Did you know H&M are giving away £5 vouchers in exchange for your old clothes?

I thought H&M’s new garment collecting scheme was very well known, but a quick poll of my pals (generally a very fashion conscious lot, as you’d imagine) revealed it’s not. So here I am, spreading the word about what I think is a great idea.

Here’s how it works:

You take in one bag of old clothing to an H&M store in the UK, and they will give you in return a voucher for £5 off the next time you spend £30 or more.

Clothes can be in any condition and from any brand or shop, not just H&M, and you can take a maximum of two bags a day.

Why does the Swedish retailer want your old clothes? It’s part of their recently revamped corporate social responsibility programme – they want to reduce the amount of clothing that goes to landfill every year, currently estimated at 500,000 tonnes a year.

With this new initiative, H&M take your garments and one of four things happens:  Clothes in good condition are sold on the second hand market; if they can’t be sold the materials are recut into other products like cleaning cloths; if they can’t be reused the textiles are recycled; any other textiles are used to produce energy.

So nothing goes to landfill, and any money that H&M makes is put back into the scheme or donated to charities.

I don’t know about you, but this is all music to my ears, mainly because H&M is far and away my favourite high street shop. I’d say my wardrobe is composed of at least 40 per cent H&M. Just the other week, I went in intending to buy only a little black and white spotty dress I’d seen previously and ended up, one hour and £75 later, with two pairs of denim shorts, a dress, two tops and a three-pack of socks. I can’t get enough of that sweet Swedish goodness, and a £5 voucher would have taken the edge off the bout of shopper’s remorse I felt that day.

I think the only slight qualm I have with the new scheme is that it might mean shoppers are less likely to donate their old clothes to charity shops, for whom second hand goods are, of course, vital. But, on the other hand, I recently threw away a bunch of clothes simply because their aren’t any charity shops near me that I could take them to, so I guess H&M are helping to discourage that too.

So why not grab those various bits and bobs lurking in your wardrobe that you’re clearly never going to wear again and trade them in for some H&M dinero?

Read more about the H&M garment collection scheme and find your nearest store at www.hm.com/longlivefashion.

Oh, and here are some of the pieces I picked up during my last visit. Basically this whole outfit, black denim shorts (£14.99) and a black fringed top (£14.99) with glow in the dark embellishment, a look which I christened ‘Coachella meets the Roaring Twenties.’

And this is the original polka dot dress (£12.99) that led to my accidental shopping spree.

White: Do you dare to wear?

When the sun’s out, we’re all naturally drawn to white, no? A staple of the summer wardrobe, white evokes images of sun-drenched Greek islands, blue skies and golden skin. This season, the fashion world has gone head over heels for this palest of trends, so why are we still so wary of white?

Just this week, I made my monthly trip to Zara, that delicious middle of the road brand via which we can all look like we’re dressed in Celine for a mere fraction of the price. I was there to buy white; presumably that flash of sun we had last week sent me into some kind of over-exposed frenzy. I selected these beauties for upcoming weddings/days I want to be Carrie Bradshaw – and I would have been satisfied had my accompanying friend not said:

‘It’s funny, how things that would’ve seemed horrible a few years ago are okay now. Like white shoes.’

I still bought the shoes. But the thought remained; is white always right?

Well, no, it isn’t. It’s a veritable minefield, but this is not news to anyone. So to assist us all in the hazardous embracing of white this season as the gods at Vogue and Elle decree, here are a few danger zones to beware.

1. Stain street. The first one is obvious. Christ, who hasn’t this happened to? Just one errant swirl from your pasta salad and that dress is a goner (this happened to me featuring a forkful of lasagne, a white trench coat and subsequently an embarrassing visit to a bemused Hermes store in Paris). A misjudged seat on a bus or garden chair and sniggers will ensue for the rest of the evening. Even the gentle tugging of your head through a white blouse and suddenly half your foundation is on the collar. White, you cruel mistress.

