A Return to J.C. Penney

Today on my lunch break I went to J.C. Penney to buy something to add to my sister's birthday present. Lately, I'd been feeling ambivalent about the store. Although it had once been my favorite, recently I'd found it wanting, turning to Macy's more often than not (at least on the one day sales). But today I took a step back and asked, "Am I being too rash?" Because the thing about Penney's is, it sort of sneaks up on you. As in, you enter the store and think, "Really? This is it?" You don't get that instant hit of style and fashion, the way you do when walking into one of Macy's many perfumed and marbled departments. But despite its shiny veneer, Macy's is not necessarily the victor here. For one thing, it's expensive, and those one day sales don't come as often as you may think. Plus, it's obvious. There's great stuff everywhere, and it's easy to put together something cute. Penney's is a little different. It's a lot more affordable, for one thing. The prices are lower to begin with and are frequently clearanced. Plus, Penney's often distributes generous coupons in the weekend paper that don't require you to use your charge card. Discounts aside, there's a certain thrill of the hunt at work in JCP. You can approach a seemingly awful clearance rounder only to delve in and find nice things in your size, all drastically reduced. So, you kind of feel even more fashionable than you would shopping in Macy's because you had an opportunity to flex your scavenging muscles and and pull an awesome ensemble seemingly out of thin air, or find a few trendy pieces to maximize what you already have at home. Such was my experience today. Not only did I find something for my sister, but I scored two blouses and one mini skirt for myself, all clearanced and -- get this -- an additional buy one, get one half off. Now, the store wasn't brimming with other great picks -- I feel I got the best of it, at least for now. But the other great thing about Penney's is that it tends to move its stock a lot faster than Macy's, so that merely on sale sweater you're coveting now will most likely be clearanced in the coming weeks. So, I owe you an apology, J.C. Penney. You've still got it. No matter what that catty reporter said back in August.