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Off the Rack: MNG by Mango for JCPenney


Off the Rack: MNG by Mango for JCPenney Review

During my last trip into New York City, I made a special detour to the Herald Square JCPenney with the sole goal of checking out the MNG by Mango collection, which just launched in August at select JCPenney stores (read: not in my state) and jcp.com. My understanding is that this is genuine Mango clothing, shoes and accessories, not a watered-down diffusion line, and the quality and prices are consistent with this fact. I used to peruse the Mango boutique on Michigan Avenue when I lived in Chicago, so I'm familiar with the look and feel and the JCPenney collection is pretty much the same. Personally I think what you're paying for is the look, that chic, European, modern, urban vibe that you just won't find at the Gap. It's not that MNG by Mango is overpriced per se, but it isn't cheap: A structured black wool trench with an asymmetrical zipper really caught by eye but I gasped at the $249 pricetag. Not unreasonable, especially if you wait for a sale, but I can do better elsewhere.

Everything I tried on ran true to size (true to European misses sizing, that is, so it's a little on the small side) including the shoes, except for a slinky strapless cocktail dress - I had to go up two sizes just to zip that thing. I wanted to buy a couple things that were on clearance, including a plaid tunic ($27), embellished tee ($19) and nautical striped top ($9), but they were completely sold out of my size. Unfortunate. Overall, I liked what I saw and I'll continue to stalk this collection for deals on styles you won't find at Old Navy but can't afford from Shopbop.

More photos after the jump. Let me know if you have specific questions about any of the items and I'll try to answer in the comments.















































Photo credit: TheBudgetBabe.com
Comments
Wow, I love MNG. I bought a few items in Germany before they transpired to the US and being a Chicago native, I too have loved their Michigan Ave store. I honestly never thought I'd want to shop at JCP but after this post I can't wait to go check it out. It looks awesome, great post!
#1 Katie, The Design Apprentice (Homepage) on 2010-10-24 12:27 (Reply)
Can you comment on the quality of the fabrics and the stitching? JCP is not usually a place I'd go to for quality clothing, nor for European style and looks. So the introduction of the line is a little brand confusion for me.
#2 noa on 2010-10-24 14:39 (Reply)
There are a lot of cotton/polyester blends, a lot of viscose, the coat I liked was a wool/polyester blend. I did see a silk blouse, it wasn't the finest quality but it was silk. Overall my impression was that the fabrics were rather thin and lightweight. Stitching was average, I posted that detail shot of the blouse above so you can kinda get a feel for it - straight lines, no loose threads, some pieces passed my "tug" test, while some of the cotton shirts felt like they might rip after a couple wears.

Perhaps you're the type of customer JCPenney is hoping to woo. If you look on jcp.com, each item has a bit more detailed info on fabrics, although knowing the material and feeling it in person are two entirely different things. Hope this helps!
#2.1 The Budget Babe on 2010-10-25 10:01 (Reply)
Is it really the same quality? I bought a shirt from there and as cute as the designs are.. I will never be purchasing from this line again since the shirt RIPPED in TWO places at the seams during its first wear!!
#3 yuri on 2010-10-24 15:37 (Reply)
In my opinion, the quality is the same. That doesn't mean the quality is great, I'm just saying the quality of MNG by Mango appears to be the same as the quality of the clothes at Mango stores elsewhere. And its inconsistent, some of the sweaters felt extremely thin and itchy while some of the jackets felt sturdy, soft, fully lined, wool blends, etc. The blouse I tried on, for example, was made of viscose/acetate without any stretch - and I got the impression that if I didn't unbutton it all the way on the collar and sleeves before I tried it on, it might rip!
#3.1 The Budget Babe on 2010-10-25 09:30 (Reply)
OOO didn't know mango was being sold at JC Penny but it makes the line more accessible since you don't see mango stores everywhere!
#4 Julie (Homepage) on 2010-10-24 17:04 (Reply)
Love that white blouse outfit you put together!
#5 Anhstein on 2010-10-24 19:24 (Reply)
I love that MNG is in JCP. I have purchased a few MNG pieces from JCP on sale. Glad the line is now more accessible since here in LA, since only Santa Monica and South Coast Plaza have MNG boutiques. I was in the MNG boutique in Santa Monica today, and love what I saw. Hopefully I will find the same at JCP stores and online.
#6 Brenda on 2010-10-24 23:28 (Reply)
I LOVE the ruffle blouse - so gorgeous! And your green nail polish is AWESOME!
#7 Deepa (Homepage) on 2010-10-25 07:54 (Reply)
Thanks for the review! I've been dying to hear about this collection.
#8 Rene on 2010-10-25 16:21 (Reply)
Look at you! So gorgeous and lovin the nails. That blouse outfit is rocking on you!! I will have to be on the lookout when I go to JCP next. JCP always has very good sales. Plus, you can always use a 15% off coupon on top of already discounted items. My mom works at one so I love getting clearance price plus an additional % off then another % off and so on.... unlike other stores!
I like the cardigans in the photos... I'm all about the belted cardigan look. :-)
#9 Jackie (Homepage) on 2010-10-25 21:04 (Reply)
I like the fourth pic and it looks so good on you! :-D
#10 Avery (Homepage) on 2010-10-26 00:10 (Reply)
So the Mango line at JCP is supposed to be the same stuff that's sold in MNG Mango stores? Really?? Because in early Sept., I was in an MNG store, and then a few days later viewed the Mango collection at a JCP store, and I saw totally different things. And in particular: a belt I was eyeing at the MNG store looked of much better quality (and was twice the price) as the Mango belts at JCP.
#11 Target-Addict (Homepage) on 2010-10-26 09:09 (Reply)
MNG/Mango is my favorite brand and I own a ton of their clothes so I ran to Penney's fast as I could to see if it was actually true. They did have a huge selection of merchandise. However, the clothing didn't feel the same. Everything was cotton blend, didn't have the usual attention to detail, didn't fit the same ... and normally I want to buy half the store and I bought nothing which is a first for me, despite everything was 20% off. So thinking this was in fact a watered-down line, I went to my Mango app and nothing in Penny's was in the Mango online catalog. I went home and looked in my closet - I've bought Mango in Barcelona, London, Vegas, Bellevue, and online, and every one of my items says MNG or MNGSUIT on the label. Penny's labels say MNG by Mango. So ... for those purists expecting the same items as the Mango boutiques, I'm sorry to say you'll be disappointed. :-( I will go back from time to time however, hoping the store will prove me wrong...
#12 Sunshine on 2011-04-18 11:56 (Reply)
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