2. To tan or not to tan? Secondly, the irrational need for a tan that white seems to inspire. It may have escaped your notice, but we don’t get much in the way of sunshine here, so options are limited. Fake the sunkissed glow, and run the gauntlet of tan transfer – see above. Or, go natural and work the slight browning you’ve achieved thus far. I face this dichotomy in a few months’ time – I anticipate I’ll fake it, lest I resemble a haddock fillet in a shift dress.

3. The price is white. Lastly, is the fact that you’ll probably need to flash a bit of cash to pull off white, or else embrace visible underwear and cheap material forever. Depressingly, I can’t afford Christian Dior; Zara is pushing it, realistically. White on a budget is a risky affair – I have yet to succeed, although I’ve found H&M and Topshop to be regular safe havens.

So, if you’ve got especially delicate eating habits (or a stick of Vanish, just in case) go white. Hey, if it’s good enough for Anna Wintour…

Is your lingerie drawer in need of a springtime overhaul?

Spring is the perfect time for a little wardrobe reshuffle but don’t neglect your underwear drawer.  If the elastic has gone a bit stringy in your waistbands or some of the colours could be described as a ‘washed out grey’ you need to do some binning.

The best outfits feel a little let-down (sometimes literally) by mediocre underwear so take Gok’s well-worn advice and get some proper outfit foundations to fit and flatter.

H&M have come up with a surprisingly good collection encompassing sporty-non wired bras (see Helen’s post for more on this low-maintenance option), sexy push-ups and ever-popular shapewear at a snip of  the price of brand-leaders SPANX. With recent research by French scientists suggesting we could be better off wearing no bra and going freestyle (um, no ta…) I feel more compelled than ever to invest in some new bras and knicks.

You can see the full H&M collection here, however I’ve collated a few of my favourites below:

Push-up bra £14.99:

Prolong the life of delicates and/or avoid the arduous job of handwashing by using wash bags, £3.99:

Adopt the sporty trend with this block-coloured, non-wired bra, £9.99:

Optimise and smooth your silhouette with a some sleek underpinnings, £19.99:

Offering minimal support but perfect for holidays and wearing underneath sheer garments, £6.99 for two:

And why not brighten up boring T-shirt bras with colourful options, such as this tangerine tango delight at £12.99:

My Best Charity-Shop Buys

I used to shop in charity shops a lot when I was a student, admittedly more out of necessity than a bohemian dress-sense.  I (unfortunately) wasn’t mixing second-hand chic amidst my designer pieces and H&M and Primark also featured pretty highly.  Upon graduating my retailer of choice also graduated to the dizzier heights of Topshop and Zara and hovered in that region before maxing out at Whistles and Cos in the latter half of my twenties.

I’ve recently found myself popping into the odd charity shop again and remembered the joy of stumbling across a vintagy leather bag or the thrill finding an amazing dress miraculously in my size.  Fate.

The usual advice is still best when hunting down hidden treasures; go for affluent neighbourhoods for higher-end designer brands or student areas for budget high-street threads. Although not charity-orientated  pre-loved and e-Bay are also easy ways to locate second-hand, well…..anything.

Charity buys forego the ‘spending guilt’ and if you need further justification, its recycling too.

Here, I’ve listed some of my favourite second-hand purchases.  On reflection many have out-lasted my high-street purchases and remain firm wardrobe favourites.

L.K. Bennett Leather Patent Block Heel Court Shoes £25 – better condition than most of my current shoes.

Octavia Foundation

3 Bute St, London, Greater London SW7 3EY

Tweed Crombie Coat $20 AUD – this hasn’t got any labels whatsoever so I took some guesses at garment care and sizing.

‘Vinnies’ in Paddington, Sydney (short for a charity called St Vincent’s)

Oxford Street 292, 2021 Sydney, NSW

Faux Leather Burgundy Clutch £6.00

Oxfam

93 High Street Wimbledon, London

                   

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The Perfect Prehistoric Love: How to Rock The Dino Trend

Maybe it’s an underlying psychological need of mine to regress back to a time where my dinosaur shaped crayons were the most important thing in my life, but for this reason or another I seem to be drawn to anything and everything shaped like T-Rex and friends in the fashion world right now.

