When it comes to shopping the high street, few brands deliver the goods quite like H&M. From serving up sumptuous wool-blend coats to raising the bar in terms of “affordable” leather, H&M’s autumn/winter 2022 collection is already shaping up to be one of its best yet. And yet, I understand if you consider the prospect of shopping H&M online to be a daunting one.
First up, you have unthorough product descriptions to deal with, which makes searching for specific pieces all the more difficult. I have spent more time than I’d care to admit searching for an item I knew for a fact existed on site, only to find it had been listed in a very nondescript way. Then, there’s the fact that things sell out at lightning speed. Again, I’ve been on-site and seen an item that has my size in stock, only for it to disappear no more than ten minutes later.
It turns out it requires a particular set of skills (not to mention a high patience threshold) to find the most stylish pieces on H&M before they inevitably sell out, which is why I decided to ask the experts (read: my colleagues) how they shop H&M successfully.
From the categories to look for to the way to track down what your heart desires, scroll on to discover how to shop H&M like a fashion editor.
“Many brands break down their product offering into different categories, and H&M is no different,” explains Who What Wear affiliate editor, Emily Dawes. “At H&M, you have Studio, often in collaboration with another designer, which is a capsule edit of more premium pieces. Then, there’s the mainline H&M collection, which, if you look at the garment itself, has a beige label. Finally, there’s Divided, its category aimed at a younger demographic. With lower price points, I tend to avoid Divided pieces, as I find them to be of lesser quality than the other categories. This is something you only discover after a long time spent shopping at the brand.”
“Often, H&M can be difficult to sift through, as there is so much product, so it can be hard to spot those standout pieces—the ones H&M downright knows will do well,” says Who What Wear’s assistant editor Maxine Eggenberger. “But my trick for finding these before they sell out is to visit the Trend Edit section of the website, which has a tight round-up of the best, of the moment pieces.”
“One of the most effective ways of shopping at H&M is to know how the brand labels its pieces and, from there, what to search for,” advises H&M’s influencer marketing manager Claire Wakeman. “I tend to search for ‘premium selection,’ which lists products in premium materials such as leather and cashmere products—the investment pieces.”
“I would also suggest signing up to be an H&M member,” continues Wakeman. “It’s free and great for discounts (you get 10% off when you join, 25% off an item on your birthday, and ad hoc discounts throughout the year) and free delivery over £20.” Why not use these bonuses to invest in some premium H&M pieces?
“One thing I do a lot is sign up for notifications if something is sold out,” says Who What Wear shopping editor, Remy Farrell. “Usually, it will come back in stock due to a restock or return. Personally, I think H&M’s notification service is one of the most accurate and reliable of all the high-street brands.” Again, you’ll want to keep your eye on the Trend Edit section to lessen the chance of these pieces selling out before you get to them.
Many of us buy our basics at H&M, but some of our Who What Wear editors have found their best basics in the menswear department. “I always prefer the weight of the menswear jumpers and cardigans,” says Eggenberger. Dawes is also partial to its sweatshirts and hoodies; “they’re ideal for an oversize fit”.
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