There are quite a few reviews about Primark, so I'm going to do more of a guide for newbies about how to get the best bargains, with a little intro of course!

AVAILABILITY
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Primark can be found in most city centres, and in london you tend to find it in the outer boroughs - Hammersmith, Tooting, Kilburn. This is because it's not the most glamourous shop in the world, however if you've got a keen eye you can get some great clothes and save a packet.

THE SHOP ITSELF
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Branches of Primark tend to be pretty large, they have to be to fit all the clutter in, and all the frenzied shoppers. It has a simple green logo, and stands for cheap and cheerful, which is why if you go at the weekend then you'll have trouble a) getting in b) finding the size you want.

THE CLOTHES - what to go for, what to avoid.
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UNDERWEAR - I would say this is a good starting place for new primarkers. I would tend to say avoid the bras, they sometimes have pretty designs but tend to fall down on the shape. Also I can never find my size (which being a 32C is not exactly uncommon) so I have to plump for a 34B which seems to be in ready supply.
Go for the knickers, avoiding really bad synthetic ones - there are some really cute styles and they cost just £1or £2
Also you can get some cute camisole tops & sets.
Pyjamas - the rule of thumb here is to check out the fabric first. If it's stretch cotton, I find sometimes primark's pyjama bottoms have a bit of a funny shape and get 'knees'. Take a look at flannel sets / bottoms and just use your common sense to imagine how the fabric will wear.
Great for fluffy dressing gowns and you probably won't pay over £6 or £8

SHOES
Erm... well this is all down to your point of view. I tend to prefer to pay more for shoes to get something really comfortable - especially for heels. But they do have a good selection comparable to somewhere like perhaps New look?

Boots tend to be made of synthetic fabrics, which is sometimes good - soft and comfy, sometimes bad - downright cheap nasty and smelly.

Flip flops perhaps are a better buy

Slippers are good and of course cheap! usually about £3. perfect for winter blues.

MENSWEAR
Ok so this isn't my strong point, however they do seem to stock a range of reasonable basics. we're not talking gucci style here but if you want casual t-shirts, vests etc then this is the place to go. Again you can get tshirts for anything from £2 - £5

I recently bought my man a really cute pair of retro-styled turquoise fitted boxers, a bit like the kind you see in Selfridges by Versace but for only £2.50. Bargain!

LADIESWEAR
Again, with ladieswear the rule of thumb is to check the fabric and the shape and use a bit of common sense.

They used to have some really lame styles, but in the last year have really perked up!

My recent best buys -
This is just to give you an idea of what you can find....

-Black wrap dress v.nice £8 (similar to one i bought in topshop for £35 and i nearly screamed when i saw it!)

-Cute black croched cropped sleeve wrap cardigan £8
This is lovely and I keep on getting compliments about it.

-Peasant style white cotton skirt with lace detailing £6

-Cute polka dot camisole set - £4

-Jungle print string bikini £5 (similar pattern to that Versace scarf dress worn by JLo a couple of years ago)

-Black bikini seperates - shorts, string top, and tankini all about £2 or £3 each

-Faux fur throw (£25) and cushions (£5) each. These were really good - look like one from habitat which costs about 300 quid.

Also they have some really cute bags in at the moment, a gold sequinned cape and cute camisoles. Tracksuit bottoms are also a good buy.

KIDSWEAR
I imagine this is great for parents, there's a wide range of kidswear at very reasonable prices. I'm guessing that you might want to go early though to get the sizes you want. Also the stuff seems very jolly and cute, and i've often wished i could wear some of the girls stuff.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
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Generally pretty good. they exchange goods without hassle. Staff are generally friendly, if young which I guess is probably due to low wages.

Staff are generally very helpful and can be found trying to put back all the stock that has been dishevelled and flung around by frantic bargain hunting shoppers!

TIPS
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- Go in the week or in the morning- they always run out of 8/10's by saturday afternoon

- If you're returning, go to the customer service desk because I have queued before for the till and got annoyed when I realised i had to join the end of another large queue!

-check fabrics /shapes, always try on or keep receipt to return.

-Don't go mad, it's very easy to plonk a load of rubbish in your basket exclaiming 'oh my god it's only £2' without thinking what you're buying. Only buy it if you would actually buy and pay more for it in another shop!

- Don't be a primark snob - if someone asks you where you got it because they love it, tell them! it's a mark of your style that you can pull together a good look without spending hundreds of pounds on an outfit. You might even convert them. I genuinely think this is why they don't need to advertise, because once you've found this place you're converted!!

-I always think if you're going to go for something structured (ie a good shirt, a jacket, shoes) then it's worth paying a bit more for it, as it should last, but primark is soooo good for casuals and simple seperates at a bargain price.

I think I can honestly say this is my favourite shop, if only because I can buy myself a little treat there when I'm skint.

Thanks for reading!