With Land Before Time inspired tees in abundance thanks to Tee & Cake via Topshop (this brand have supplied me with some of my favorite t-shirts ever over the years) I have pulled out a couple which I think are particularly key to the ‘dino-craze’ and relatively affordable for all…

RAAAAAR! Tyrannosaurus Rex Tee £20

Science College Tee £22

I also came across this little gem courtesy of Babbletees.  Anyone else think Droma looks a tad camp?

If you would rather give wearing your Dinosaur literally on your sleeve a miss though, and would prefer to declare your love of the prehistoric a little more demurely, how about check out this bargain of a ring I picked up at H&M for £2.99:

Yes his eyes sparkle with Diamantes!

Next week…SHARKS!

& Other Stories launches

Amidst a shroud of secrecy we only heard about the impending launch of & Other Stories a few months ago, the website went live this month alongside the inaugural London-based first bricks and mortar store.

 

 

With a refreshing blend of unique and innovative styling, the website proves a breath of fresh air when compared to stilted mannequin shots and samey samey model poses associated with most online fashion sites.

The clothes look to be made with quality materials and the accessories section showcase a myriad of leather bags, wallets, iPad cases etc at competitive prices.

 

& Other Stories joins the H&M stable of brands, which also includes Cos, Cheap Monday and Monki.

Below are a snippet of what to look out for:

Polo shirt £19:

Open-back top £29:

Mini Shoulder bag £65:

Draped Maxi Dress £55:

5 of the best: Silk shirts

The silk shirt. It’s been through some tough times hasn’t it, trend-wise? Remember those wide-collared shiny Seventies throwbacks that everyone wore with black bootcut trousers in the Nineties for example? But with the advent of the Peter Pan collared shirt as a staple over the last couple of years, the silk shirt has had a bit of a resurgence, in a much chicer guise. Here are five sweet silk shirts to slip into your wardrobe.

1. Whistles excels at this sort of thing. The Polly Foulard print blouse (£60, reduced from £110) can be paired with its counterpart trousers for the full-on pajama look, or tucked into a high-waisted skater skirt for something a bit more girly.

2. Seeing as they’re made of a rare commodity, silk shirts aren’t ever going to be cheap, but this H&M silk blouse, at £39.99, is about as affordable as you’re going to get. It’s a gorgeous saturated shade, somewhere between tangerine and mustard, that will go beautifully with indigo skinny jeans.

3. NYC designer Alexander Wang knows a thing or two about making monochrome sexy (check out his last catwalk collection if you don’t believe me) and this white diaphanous T by Alexander Wang shirt (£99, reduced from £220) is no exception. Wear it bra-less if you dare.

4. At first glance this Topshop Boutique black silk shirt (£65) looks a bit severe, until you spot the cheeky cutouts on the neck and back. You could still wear it to work with a blazer on top and no one would be any the wiser.

5. There’s something so much cooler, and way less fussy, about a plain white shirt when it’s silk rather than cotton. This Jaeger washed silk shirt (£99, reduced from £140 at John Lewis) has got cute contrast buttons and rolled up sleeves that give it a neat preppy feel.

H&M’s sister brand to launch in spring: & Other Stories

As an uber-fan of high street chain COS, I was thrilled to learn that the scandi brand is expanding and launching a new store in spring this year called ‘& Other Stories.’

 

The collection will launch in major European cities, with just 7 stores located in: Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Milan, Paris and Stockholm.  If you don’t happen to reside in any of these locations, fear not as you can buy online.  The London store is destined for Regent Street, flagship homes of cousin COS and little sister H&M.

 

 

 

 

The style is designed to offer ‘lasting wardrobe treasures within a wide price range…’ suggesting it has a more grown-up feel to H&M with the longevity and quality of COS.  The brand’s shoe story is shot against a Parisian back drop following a whimsical day-in-the-life of a femininely styled (yet shoeless) model. The shoes in the clip look beautifully made, unique and fit the labels ‘city chic’ ideal perfectly.

