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H&M

I have such a strange relationship with H&M. I feel so conflicted about it.

On the one hand, it is the magical shop of dreams, where you can always find something and it will only be £29.99. And often the design of things is, truly, fucking great.

But then: fast fashion 🙁 and sometimes the quality of it 🙁 and – do I really need it? Are clothes going to change my life, or the fact I am peri-peri-menopausal? Why can’t I just be happy with the same navy sweater and blue jeans and realise it’s what’s on the INSIDE that counts?!

But then, oh THEN, best beloved, I have a little browse because I am between jobs and there’s nothing that pressing on right now. And it calls to me… it all… calls to me – I look at it and I go “Uhhhggnnnn”, like I’ve just seen a reuben sandwich when I wasn’t prepared for it.

I see the perfect pie-crust blouse, the dream of an army-green twill trouser. And, and, and… I crack. Send help. (Not crack.) (Okay send crack.)

 

Massively excited by these twill trousers:

Screen Shot 2018-01-29 at 12.28.00

And this frill-collar blouse:

Screen Shot 2018-01-29 at 12.29.01

Crepe is my favourite fabric:

Screen Shot 2018-01-29 at 12.39.17

These sunglasses are so Celine:

Screen Shot 2018-01-29 at 12.56.36

Hi Tops ftw:

Screen Shot 2018-01-29 at 13.06.54

 

And maybe this yellow dress is amazing? Or maybe I have just lost it:

Screen Shot 2018-01-29 at 13.10.03

My friend Dolly Alderton has just told me that she tried this yellow dress on last week and that it is “gorgeous and flattering” and that it would work best in SS with tan sandals. So if you like it get it now because if it is gorgeous and flattering it is going to sell out in 2 days.

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Comments

  1. Emma Dawson says

    January 29, 2018 at 1:40 pm

    Oh thanks, thanks a BUNCH. Have just ordered the trousers and blouse. You made me do it. I’m telling my husband on you.

    Reply
  2. Nichola says

    January 29, 2018 at 1:47 pm

    Gah, saw a great dress in there a while ago, didn’t buy it, went home showed my friend a picture, realised my stupid error, rushed back, sold out everywhere. I keep the picture of it on my phone as a WARNING.
    Buy it, if you don’t like it take it back.

    Reply
  3. Lynda O'Neill says

    January 29, 2018 at 1:51 pm

    You’re too hard on yourself, Esther. All that ‘what’s inside’ stuff is true but only up to a point. I’m seventy and I’m still delighted by new clothes and jewellery. They’re one of the joys of life that some people don’t seem to share. More fool them. The floral dress is specially great and I would wear it, even at my age.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      January 29, 2018 at 10:13 pm

      How wonderful you are still out there and enjoying stuff at 70. Looks like Esther is reaching all age ranges. I’m not 40 anymore … but can still appreciate clothes, fashion and humour!

      Reply
  4. Hayley C says

    January 29, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    I LOVE H&M. Some of their stuff I’ve worn to rags. When they get it right, there is no one better on the high street in my opinion. BTW you should check out their simple premium Merino Wool jumpers for £35. I’ve got a black one and its on its second year and still looks perfect (it goes through the washing machine on a handwash cycle every couple of weeks).
    I’m such a H&M addict I actually once said hello to this guy in the street as I thought I knew him and I felt a bit put out when he just looked at me very confused. BUT it was only when I’d walked a bit further that I suddenly clocked that actually he was just the Hermes driver who delivered all my H&M packages… Very embarrassing but sort of understandable when you consider technically I do see him more than a lot of my actual friends.

    Reply
  5. Kay says

    January 29, 2018 at 2:08 pm

    God I LOVE H&M at the moment. After discovering the great app (not in store -shudder). They have cashmere. And it’s good (not superb, goes a bit bobbly but can be sorted with a cashmere comb). And washable!!! And the returns are easy. And it’s got proper grown up stuff not all teenage stuff – although again, online, it’s a different place in real life.

    Reply
  6. Jan says

    January 29, 2018 at 2:10 pm

    That yellow dress is a bit too Little House on the Prairie for my taste. !😂

    Reply
  7. Fleur says

    January 29, 2018 at 2:20 pm

    I know what you are saying BUT that blue floral dress that you recommended in your autumn wedding blog in the summer and which I bought because I was on holiday and it was raining, is just my favourite thing to wear at the moment. It brings me great joy and I have been stopped in the street/pret by lovely kind women who tell me how much they like it and how fab I look so, you know, H&M 🤗. Love 💖

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 29, 2018 at 3:20 pm

      Fleur this is great!

