Primark haul: love it or lose it?

It has been too long since I last went to Primark! I've been absolutely dying to go, especially with all the cute spring and summer pieces coming in, so over the bank holiday I finally got myself in to town for a nosey around. Naturally I ended up buying a lot more than I'd originally planned, but I couldn't resist a healthy haul after having not been in so long. So after doing battle in the rain with my giant swag bags, I did a little try on session when I got home (because I couldn't be bothered to deal with the changing rooms). Let's go through what I got, what I love and what will be getting sent back...

Verdict: love it

First up is a massive love! I remain obsessed with Primark's blazers and jackets as they're always really nice quality while still being a bargain. I'm loving bright colours right now and so I couldn't resist this lime green number for £27.

Verdict: love it

I've been obsessed with broderie anglaise since I first started liking fashion. That isn't hyperbole either; for my 13th birthday I asked my grandma for a broderie anglaise white lipsy dress which was about £50 and the most expensive garment I could fathom at the time. I outgrew the dress by the time I was 17ish but I only managed to find the strength to actually get rid of it last year. Anyway, I digress. The whole story basically explains why it would've been impossible for me to walk past this broderie shirt without buying it. I'm not 1000% on the fit (they only had medium ones left so I had to get a size larger than normal) but the material is lovely enough that I want to keep it, for a grand total of only £20.

Verdict: love them

I'm really loving that platform heels are back at the minute and I kind of had my mind on getting a pair, so when I spotted these absolute beauties for only £7.50 (shit gets real when Primark offers discounts) I knew they had to be mine.

Verdict: lose it

I'm normally quite impressed by the cute dresses Primark does over the summer and they had a few nice options in there. However, loads of them were poor quality and as I discovered from the ones I bought, ill-fitting. This one isn't terrible, but it's a bit too shapeless and a tiny bit see-through, meaning I couldn't wear it for work for example. It's one of those items I could easily talk myself into keeping, because there are reasons to like it and it was only £18. But if in doubt, forget about.

Verdict: love them

I mean, we can't really go wrong here! I always stock on socks, tights and knickers on a primark haul and they're always 10/10.

Verdict: love it

Those readers who've been here a long time will know that I very much go through colour obsessions, and anyone even remotely perceptive will start to see the current ones emerging here pretty quickly. Bright pink being one of them! I don't usually love a slinky cami top but I thought this would be cute on holiday or with leather pants and it was only £4.

Verdict: love them

Summer is on the horizon (even if the current British weather would far from suggest it) so I stopped by the sunglasses stand and picked up a couple of pairs with some cute matching cases. Both pairs have a pink tint on the lenses so I thought they were nice and different to the sunglasses in my existing collection, and they were a steal at £3.50 each (the cases were £2.50 each).

Verdict: lose it, and let me think about it?

You know what I was saying about colour obsessions? Evidently bright green is another current one! I thought this shirt might look cool, especially open over a little white top with some jeans. But on? No, it looks like some weird uniform, and that's without even getting me started on the fit. So it's going back (for a grand total of £7), and I'm yet to decide if these shorts should join it. I think the boucle fabric and bright colours are lovely, but again there's a fit problem. I'm really struggling with shorts and skirts at the minute because when they're long, they can look odd, but when they're short (which at the minute, everyone seems to be making them extra short) then I can't wear them for work, which accounts for about 70% of my time. So I'm still thinking on these!

Verdict: love it all

I kept seeing videos of Primark home stuff and it was part of the reason I couldn't wait to go; to see if it lived up to all the raving reviews. They didn't have as much nice stuff as I'd hoped they might, but the bits they did have in was lovely. I picked up 2 vases as I'm obsessed with face outline print stuff (left £4.50, right £4), 2 candles (£3 each) and I think the Roman-esque bust one is so cool, and then a diffuser for the tall price of 80p.

Verdict: lose it

I was super disappointed by this one as I love the print and the style and the length; I thought it would be so perfect for holidays. But it fits really strangely on the chest and gapes around the side, even after trying the straps at every different length possible. So back it goes (and £20 that'll be coming back to me).

Verdict: love it

Having just told the lipsy-dress-13th-birthday-present story, it's made me realise that this is actually a little reminiscent of it! Maybe that's why I fell in love with it instantly and knew I just had to have it. It was £18 and is a lovely length for holidays or if we (fingers crossed) get some nice summer weather here.

Verdict: love them

We all love a cute matching underwear set, and there were options galore in the Nottingham Primark! To be honest, they probably had a wider range of underwear than anything else in there, but that meant I ended up finding 3 different sets that I just had to have; lace lime green, lounge mocha, and then a set that combined lace and lounge in a bright blue (the sets were all £6 each).

Verdict: love it, but lose it

I picked this up quite early on in my shopping trip, before I came across the other green blazer. By that point my basket was so full that I couldn't be bothered to dig around and find it to pick out which I wanted more so I figured I'd buy both and then make a call on it at home. Wow I'm so lazy. But either way, I ended up loving both of them; they're both lovely quality and fit really nicely. But even I know that I can't have 2 near identical blazers (especially a statement one that I won't exactly be wearing every day). So this slightly cheaper one (at £22) is the one that drew the short straw and will be going back.

Verdict: love it

How cute is this for the summer? My next trip is to Seville and I thought this top would be ideal for it. It was £11 and I love the embroidered detail and the wide sleeves. It's also the perfect fit so naturally this one will be staying put!

Verdict: love them

Back on the platform vibe! The chunky wedges I bought for last summer were one of my best purchases of the year, so I fancied a new option for this summer. This time in a wooden style with a cream top (which is kind of the inverted of the pair I already have). They'll literally go with everything and they were only £16.

Verdict: lose it

Again, another fail on the summer dress front! I love the fabric and quality of this one so I had high hopes for it (especially since it was only £12). But again, the fit is really weird! Who have they modelled all their summer dresses on? Given that it looked like a shapeless sack on me, I'll be sending this dress straight back.

Verdict: love it

I was literally just thinking before my shopping trip that I wanted one of these leather blazers and alas, one landed in my lap. Ask the shopping gods and you shall receive. And for £27, which I thought was pretty good. It might be coming to the end of the season that I'd wear this, but I'm confident it'll be a fairly timeless piece.

Verdict: love them

The accessories department was on fire with sooo many lovely shoes, bags and other bits. I tried to rein myself in as I could've easily bought about 10 new bags, which my bursting handbag cupboard would not have thanked me for. But I did stretch to treating myself to 2 unique cute bags. This pink satin one (£9) not only matched the shoes I got perfectly, but I also love the diamante handle. And the multi-coloured straw one was giving me French Riviera vibes which felt designer-ish for the grand total of £14.

Verdict: love it

Another thing I had my eye on before heading shopping was a light blue trench coat, and Primark delivered once again. At £40, this felt weirdly expensive for Primark since it isn't the best quality (it's more of a duster than a trench really). But when I compared it to the similar one I had on my ASOS saved list (£65), it was still a bargain. I love primark for coats and jackets so I was happy to have scooped a few up on this trip. For reference though, I always think they come up big so I go for a size or two smaller in all of them and then find that they're a perfect fit.