 

Roll on spring…

5 of the Best: Winter Blazers

If there’s one item of clothing I have come to love in the last year or so, it is the blazer. My winter workday uniform now consists of black skinny jeans, a Uniqlo Heattech top and a blazer. Shopping in the January sales, I plugged a gap in my blazer collection by picking up a navy wool (OK, faux wool) one-button blazer in H&M. It’s great because it’s that bit warmer than your standard jacket and it was a major bargain at €12.95. I got mine at home in Holland but unfortunately it’s not on the H&M UK website. Instead, here are five more winter blazers you might like. Even better, most of them are still on sale.

1. River Island Brown Check Contrast Collar Blazer, £20 (was £40)

2. Topshop Ponte Boyfriend Blazer, £40

3. Zara Velvet Blazer, £59.99 (was £89.99)

4. NW3 Tweed School Boy Blazer, £111 (was £159) from Asos

5. See By Chloe Wool-blend Tweed Blazer, £192.50 (was £385) from Net-a-Porter

Leather: the new wardrobe staple

Leather has become a wardrobe staple, lending itself to a multitude of seasonal outfits.  No longer just an accessory or associated with the dominatrix-look of previous seasons; leather has become the main event.

Endlessly versatile, leather befits work wardrobes and cocktail-hour alike.  Concurrent with the equestrian and military trend, the look is sharp and tough yet wearable and sleek.

Although a massive trend, leather garments can be quite expensive.  Burberry, The Row and Joseph all have stunning autumnal pieces, but some price-tags require uploading a kidney onto eBay to raise sufficient funds.  Others may have ethical reasons for not wanting to wear leather or perhaps oppose auctioning off internal organs.  Below, I’ve found some high-street substitutes which avoid plasticky finishes or any Ann Summers ‘pleather’ connotations.

Keep it classy with these leather alternatives:

Warehouse Coated Jeggings £42 – a nod to the leather trend, these have a matte, waxy finish which keeps the silhouette streamlined but not shimmery or shiny:

H&M Imitation Leather Mini Skirt £19.99 – this skirt has a grainy appearance and rich colour which looks amazing with pastel knits and ankle boots.  To an untrained eye, it may even pass for the real thing:

Burberry Brit Coated Denim Pencil Skirt £195 – a classic wardrobe staple with a fashion-forward twist.  Great for work and weekends:

Zara Wax Coated Denim Pants £35.99 – these petrol jeans are a worthy alternative to the standard black-skinny and have a flattering textured, slight-cropped finish:

French Connection Faux Leather Biker Jacket, £97:

Below are a handful of brands who support ethical fashion and use recycled leather or leather alternatives:

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Best Autumn/Winter Bags

Ditch your oversized, weekend-style bags full of things you haul around ‘just in case’ and go low-maintenance with a convenient clutch or cross-body bag.

 Alexander Wang Brenda Leather Camera Bag £198

Known for urban cool and the notorious off-duty-model look, this mini camera bag is great for taking to gigs:

 

H&M Leather Bag £39.99

Continuing the colour block theme in an Autumnal colour palette:

ASOS Rabbit Cross Body Bag £20 

Add some colour to winter greys and navy or even better, match to your critter knit:

ZARA clutch with chain £59.99

 Obligatory animal design but not the over-it-now-thanks leopard print:

 

Topshop Studded Bumbag £25

Wear cross-body or slung over the shoulder, a tonal version of a nineties fad:

 

3.1 Phillip Lim 31 Minute bag £415

Sophisticated and smart, wear this to interviews and posh parties (i.e. anywhere it won’t get a pint spilt over it and you’re forced to kill the offender):

Trend Alert: Critter Knits

Following on from the festively ‘fun’ intarsia, fair isle, alpine knit of Winter 2011 (also known as the Christmas-jumper), a quirky contender is taking its place: Critter Knits.

I can’t remember a time when you could solemnly wear animal-feature clothing to work meetings so I, for one, am excited. This trend is not to be muddled with ‘eccentric teacher-dressing’ which (for example) may feature a painted version of a Labrador pet emblazoned on a sweatshirt. No.  This look is more a nod to novelty whilst maintaining a current look.

