Fast fashion shopping strategy: H&M

H&M, the Scandinavian retail giant

Travelling around Europe, you quickly get the impression that there is an H&M almost around every corner of every city, be it small or big. The impression is right: H&M is actually the second largest global clothing retailer, just behind Inditex, Zara's parent company. It is present in 61 countries with over 3900 shops, and employs around 132,000 people.
In Scandinavia, the presence of H&M is even more evident. That is so because H&M (original name, Hennes & Mauritz) is a Swedish company and because it owns not just H&M, but additional brands COS, and & other stories, among others.

A friendly giant ? Living wages and sustainability

We are unfortunately familiar with tragedies in the garment industry in emerging economies. That is not good PR, and companies that were quite happy with turning a blind eye about conditions and wages among their suppliers in poor countries, started to rethink that strategy.
H&M's efforts towards "friendliness" in the form of decent working conditions really took off in 2012, after outrageous tragedies in Cambodia. Then, the company published a near-complete list of the factories that supply its garments. This transparency is laudable, as makes possible to check working conditions at their factories, something most brands do not offer.
Additionally, the company committed in 2013 to pay all textile workers a "living wage" by 2018. They have made other commitments, like implementing a garment collection scheme or aiming at more environmentally friendly products, but those strategies are still to be fully realized or their impact to be evaluated to be considered positive. It is true that there are those products, but they are only a small percentage of the total, and the company stresses above all fast and repeated consumption of cheaply made items that will not last. No recycling campaign can keep up with that.
I like to think of my blog as encouraging responsible consumption of well made garments, investments that will be enjoyed for years, so I approach H&M exclusively as a source for very specific, very carefully chosen, items.

PROs and CONs of shopping at H&M

I talked some weeks ago about H&M as fast fashion retailer and how you can get the same for less there if you keep an eye of their frequent stock updates.

PROs

• Democratic sizing. although their Plus collection is often of the lowest quality.
• Up-to-date silhouettes and colours. This is a double-edged sword: it can update your wardrobe instantly but it goes without saying, not everything will flatter you.
• Some good-fitting jackets, really well cut, but only very few are made of something other than polyester.
• Some eco-minded products.
• High fashion collaborations that result in some very special pieces. Their Balmain and Louboutin collaborations have been especially reknown, although I am afraid I have never got to see any of the items "in the flesh", as people queue in front of the shops before opening hours and all items disappear first thing in the morning... the first morning!... And I do not queue for clothes.
• A Premium collection at really good prices, well made and in lasting materials. These are the pieces I always check first.

Mixing high and low by C. Grant. The jacket above is a great find at H&M, stunningly beautiful. It is also really well made and well finished, which is always and issue with embroidered and/or embellished items in any shop. The t-shirt, also from H&M, is made of linen, and comes in three soft colours. I have included two options for shoes: a pair of pink coral walking shoes by Ecco and a pair of khaki sandals from Clarks US. These basic pieces are affordable, so you can go now and invest in the Gucci handbag, which is a veritable work of art.

COS Skirt / H&M Jacket / H&M Coat / Ecco Shoes / Gucci Handbag /  Marni Necklace / Tom ford Lipstick in Blush Nude / Tom Ford Eye Quad in Cocoa Mirage / Tom Ford Nail Lacquer in Show Me the Pink.

CONs

• Their business model. As I mentioned above, H&M is a fast fashion emporium and does not really produce those basic pieces that are the cornerstone of any grown woman's wardrobe: a good quality black/navy tailored something. When they do (their Suiting, they are mostly 100% polyester. A young woman at an entry level position may get away with their best pieces if she takes good care of them so they look impeccable for maybe some months, but that is about it.
• It's a nightmare to find something in the shop. The overabundance of products makes it hard to locate a specific item, and that they change the location of EVERYTHING every week makes it even worse. I ask a shop assistant whenever possible and always check first on their web page.
• Client service is generally OK and sale assistants - when and if you find one - try their best to locate products, but sometimes they themselves seem to be overwhelmed by the fast pace.
• A not easy to navigate web page, with filters that are next to useless. The stock in the website is different from the one online.
• Ordering online does not include collecting in-shop, as Zara does, or returning there.
• Overabundance of low quality materials: polyester reigns in H&M, and not the recycled type.
• Jerseys have the expiration date of fresh milk, both material and dyes.

Conclusion

If you are on a budget, H&M is the place for you, but you will need to invest some time to get something worthwhile there. On the other hand, any good purchase you make will make you proud!

1. Always check first online so you know what you are looking for. Then check with reality, as surprises go both ways (for better, for worse) with this shop.
2. Choose carefully, considering quality, longevity and sustainability.
3. Consider the possibility of personalizing through changing belts, buttons, etc. for a more upscale look.

Good luck hunting there!

Silk structured dress from H&M by C. Grant. H&M occasionally offers  splendid pieces for special occasions. The dress here is last year's, but their present Conscious collection, released two weeks ago, contains some amazing pieces, truly beautiful, that make for splendid investments.

H&M Dress / H&M Jacket / Hispanitas Handbag / Giuseppe Zanotti Lace-up Shoes /   Marni Leaf pendant Necklace  / YSL Lipstick in Corail Legende / Dior Nail Lacquer in Corail Divin.

