaps you might have more luck at your local branch.