H&M Jumper, £19.99

Burberry Brit Fox Print T-shirt, £135

Mulberry Double Tiger Motif Jumper, £395

French Connection Lady Owl Jumper, £67

J.Crew French Hen Sweater, £78.58

 See Kate Bosworth for appropriate critter-knit pairings:

Enjoy the novelty while it lasts (note the shelf life expires on Boxing day) and let’s start betting on the knit theme for Autumn/Winter 2013.

Maison Martin Margiela for the Mainstream? The new H&M Collaborative Effort

What’s That Jacket, Margiela?!  No, Kanye, it’s another H&M collaboration!  This time the Swedish power house of fast fashion has roped in Maison Martin Margiela to follow in the footsteps of, well, pretty much everyone in luxury fashion.  After rumours circulated on twitter earlier this week, it was on Tuesday that the Paris-based Belgian label confirmed its collaborative effort will proceed with a Fall capsule collection to be launched on 15th November this year.

Now, I must admit I have never in fact bought in to any of H&M’s collaborations, and especially scorned Donatella Versace’s offerings last year after she previously announced she would never ‘do’ a High Street diffusion line. It is also rumoured she hadn’t seen any of the H&M X Versace line until the unveiling, but I can’t prove that, unfortunately.  Despite this, these collaborations never fail to sell out, and just like the X Factor, it will continue until it dies a death if it is still making more money than its losing.  The issue I have, though, is the clever hype and hysteria whipped up by these infamous label’s PRs and marketing teams in order to unconsciously make you believe you MUST stand in line, with a timed wrist band, to buy in to a watered down version of a label you probably aren’t even that hung up on in the first place.  And one month down the line, I guarantee you wont see no one wearing that dress you spent hours queuing for in the rain; silver chain-mail Versace H&M dress anyone?  Maybe pop it on ebay like everyone else. 

The peculiar thing with the Margiela collaboration though, is that people don’t really seem to know how to take it.  The label is so avant-garde and, lets face it, for want of a better word, ‘weird’, that there is no way it will deliver your bog standard Lanvin tulle dresses and pretty Marni Skirts.  Many of H&M’s younger shoppers (I’m talking the teeny shoppers here) probably aren’t even aware of Maison Martin Margiela.  Apart from certain Kanye song lyric references, actually.   But maybe this is why H&M have cemented this collection.  To move in a new direction?   I suppose we will just have to wait until November 15^th to see.

TREND | Lace

It’s everywhere I look. Pretty, blossom coloured lace, Zara copies of Valentino girlish Audrey Hepburn-ish dresses, modest high necklines and glimpses of sylph-like legs. Maybe it’s the association with Victoriana and fluttering fans, but there’s something irresistibly flirtatious about lace; the way it simultaneously conceals and reveals.

While Valentino and Louis Vuitton gave us pastels and sugar bright colours for a Summer replete with broderie anglaise, waists cinched in with skinny belts and feet wearing barely-there sandals, this pretty sweetness gives away to a more solemn look for the Autumn. It just shows the versatility of lace that two seasons in the same year could use it in such different ways. Collette Dinnigan’s Autumn/Winter show was decidedly more tough than Valentino’s collection: this may have had something to do with her knee-length embellished lace socks, which had an air of the gladiator sandal about them. Erdem’s latex lace gives a twist on the traditional, too. Francesca Marotta’s Baroque-inspired Autumn/Winter collection is full of drama, with a red lace cape and high collared black lace shirts. And then there is Marchesa, with sumptuous gold embellishment and regal lace making dresses more appropriate for hem-kissing than anything else.

But for now, it’s Spring and the colours are soft and giddily sweet. I found this beautiful late 1950s lace shift dress for £25 in Portobello Market last year, and I can tell it’s going to stand me in good stead not just for this year, but for many to come. I like to wear it with a black satin bow belt from H&M. Lace making has been a treasured skill in Europe for centuries, and really, when you think about it, it never really goes out of fashion.

