H&M: An inside look at our very own slice of the Swedish pie.

I went. I saw. And now I'm bringing you an all exclusive look at the new H&M store at Palm Beach Gardens Mall, as promised.

Hmmm. Where do I start? The drive to this particular mall was a long one, so long in fact, that I was very tempted to drive the remainding 100 miles or so and just gone to Orlando. Luckily I kept my focus and made it all the way to the mall.

Now I love malls because I love shopping, so I made sure to explore it in its entirety.

The mall can be best described as more upscale than Avenutra Mall, but that's the mall it mostly reminded me of, so you can have a mental image.

Ok, on to the good stuff! H&M is an entire two floors!!! That's two floors for you to go on a hunt for great items at reasonable prices.

I know a lot of people have probably never set foot inside an H&M, so I want you to think of this store as being like a Zara. It also has a lot more chic items at around the same price point as Zara.

Main entrance of H&M on the second floor

Women's Display window #1

Women's window display # 2

I was very impressed with the window displays at this store, more so than the entire store itself. I think display windows are very important. At least for me it is the determining factor of whether or not I go into a new store that I've never seen or been to before.

Once, finally inside H&M, I felt so overwhelmed. And I don't like feeling that way when I'm trying to shop. I couldn't even get as many pictures as I liked because every time I tried, I was either being walked into or having someone come out in the picture.

 Wall painting between the first floor (men's) and second floor (women's.)



Semi-overhead shot of the men's floor (which wasn't as full as the second floor.)

H&M is a great store to visit if you're looking for trendy pieces or even statement pieces such as party dresses or lace skirts (which are a huge trend this season.)  The holidays are upon us and you'll be needing a few cocktail dresses for the occassions, so I highly recommend this store as an option to find great party pieces for less than $30 for both men and women. One of the best things about H&M is that the clothes are really good quality, and remember you get what you pay for. It doesn't look cheap and it's also very fashion-forward.

Another reason I really wanted to visit this store was to check out their new Lanvin collection. I just ♥ ♥ ♥ Lanvin, which is one of the most luxurious and innovative fashion houses in Paris, and yes their clothes are exactly what you'd expect to see in Paris. I had already caught the fashion show and I wasn't too crazy about it, but if I can find one Lanvin piece for a mere hundred dollars versus thousands of dollars, I'll take it. I read about the collaboration between Lanvin and H&M, and it was stated that the goal of this collab wasn't to offer a high-end brand at cheap prices, but it was to bring high  fashion to the establishment. So the pieces start at $39 and go up to $299. All worth it too! Now it's a little loud, but it has that Lanvin essence that you see on the runways, and not those crappy collections from Target that you can clearly tell the brand has had to sacrifice its name to reach affordability (don't get me wrong, I always get excited about those collabos too because I just hope they get it right one day.) And Lanvin got it right!

Below is a picture of my favorite item of the collection at this location.

Lanvin ♥ H&M collection- coat $199

This coat is to die for! I literally had a petit-morit when I saw it.

The second floor also houses  the children's department, which has some great pieces for beyond reasonable prices. My little nephew, Jake Ryan will so be rocking a Rolling Stones tee thanks to H&M.

As for the men's section, I was underwhelmed. A lot of the store for men carries basics, again at amazing prices. And I can't stress enough what a great place this is to pick out your holiday attire and coats.

I hope you guys enjoy this post and please let me know if you have any other questions for me regarding H&M. Below are a few questions that I thought I'd ask if I were reading this blog.

How does the first South Florida H&M stack up to the other H&M stores in big cities?

I fell in love with H&M about three years ago,during one of my visits to NYC. I found so many things during that first visit and I didn't even break the bank. That experience was enough to keep me visiting H&Ms any

chance I encountered one in any city I visited. I also went to the one in Chicago, which wasn't great. But before I voice my opinion, let's just say that you can't compare apples to oranges (although, both are round sweet fruits, go figure) but the shopping in NYC and Chicago just can't be compared to the shopping in Miami or South Florida. Having said that, this store stands very well on its own.

Should I drive close to 100 miles to visit H&M?

Yes and no.

Yes, if you are an H&M lover and need to buy some cool, one of a kind pieces that no one else will be wearing at your company's holiday party then you must go. (Also, feel free to take the drive if you want to experience a new mall. You will also love the sights as you're making your way there.)

No, if you don't know the franchise and don't feel like my visit there was helpful. This is the type of store that has its ups and downs, meaning you'll go in one day and walk out with more than 10 items, but you will

go in the next time and absolutely hate everything.

*** I want to take a second and thank my awesome boyfriend for not only taking the time to accompany me there, but for helping me take pictures. You rock!

TTFN dolls. I'll be posting a new blog by Tuesday-- just in time for Thanksgiving.



" I don't shop because I need something, I just shop for shopping's sake."-Cat Deely