I love H&M and I hate H&M often during the same online shopping trip. They have some Hits and quite a few Misses. Let's start with the misses.
Their catalogue had 157 pages dedicated to women's fashion. That's a lot of clothes. Guess how many pages detailed their BiB plus size range? 5. FIVE. FIVE.
And guess how many of those items I would actually buy? None. And guess how many actually looked like they were new for this season? About one, a tunic dress. Which is actually ok but a bit short for me.
Their BiB range is tiny and the sizing strange to say the least. The tops seem either to be too tight over the boob area or gigantic. As for their trousers, well I'm normally a 24-26 but I can't get their 28s to fit me.
Going to buy the BiB range instore is a nightmare (at least for me as I don't live in London). I spent one afternoon trudging from one Oxford St H&M store to another to find at last a tiny corner of a basement devoted to about 4 items. I did buy one, and it is nice. But I have never seen it on the website!
So given that their Bib range is so terrible why do I think they have some hits and why are they even one of my fav retailers? Because of two things. Firstly their accessories - namely their scarfs. I love scarfs and will do a post about all the scarfs I have collected over the years. H&M do a good range, in great colours and styles. And they are cheap.
Secondly because of this wonderful thing you can find online when you shop with them - size XL. Never found in stores but a lot of their clothes come in this XL 22-24 sizing. And it fits my size 26 boobs. Hurrah!
Some of my favorites from the latest catalogue
Top - from H&M
http://www.hm.com/gb/s/016I47Soft jersey wrapover top that is loose-fitting with a seam below the bust. Length 26"/66 cm in size 14-16.
www.hm.comLove the pretty spots and nice shape.
And this one below is winging its way to me as we speak. It's not that exciting but I like the shape and in black it's a good top for wearing cropped chinos and black sandals.
Top - from H&M
http://www.hm.com/gb/s/016I4ALoose-fitting soft jersey top with a draped neckline. Length 25½"/65 cm in size 14-16.
www.hm.comAnd last but not least this one is joining its little friend on the long journey to the Eclectica household. I've ordered the powder pink one.
Top - from H&M
http://www.hm.com/gb/s/013IVLOversized top with smocking centre front. Length 27"/69 cm in size 14-16.
www.hm.comOh and both tops are £8 each. Bargain.
So are any of you H&M fans?
I live in Nottingham, and we've quite a big H&M...having been to ones elsewhere, such as London, Meadowhall, Bristol, Derby, its pretty up there when it comes to size of store and how much of their range its got. When it was opened, I think about ten years or so ago, it had the BiB range, and I used to have a well loved grey long v-neck jumper from there, as well as one or two other bits. But inexplicably, about three or four years ago, they removed the range from the store...they've still got a maternity range, and all sorts of other specialist ranges, but not that one.
ReplyDeleteI will add that when I first discovered the range, it had plenty of goodies, but I've noticed that before it got removed, there was the smallest amount of stuff, and alot of it not that good. I recently checked out the website too and was throughly underwhelmed...I'm slightly bigger at a 26-28, so I find it harder to find stuff, as really its only true plus size ranges or stores that work for me...just yesterday I was in Next drooling over stuff and resolving to get down to a size 22 on top at least so I can buy their pretties ((am pear shaped, hence having a bigger bottom half)).
Why is it that retailers produce ranges that are lovely and wonderful, and then discontinue them or decide to go down the dowdy I want to cover everything up because I'm fat route? Debenhams have had some fantastic plus size ranges over the years...a Designers at Debenhams one when that range was first launched, Gorgeous more recently which they've now just reduced to a swimwear line....retailers, do you not realise, if you build it, we will come?
But its not all bad...New Look seems to get better with every year, learning on what they've done right and wrong, and whilst its still a little hit and miss, its becoming more hit than miss, probably on par with its main range for goodies. Evans had got quite good at their being on trend for a while, but the last two seasons I've been not as impressed...seems like they're increasingly sticking to what sells the best, rather than taking risks, although I am always able to find stuff that are definite gems...my biggest bugbear with Evans atm is their website...I want to buy Evans, not a different brand that they happen to have on their website, if I want to buy those brands, I'll look elsewhere, ta muchly.
Sometimes it makes me wish I was more creative, because I'd sooo totally go off and study fashion design and start my own plus size label...however I cannot draw nor cut in a straight line, two things I think you have to have for becoming a designer!
OH confused Brit, I used to live in Notts and would rave about the H&M there. However the last time I returned for a visit the BiB range had shrunk to a tiny corner. GERR!
ReplyDeleteI too love & hate H&M. I've actually just thrown my catelogue in the bin in disgust at all the beautiful items they stock - NONE OF WHICH ARE IN THE BiB RANGE! RAGGGGEEEEEE!
Let me know how the new items pan out!
That annoyed me too Monkey! The whole catalogue trying to push a look for the next season and then not styling any items for BiB that fit that look! GRRRR
ReplyDeleteLuckily I have a tweedy jacket from Yours that I picked up from Oxfam that will work perfectly for this season.