Not So ‘Forever’ 21? | US Giant to downsize store

Have you heard the gossip?  US superstore Forever 21 is already seeking to downsize its debut store located in Birmingham’s prestigious Bullring shopping centre.  It has been there 18 months, and while more recent times have seen the chain jump at every opportunity to bombard us with their fuchsia pink plastic bags and provide every 14-year-old with short shorts and pleather jackets, by opening up three story developments at Westfields and on Oxford Street, it seems maybe Forever 21 didn’t foresee its own downfall.  With plans to sub-let part of its store in Birmingham, could this be an omen for the shiny new stores down South?

Personally, having been to both London stores on various occasions I have struggled to find anything apart from the odd piece of costume jewellery to seduce my purse strings.  All 3-floored filler, no killer you might say.  And I always leave feeling rather disappointed.  With prices points so cheap as to rival Primark, it does make me a tad melancholy that a store so shiny and inviting has barely any decent products on offer.  That said, having visited Forever 21 in America, I came away with some of my best-loved items (a leopard print cover-up, some killer pendants, and some amazing tees) that are still regularly worn nearly a year on.

So why can’t the UK stores deliver?  Or is it just me?  While Forever 21 might be on the verge of clawing back square feet in order to save face, it seems its biggest rival, and the store which was most scared of Forever 21’s aggressive push on the UK high Street, is going from strength to strength.  H&M’s designer collaborations are stronger than ever (Versace, Marni etc) and they have now announced 2013 will see the opening of their new, slightly more up-market, stores, to be called ‘& Other Stories’ (rubbish name).  The other brands owned by H&M, e.g. Monki and Cheap Monday, also have their first bricks and mortar stores which opened last month in Carnaby street, and are by all accounts doing extremely well.  So, I guess what they say is right, hey Forever 21?  Nothing like a bit of healthy competition, eh?

What we can expect from & Other Stories? A dress from the H&M exclusive Glamour Conscience Collection

So dear readers, please do enlighten me if you do in fact enjoy shopping in the uK Forever 21 stores, and your best finds as well would also be appreciated!

The BAFTAs 2012 Red Carpet Illustrated

I love a bit of red carpet frock watching as much as the next fashion fan, but I get a bit sick of the same bunch of photos doing the rounds every year when awards season rolls round. So to try something a bit different, for the 2012 BAFTA Awards, which took place in London last night, I asked a group of  artists to choose their favourite red carpet look and create a fashion illustration. I’m thrilled with the results, I love how the illustrators have interpreted the actresses outfits so creatively. Here’s what they came up with.

Meryl Streep in Vivienne Westwood by Amber Grayson. Visit Amber’s website.

Meryl Streep took home the best actress BAFTA for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. She wore Vivienne Westwood, and with her reddish hair and this classic corseted number I think she actually looked quite like Dame Westwood herself, in a good way though.

Bonnie Wright in vintage by Naomi Austin. Visit Naomi’s Facebook page.

Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright looked quite dressed down in comparison to some of the other glammed up guests but I really like this navy vintage polka dot dress which she teamed with Prada accessories. And she gets points for sensibleness, keeping out the cold with those black tights – temperatures weren’t much above freezing in London last night.

Gillian Anderson in Sybil Connolly by Naomi Austin. Visit Naomi’s Facebook page.

Gillian Anderson, on the other hand, admitted she was totally freezing in her strapless gown. It’s a beauty though, by Irish designer Sybil Connolly.

Fearne Cotton in Moschino by Hilary Killam. Visit Hilary’s website.

Fearne Cotton took a quick turn on the red carpet before taking her place to interview the nominees. I’m a big fan of Moschino and I think this dress is pretty perfect for her – it’s glamorous enough for an awards event but it’s still got a hint of whimsy with the little black bow, and she’s well covered up which is sensible (is it weird that I’m so worried about these girls being cold? Maybe it’s cos they’re all so skinny, with no flesh to keep them warm!).

Miss Piggy in Louis Vuitton by Hilary Killam. Visit Hilary’s website.

The Muppet matriarch Miss Piggy was interviewing stars as they arrived on the red carpet but she managed to give them a run for their money fashion wise in her custom Louis Vuitton dress.

