Mango is Peneleop Cruz's line of fashion, which she developed into shops worldwide, in places such as the illustrious Costa Mesa shopping centre in Southern California, so it was great to find one in Birmingham at Touchwood.
Being an understated, yet glamorous type herself, Penelope and her sister have developed clothes of the same ilk. Simultaneously effortlessly comfortable and indeniably sexy and chic, the clothing is very high quality for a high street shop.
There are comfortable basics, like decorated vests and jeans, and nicer dresses and party attire (my favourite, a black skirt simply dripping with beading).
The Solihull store is not very large, but it's got quite a good stock. The first time I came in, the staff were all talking amongst themselves in a really friendly, happy way. Instead of making me feel intimidated, it just added a pleasant vibe. They all immediately dispersed, though, with one offering assitance.
The shop is really nicely laid out, no jutting hangers or awkwardly mussed displays. The decor is industrial lite, with darker walls, and some blue paper and dark wood desk and shelves.
A few things to caution the first-time Mango shopper:
-you'll be hard-pressed to find anything that fits you if you're larger than a size 14. The clothing mostly comes in Small, Medium or Large, and when I asked the sales lady, she said the Large is a size 12 (cheeky!).
I fit into most of the dresses and skirts, but things like button down shirts and jumpers didn't fit my bust, and the jeans and my bum got into an argument.
-The shop is expensive. Expect to pay upwards of £30-40 for a pair of trousers, and £20 for a vest or t-shirt.
The one thing I really love about Mango is that nothing can be TOO casual (as most Spanish style). Even the everyday wear has beading, decor and nice little touches. read more