Shopping Intel: H&M Fashion Against AIDS 2011 Collection (with Price Lists)

After the previously announced environmentally-friendly Conscious collection, H&M will be launching another special collection for a great social cause in April. The Fashion Against AIDS campaign is back looking way more polished up this year - quite a departure from the previous loud, colorful and celebrity-backed collection from last year.

I really like the use of softer, pastel colors which are perfect for the Spring / Summer look and the use of typography is quite refreshing. My favorite pieces so far from the unisex collection are the grey and orange parkas, several message t-shirts, the grey sweatpants, and oddly, the typography jumpsuit:

 

 

 

 

The collection will be available in all H&M stores on April 28, 2011. 25% of all sales will be donated to HIV/AIDS projects to promote safe sex and raise HIV/AIDS awareness worldwide. Find out the prices for all items in USD right after the jump!

Gossip Guys: Panic Roommate

This week on Gossip Girl, everyone is back scheming and plotting: Dan, Eric and Damien teamed up against Ben, but in the end, Ben triumphed while Damien waved the white flag; Chuck's plan also backfired but all's not lost when Blair stepped in with some damage control after her own plan (sort of) worked and she got way more than what she bargained for.

Like every other episode, all the dirty work was done in stylish and chic outfits, so without further ado, let's move on to our weekly Gossip Girl menswear fashion recap!

Photo credit: The CW

Nate Archibald is back... fashion-wise! After donning one too many plaid shirts and the occasional tuxedoes, Nate was seen wearing this gorgeous peacoat from Gucci's FW2010 collection (see below) on this week's episode. I'm loving everything about this coat, from the color to the collar, and the elbow patches to the cuffs... absolutely everything. I've been on the scout for a nice peacoat for some time and I think I've found thee perfect one. Or at least the perfect one to reference after when looking for a close substitute at Zara or H&M.

Photo credit: Gucci via GQ.com

Photo credit: The CW

Not to be upstaged by his roommate, Chuck Bass spent the entire episode trying to win Raina Thorpe's heart in this preppy combo with a pinkish purple shirt, purple paisley tie and a classic navy peacoat - which mildly reminds me of the one from Lanvin's collaboration with H&M last year (see below). If you're in the mood to go preppy and dandy all the way, this color coordination would do no wrong.

Photo credit: H&M

Photo credit: The CW

Another peacoat! Seriously, they're trying to make me feel bad about not owning one myself. Now even the least fashionable of the bunch, Dan Humphrey, has one. Dan was sporting this grey one and I think I've seen something quite similar at H&M (see below). Not loving the green x beige scarf but otherwise a nice effort from Dan.

Photo credit: H&M via Styles I Love

Missing Damien already? And what about Eric? More looks from the guys on Gossip Girl after the jump!

Shopping Intel: H&M Conscious Collection (with Price Lists)

It's always great to see big companies taking care of the environment. In H&M's latest aptly titled 'Conscious' Collection, we can see how the environmentally conscious high street fashion powerhouse created these sustainable looks with organic cotton, Tencel® and recycled polyester. The collection includes looks for the ladies, as well as kids.

The fabrics are perfect for the Spring / Summer weather, especially since they're all in different shades of white. These are my favorite pieces from the collection - they can easily be blended into our wardrobe and are great for freshening up old looks from last year or so.

This refreshing collection will be up on the racks in all H&M stores worldwide on April 14, 2011. While it may not be as high profile as the game-changing collaboration with Lanvin last year, it's definitely worthy of our support for its cause, the versatility of the pieces and their very affordable price tags! Full price lists in USD (including womenswear and kidswear) and the rest of the ad campaign after the jump!

Style Notes: H&M SS2011 Trend Guides & Styling Sessions

Swedish clothing giant H&M continues to galvanize the fashion world with their seasonal trend guides and exclusive styling sessions!

I'm absolutely loving all the looks Hanneli picked out, but especially the grey and black sweaters with the two contrasting fabrics in the second and last look! They hint a bit of Rick Owens mixed with a bit of Neil Barrett. Mental note: Must buy.

As for the hottest SS2011 trends, we've already spotted them back in December last year from the brand's video lookbook, but it's always helpful to get confirmation from the pros: blue, beige, grey, khaki, and white will dominate; aim for long, loose silhouettes with fabrics that create movements; blazers and uniform inspired jackets continue to reign, but added to the mix are desert boots and leather belts.

Looks like I will have to add some more items to my shopping list! Stay tuned for more on what to wear this Spring / Summer! And as a special treat for the female readers - check out the SS2011 trend guide and styling session for womenswear after the jump!

H&M Summer 2011 Lookbook

H&M's Summer lookbook has reaffirmed the rule of thumb that Summer looks are supposed to be easy and breezy. The pieces look really light and comfortable. The white jacket and shorts paired with the pink sweater reminds me of Jil Sander's SS2011 collection; and I'm really digging the shorts plus boots combo in the first look!

More looks after the jump!

H&M Video Lookbook SS2011

Question: What's better than previewing the lookbook of H&M's SS2011 collection modeled by the very suave and dandy looking Ben Hill?

Answer: Watching the lookbook of H&M's SS2011 collection modeled by the very suave and dandy looking Ben Hill!

