EARTHLY Delights was the theme around which Penneys, the chain store, developed its spring collections. And who could argue with the delights on offer with their very low prices? Nothing more than £35, and that was for a jacket.
This is earthly paradise for the practical and anyone who likes plenty of quick, exciting changes. These are not the clothes that last more than a season. They are for instant pleasure.
The clothes are so colourful it is a shock; lemon, lime, orange, lilac, royal, and turquoise, not in any watered-down shade, but sizzling bright, making the most ordinary little slip dress (£10), or printed man's shirt (£8), a great attention-grabber. Even the shoes are colourful, like the lime-green nubuck sandals (£10). This, of course, creates arresting effects, and was terrifically successful in a run of long dresses which rounded off the show at Dublin Castle.
Colour is the key. Shapes are on the cautious side with plenty of A-line dresses, cropped jackets, and trouser suits. And with all the emphasis on bright colours it seems very crass to commend the simple, beige safari group, though it was the soft, fluid fabric that made these so good, and look much more costly than the price tags would, suggest (£20-£30 for trousers and tie-belted jackets). And there is safe navy, in lattice or daisy prints, which has a demure, even sweet look.
But sweetness is not rated that high in fashion, so there are wilder elements: black PVC jackets, tight shorts, silver sandals and body-hugging striped sweaters.
Sports wear, the wonderfully colourful towelling tops, cotton sweaters and baggy Capri pants, all worn too big, help to restore the balance.