cmc05ad

When your over in Europe and need to pick up some clothes you forgot to pack or just find yourself colder than expected be sure to check out C&A clothing store. This has to be one of the best and cheapest stores in Europe to top off your wardrobe. Its a lot like Old Navy here but classier...does that make sense?
http://noambit.typepad.com/my_weblog...ing/index.html

mermaid_

I bought an adorable sundress at C&A in London when I was there on a college course. That was way back in 1976. I wore it until the straps literally shredded off, years later. I haven't shopped there since, but it's nice to know they still make good stuff.

marginal_margiela

I shop at Colette.

Thingorjus

alanRow

C&A in the UK was a different type of store compared to C&A on the Continent and was definitely at the bottom end of the clothing market.

In any case it's at least a decade since C&A existed in the UK

logos999

>Cheap & Awful
The usual stuff you find at Wal-Mart in the US. Why don't you just buy your stuff before you leave. It will be cosiderable less expensive at Wal-Mart than at any "Cheap & Awful" you'll find in Europe. Of course if you forgot someting, why not spend a little on better stuff, that lasts for some time??

nukesafe

Here is another link which gives locations of those stores all over Europe: http://www.c-and-a.com/

Lots of countries, but alanRowe is correct; there are none listed in the U.K.

logos999

By the way, most (elder?) people here call the store "Brenninkmeyer", which seems to be the name of the founders. Later it's been renamed to C&A.

hetismij

Claude en Albert Brennikmeijer founded C&A. Their off sping are now the richest people in the Netherlands, collectively.

C&A has gone through a bit of a change over the last few years. The clothes are now better quality, at least as good as H&M and are much more fashionable. They will never be haut couture but not every one has Thingorjus's wallet.

The withdrew from the UK are number of years ago, and regrouped on the continent, a bit like Marks and Spencers, who went through a similar crisis and withdrew to the UK, sadly

hsv

Clemens and Anton Brenninkmeijer were the founders, which explains the name.

hsv

Hetismij - did not want to wisecrack, just got distracted by a phone call you bet me in posting

Cowboy1968

In my youth (must be a trillion years ago), C&A was indeed a "bottom end" clothing store, and most kids were not happy when their budget-minded moms made them wear C&A stuff. "Quality oriented" moms would shop at real department or fashion stores.

That's why for many older folks, C&A is still a store where mostly people shop who don't have money for "good" clothes, while the C&A stores are full of kids today who could not care less.

hetismij

hsv that's fine, happy to be corrected on their names - I was always told Claude and Albert, neither of which is very Dutch, but as the Dutch like French names so I just went along with that.

kerouac

I have to confess that I have not set foot in a C&A in Paris in at least 10 years -- I always found their style and quality abominable.

I'll try to remember to give them another chance one of these days, maybe during the January sales.

quokka

I have to confess that I do have a look into C&A now and then here in Germany. They're good for cheap basic clothes, sometimes they have some really nice things, and they have all those fancy teeny jeans store things in size XL and XXL, which the fancy teeny jeans stores don't have.

flanneruk

When they were here, they really were crap for most things.

But they were terrific for ski clothes. It's now 7 years since they closed, but all my ski stuff still comes from there, apart from an astonishing jacket I got at Tchibo for about a quid.

Is it worth organising things to top up my piste outfit at C&A next time I'm in Brussels or Dusseldorf?

traveller1959

Yes, there is a C&A store in Düsseldorf.

But C&A is really low end.

I would recommend Peek&Cloppenburg for better quality (however, higher prices). They also have a store in Düsseldorf.

traveller1959

BTW, "C&A" comes from Clemens und August Brenninkmeyer who founded the company in 1841. The current owner is Bart Brenninkmeijer (the family changed the spelling of the name when they moved from Germany to the Netherlands).

cmc05ad

Thanks Traveler! Wikipidea, http://www.c-and-a.com/and http://www.noambit.com are all quite clear that it was Clemens and August. Do people just make up stuff to say something around here?

PalenQ

There are C&A stores in American malls? Seems so not sure.

hetismij

cmc05ad - I already apologised for my mistake - I had always been told Claud and Albert. I do not make things up just for the hell of it. I also stated they are the wealthiest family in the Netherlands.

Interesting to see the Peek & Cloppenburg still has so many shops in Germany, here in the Netherlands there only 4 left, though they used to be as common as C&A. Another couple of Germans who started up in Holland.