Design on the cheap, part 2....
Next stop on my "designers for less" tour = JC Penney, which has recently been making news for carrying clothing lines by Charlotte Ronson ( I Heart Ronson) , Nicole Miller (Nicole), and Bisou Bisou. First, I had to find a JC Penney store, since it's been so long since I've shopped there. Yikes! Theoretically, this makes me the perfect target margket for them. Only -- once I located a store and drove down there, I'm sorry if this sounds mean, but designer clothes aside, I still got the feel of the old JC Penney low-end feel.
I will say, I liked the I Heart Ronson line, though I thought the pieces were a little too casual and t-shirty to fit into my wardrobe. The Liz & Co line (by Liz Claiborne) was actually the one I could see going there for, as they include some great-looking suits and dresses at totally reasonable prices. Bottom line: if you're budget-shopping for work clothes, I'd say give JC Penney another try. They might surprise you!