Tilda Swinton in Celine by Gareth A Hopkins. Visit Gareth’s website.

You can always expect something brilliant and unusual from Tilda Swinton at an awards do and she didn’t disappoint last night. Not quite as fiercely androgynous as usual, she went for a stark white Celine maxi skirt and crop top combination. Good work Swinton.

Michelle Williams in H&M by Lizzie Donegan. Visit Lizzie’s website.

Fashion folk on Twitter were getting very excited at the fact that there was going to be a high street brand on the red carpet. But Michelle Williams outdid plenty of other designer-clad A-listers in her dress from H&M Conscious, the Swedish retailer’s ethical range. Nothing sure what she carrying though – is it a book? Is it a bag? Maybe we’ll never know.

Gillian Anderson in Sybil Connolly by Jo Ley. Visit Jo’s website.

Gillian Anderson was a popular choice amongst the illustrators because Jo Ley also chose to illustrate the actress in her delicate Sybil Connolly dress with mille-feuille pleats. ‘I’m not surprised, everyone loves Scully,’ Jo said. I totally agree, she looked amazing.

Is Versace for H&M the highstreet’s most opinion-dividing designer collaboration yet?

‘Eww.’ That was my reaction when I saw the first ads from the Versace for H&M collection that premiered in New York last night with a high profile fashion show and performances from Prince and Nicki Minaj.

In the photo I saw, model Daphne Groeneveld was wearing a long-sleeved dress and leggings, both in garish black, turquoise and fuchsia oriental pattern. More ads were released and I still wasn’t impressed – the retina-searingly bright colours and brash head to toe prints are a far cry from the sleek, sexy dresses that Donatella has been sending down the Versace catwalk for the last few seasons. It looked from comments on the web that I wasn’t the only having a WTF moment, but then I was chatting to fellow blogger Simon at a recent H&M event and he was saying how much he liked the collaboration and that he thought everyone did too.  Clearly, Versace for H&M is dividing opinions.

Now that the entire collection (all 117 photos worth) has surfaced we can make a more thorough critical assessment. In actual fact I think my initial reaction was a bit harsh (but I stand by it where that fur vest is involved, you’ll see what I mean below). Not every piece makes me say eww; there are a few I really like – but a VERY limited handful. For arguments sake I’ve picked what I think are the 10 best and 10 worst pieces from the collection and put them in the gallery below, along with a selection of opinions gathered from a sample that includes tweeting celebs, trusted blogger friends and internet randomers alike. Bear in mind that the average dress costs £80 with some going up to as much as £150.

The case FOR Versace for H&M:

• “I think that’s a great idea – rejuvenating the brand in this way” – fashion writer Katie_Jane_Rose.
• “Its all about 80s/90s nostalgia! The old Gianni prints we know and love having a come back. Donatella’s a fashion force!” – fashion blogger The Very Simon G.
• “Saw some of the Versace for H&M stuff today. Amazing!!! Love love everything! Fab colors and patterns” – actress Emma Roberts tweeted.
•  ”At first, I was really negative about it because Donatella said she would never do it a few years ago, so obviously she’s after the old money now…I actually quite like the collection- it is VERY Versace and definitely has its signature all over it. Which is good, as it doesn’t feel completely watered down like past collections for H&M.” – Style & Then Some’s own Helen Coakley.
• “The glossy look book was released this morning, showing the designer-meets-high street collection in all it’s leather-clad, gold-studded, pattern-clashing glory. And we LOVE it.” – the MyDaily team.
• “Some of the studded shift dresses, the less-crazy printed pants, cut-out plain coloured frocks, and even some of the accessories are actually pretty darn cool.” – blog Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily.