      Reply
      • Leona says

        January 30, 2018 at 1:09 pm

        Now I want this dress!

        Reply
  8. Caroline Ní Mhuireasa says

    January 29, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    Whatever about the clothes, you got me at Reuben sandwich! Irresistible!

    Reply
  9. thatgirlcath says

    January 29, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    That dress 😍

    Reply
  10. Aaf says

    January 29, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    Feel the same. Was trying not to shop for a year, then minimized it to not shopping in January and even THAT is hard. It’s just all crack.

    Reply
  11. Hannah @ theMumandtheMom says

    January 29, 2018 at 3:03 pm

    I swear off H&M at least twice a year but then I go in (online) for children’s clothes and I just. Cannot. Help myself. Love all of the above and am trying to stop myself from ordering everything in an H&M/spike frenzy.

    Reply
  12. Sophie says

    January 29, 2018 at 3:18 pm

    Oh, fucketty titwank, I had sort of forgotten about green twill trousers, damn you, and what’s worse, Hennes goes up through all the sizes so my ‘safe’ little look, “well they’ll only go up to a 14”, is all awry and now I might have to have a further, seriously UNsafe, look. Anyone plumpish got any thoughts on H&M jeans? Or reuben sandwiches?

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      January 29, 2018 at 3:21 pm

      I have just looked up ‘reuben sandwich’. I will not be buying any clothes for the forseeable future. Cheese and sauerkraut is a splendiferous sandwich filling, and now I learn it can be taken to a whole new level … as the kids say, OMFG.

      Reply
      • esthermcoren says

        January 29, 2018 at 3:23 pm

        salt beef, sauerkraut, cheese, jewish rye bread. it’s pretty special

        Reply
      • Sophie says

        January 29, 2018 at 5:01 pm

        *Drools uncontrollably*

        Reply
  13. Ella says

    January 29, 2018 at 3:50 pm

    Oh Gawd I’m SO with you on that. Their home stuff is just as bad. I mean how many £4.99 cushion covers do I actually need?? (A lot, apparently). I continually have at least 12 things in my basket and then every so often just BUY THE LOT. And then the dress of dreams shrinks after one wash and I swear I will never buy from them again. But…..

    Reply
  14. Brenda says

    January 29, 2018 at 6:28 pm

    That Yellow dress is a cry for help for pregnant women stuck on the 1970s……….🤢

    Reply
  15. Leona says

    January 30, 2018 at 1:19 pm

    Love H&M, love those dresses! I actually need some kind of intervention now when it comes to flowery swooshy dresses. It’s become an illness. Are there any other Spikers who are, like, just constantly shopping? I mean I’m never not shopping. Worrying (although I’m not particularly tempted by this, which resembles a Lotus Biscoff & which even the model is laughing at):
    http://m2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0644379001.html

    Reply
  16. thatgirlcath says

    January 31, 2018 at 5:39 pm

    Your friend was wrong about the yellow dress. Not flattering at all but that’s probably because I’m a shortarse. Made me look like my mum circa 1977 and not in a good way ☹️

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      January 31, 2018 at 6:30 pm

      SAD FACE

      Reply
  17. Kath says

    February 5, 2018 at 8:37 am

    Green trousers are SMALL in the waist and wouldn’t go on, I am usually a 10 but not this time. The kick flare is massive so I fear a 12 would be comical.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      February 5, 2018 at 9:52 am

      Kath thank you for this helpful review

      Reply
  18. Elaine says

    February 12, 2018 at 4:50 pm

    I really struggled with the trousers. I’m usually a 12/14 but I couldn’t get the size 18 done up in these!!!

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      February 12, 2018 at 5:15 pm

      Elaine jesus what a nightmare! God you really never can tell with H&M. Thank you for being a guinea pig.

      Reply
  19. Claire Robinson-Bane says

    August 15, 2018 at 12:40 am

    My family still call it ‘Hennes’! It’s like an old, sometimes rewarding, other times unhealthy, old friend.

    Reply

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