Sources:
H&M webpage
The Guardian H&M: how does the fashion retailer's sustainability report stack up? 24 April 2013
The Guardian Is H&M the new home of ethical fashion?
The Huffington Post H&M’s “Conscious” Collection? Don’t Buy Into the Hype 21 June 2015
clean clothes campaign H&M's sustainability promises will not deliver a living wage  9 April 2015


This post contains no affiliated links.
This post first appeared on The Red Lipstick: Own Your Style, on April 15 2016.

High fashion at affordable prices: H&M and Zara

In the past, I have tended to ignore fast fashion shops altogether. The image of the brands is often definitely young and the shops are not attractive, as they are so cluttered (H&M) or plain messy (Zara) that it seems impossible to find anything worth your while.
However, it is SO very affordable and, at the end of the day, the difference in quality not that big with the other brands I could afford, I decided to go back to them when I moved to Denmark. Also, in the case of H&M, I need to add as a reason to shop again their campaigns around  more sustainable fashion.

Fast fashion or the same for less: H&M and Zara

Some high street chains are specialists in quickly translating runway fashion into affordable fashion. H&M is one of those brands, together with Zara. These capability is probably the main reason for their success. Also, their ability to constantly bring new stuff to the shops gives them an "entertainment value" for those of us with the time to browse. Moreover, their translation of high fashion looks is often uncanny, and only a few discerning ones can tell the difference.
The truth is that, nowadays, only the greats continue to offer amazing quality and craftsmanship (say Valentino or Chanel) that make every piece a work of art. Everybody else, and that especially goes for bridge collections - those between high fashion and high street fashion -, often offer very little that sets them apart from big retailers like H&M and Zara: synthetic materials in unexpected places - a shoe lining that will make your feet sweat and blister, or a polyester lining in a silk dress that will stick to your legs when you move - uneven hems, glued-to instead of sewn hems, jerseys that get holes the third time you put the garment on... You know what I'm taking about, right?

Insider secret: mixing high and low

Fashion insiders actually pride themselves of their finds in high fashion retail and mix it. Examples this "high and low" mixing, i.e. wearing an H&M dress with a pair of Valentino shoes bought on sale (or not) and a Radley handbag with Étoile by Isabel Marant coat.
It is what I do, minus the Valentino anything. What about doing it yourself?



Let's see some examples of the same look for less.

Practically payless 1 by C. Grant . Two very similar chiffon skirts in in-and-out black polyester:  Both obtain volume from appliqués, although H&M lacks the crystals Alice + Olivia provides. If the embroidered crystals make a difference for you, consider sewing some yourself into your H&M skirt. [H&M £40, Alice + Olivia £232,50].

Practically payless 2 by C. Grant The beauty of these sweaters cannot be denied, I can assure you. H&M's is 64% viscose 36% polyamide, Beckham's is 100% nylon. Both are slip on, although the sleeve length is different. I loved them at first sight, but could not reconcile cycling with the thick materials and a potentially exposed midriff... [H&M jacquard sweater £20, Victoria by Victoria Beckham, £325].

Practically payless 3 by C. Grant.  These two are right on the boho trend, but have different composition: Temperley's is 100% polyester; lining: 55% polyester, 45% viscose; H&M's is 67% cotton, 33% linen. I have only seem the H&M one in person and it is splendid, very well finished, a beauty. [Temperley Lettie embroidered crepe jacket
€1,195; H&M embroidered jacket €69,99].

Practically payless 4 by C. Grant. These two are practically the same cut . Granted, the lining of  the first is cupro and cotton, while the second is polyester, but you could always ask a tailor to change it for something more luxurious, even patterned (think silk satin, brocade...). Both are lambskin. [YSL €3540, Zara €100].

Practically payless 5 by C. Grant. Denim is probably the very best example of  the unreasonableness of high prices. To begin with, denim is a cotton fabric, usually complemented with lycra or similar elastic components in trousers, but not in dresses. In this case, MK's dress contains ramie, which gives the fabric a certain sheen. However, ramie does not tolerate washing very well and loses body and shine very fast. Accordingly, they recommend dry cleaning but, frankly, that is bonkers for denim. Cut and finishings (buttons, seams, etc.) can be the reason for an elevation in price, of course. [Zara denim dress €39.95, Michael Kors Collection denim dress €950].

Hispanitas AW 2011-2012

Meet Hispanitas

Hispanitas is a Spanish brand that specializes in leather shoes and handbags. It represents how good Spanish shoes can be. By the way, Camper, which perhaps you also know (if I remember correctly an newspaper article I read some years ago, one of their items, the "Pelotas" is extremely popular with some international celebrities), is also a Spanish brand.
Hispanitas uses durable, flexible leathers, making (generally) very comfortable shoes. They combine in their designs the trendy with their own style: from the menswear-inspired, with distressed leathers and cordovan (which is a leather colour, the name comes from the city of Córdoba, in Spain), to decidedly lady-who-lunches styles. Hispanitas has been increasing its international presence in the last two decades, and you can find its shoes now around Europe and the US.

Some models from Hispanitas AW 2011-2012 Collection, featuring menswear-inspired shoes. 

Their Webpage: A Review

As of 2012, Hispanitas' web page and online shop are a nightmare to navigate, I'm sorry to say. You have to be extremely determined to keep on browsing. If you decide to forgo this experience, which I would completely understand, the truth is that you can also find their models in many online shops. However, the selection is never, to my experience, as good as at their own's.