The case AGAINST Versace for H&M:

•  ”I am hugely disappointed by the men’s. Who is really going to buy the pink suit? The other products for men are equally as loud, with wild screaming patterns or street gang type clothes. Disappointing!” – fashion blogger JaimeLondonBoy.
• “Some of it is genuinely cool, but it’s just RIDICULOUSLY over priced, as it’s still H&M” – fashion blogger Abimarvel.
• “Possibly the worst idea on the planet, ever. Who’s idea was it to combine H&M’s cheap materials, and obsession with leopard print, with Versace’s tacky silhouettes? All for a…oh wait it’s not even that cheap.” – fashion blog EyeSpyFashion.
• “Half of this collection is as bat-shit crazy, and unwearable as I expected (what a shame it’s out in November, there are so many great Halloween costumes here).” – blog Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily.
• “This collab is barf worthy. One of the worst H&M/designer collabs yet IMO. Never was a big Versace fan and this is exactly why. Absolutely fucking hideous.” Comment on StyleForum. OUCH!

Which side are you on? Will you be queuing up eagerly when the Versace for H&M collection is released on 17 November or will you be giving it a miss?

Visit the collection’s UK microsite.

The best (first ten photos) and worst (last ten photos) of Versace for H&M:

 

Photos: courtesy H&M via Cut blog

ELLE and H&M Fashion Network Event

Last Wednesday Katie  and I were invited to attend the ELLE and H&M Fashion Network Event, held at London’s flagship H&M store over on Oxford Street.  We were also joined by our lovely blogger friend Jaime London Boy and enjoyed an evening listening to the pearls of wisdom that some of British ELLE magazine’s elite had to say.

With the focus on ‘how to get your dream job’, Anna Ogundehin, (ELLE’s Acting Executive Fashion Editor) took to the mic and addressed the importance of research, dedication and determination in order to successfully make it in the fashion industry.  It was also interesting to hear Anna explaining the many different aspects of her job, as well as how she came to be at ELLE.  Anna and her colleagues were also on hand to individually chat to guests and answer their questions on how to make it in the industry (Katie didn’t seem to want to let them go!).

With unemployment for young adults and University leavers becoming a serious headache for the Government at the moment, it was refreshing to see such huge fashion names bringing their collective clout together to organise this event.  We even got treated to a courtesy copy of this month’s magazine…for aspirational purposes I am sure.

Find out more about the ELLE H&M NETWORK here.

Me versus The Hanger – Samantha takes on H&M plastic

Ever ask your friend to grab a joke dress to try on so she can come in the changing room with you? There’s the matronly looking joke dress above – pale mauve maxi tunic with pleated skirt – but fast forward two minutes in the H&M changing rooms and I thought I’d wandered into a production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream.

Although it needs some quality time with an iron, the dress (£25, H&M) and Samantha’s accessories were meant to be together. Gold Michael Kors watch, camel H&M wedges, gold pocketwatch necklace and loose, romantic curls.

H&M hanger 0, Samantha 1.

If you’ve ever picked up a random pair of trousers or floaty top that looked amazing once you’d got it on or had high hopes for a frilly frou-frou confection that didn’t quite come off, send us your Me versus The Hanger photos to styleandthensome@gmail.com.

The Nine Streets: Amsterdam’s alternative shopping Mecca

Having jaunted over Titanic Style to Holland recently, I wasn’t looking for the obvious that Amsterdam has to offer.  Having only 6 hours in total to spend in the city meant some meticulous planning was initially involved, and then subsequently thrown out the window.  However, I did fulfil my personal mission and instead of succumbing to the, shall we say, more ‘touristic’ pleasures of Dam, I went in quiet search of the ‘Nine Streets’ or the ‘De Negen Straatjes’ to speak native.

Situated only a few minutes from the Royal Palace and Dam Square, the Nine Streets sit in the heart of the Canal district and are home to an array of weird and wonderful, as well as designer and vintage independent shops.  Actually, in most instances ‘weird’ is definitely the right word to use.  Having arrived on a Sunday, the stores pretty much chose when they wanted to open e.g. 1 o’clock in most cases, and many of the dusty windows displaying Vintage vinyls (one shop window was dedicated completely to Prince’s back catalogue), typewriters, and even stripper shoes, just begged to ask ‘how do I make a profit?’.  Maybe the recession fairy forgot the Nine Streets.  

Either way, it was refreshing to be surrounded by ‘indies’, even if I did end up spending some dollar in H&M (oops).