I'm loving the navys and the clean tailorings (best look goes to the first one, anybody?) but am having some serious second thoughts about the military green. Not that military green isn't hot - it's been ubiquitous all season - but for us Hongkies with the Asian skin tone, military green doesn't exactly make us look dashing. Having said that, I'm digging the last look with the military green jacket and the white pants. Maybe that's the solution to my Asian-skin-tone-complex with military greens: pair it up with something light to liven up the look!

As for the rest, seeing the jumpsuit in action changed my mind about it - with the shimmering gold zipper, I am not ruling out any possibilities of me sporting it on a lazy Summer day. The blues are also working for me (Surprise! My favorite color is blue!) and all these suede shoes the models are wearing look really appealing.

Last but not least, I want Ben Hill's hair. kthxbye

Video credit: H&M via Designer HK

IN MY BAG: Lanvin for H&M Collection!

Pheww... What an eventful morning! Witnessed the first time in my life where people would actually rip clothes off mannequins as if clothes were food in a famine. Then things took a turn for the better best! Lesson learned: life is full of surprises! Wanna know what happened? More updates soon on what I got!

One More Week To Go! Lanvin for H&M

In a little less than a week's time, we'll be getting our hands on the Lanvin for H&M line! Remember to check out my post on the detailed arrangements on November 23 with complete price lists for both gents and ladies!



I can hardly wait!

Preview: H&M Spring 2011 Lookbook

Here, we have the preview of H&M's featured looks in Spring 2011. The trend of military green extends from AW2010 to SS2011, along with combat boots and brown leather details! Not a huge fan of the green jumpsuit, but I'm liking everything else I see. I'm particularly digging the sweatpants in the second look.

What about you?

Photo credits: Design Scene

Style Notes: Party Cavaliers

Wondering what to wear for all the Christmas and New Year's Eve parties you have lined up in your calendar? Worried that it'd cost you a fortune to look hot and dandy while you're counting down at Times Square? Fear not, because as always, you've come to thee right place.

I've pulled together two sets of party looks for just about everyone: one for the more established gentlemen with a designer budget, and another for those who want to keep things economical but still look stylish and chic.

For those with a designer budget...

Jacket: Deepest Blue Velvet Slim Blazer by D&G Dolce & Gabbana 

Bow Tie: Maroon Spot Silk Bow Tie by D&G Dolce & Gabbana

Suspenders: Black Pin Dot Braces by Fred Perry

Shirt: Dinner Shirt by Alexander McQueen

Trousers: Flannel Tailored Trouser by Prada

Shoes: Leather Brogues by Maison Martin Margiela

For those who wanna keep things economical... 

Jacket: Grey Blazer from H&M

Shirt: Herring Bone Shirt from Zara

Cardigan: Burgundy Slim Marl Cardigan from Topman

Trousers: Tailored Black Trousers from Zara

Shoes: Black Patent Leather Shoes from H&M

Glasses: Black Square Reader Glasses from Topman

Photo credits: Matches, MyWardrobe.com, H&M, Zara, Topman

Shopping Intel: Lanvin for H&M

Unless you've been living under a rock in a cave somewhere in the Amazon rainforest, you'd have heard about the Lanvin for H&M collaboration. As every shopaholic would know, strategy is of the utmost importance in major shopping events like this one, so here we have some crucial info regarding the first day of sale so as to help everyone strategize and snatch that much coveted collection right off the racks and into our shopping bags!

Date: November 23, 2010

Time: Starts at 8:00 am sharp

Stores: ONLY available at the H&M stores in Central, TST, Elements, and Langham Place

Ground rules: Each customer can only buy ONE piece of ONE size out of every item available.

Logistics for the Ladies: The first 320 customers will be separated into 16 different groups (20 customers per group) and each customer will be given a wristband (one of the 16 different colors representing 16 groups) which has a specified time on it and each customer will be given 10 minutes each to shop in the Lanvin section. If you're the 321st customer, you will need to wait until all 16 groups have finished shopping before you can get into the Lanvin section and pick up whatever that is left.

Logistics for the Gents: NO time limit for us gentlemen. So no wristbands, no groups.

I hope EVERY shopper will get whatever item their hearts desire! Here's a list of all the items with prices in HKD for some even earlier planning at home:

Source: H&M
Price lists credit: Popbee

Lanvin for H&M Men's Collection: Catalog

Photo credit: H&M

These are the pieces I'm hoping to get! More on H&M's Facebook page!

Photo credits: H&M

Lanvin for H&M Men's Collection: First Looks

The excitement continues to build as we learn more and more about Lanvin's highly aniticpated collaboration with H&M. Daniel over at ModeMan has these exciting images of what the products look like in real life:

Definitely getting the bowties and the purple leopard t-shirt and most probably the suit in the first picture. Who else is queuing up with me on November 23?

Photo credits: ModeMan

Lanvin for H&M Fashion Show

Lanvin for H&M Men's Collection Campaign

It's here! The first looks for the highly anticipated Lanvin for H&M collection are here!

I'm really feeling the bowties and the flower pins. The suits look somewhat oversized but I'll have to see the real thing to be sure. The first look is simply AMAZING. The 40-piece collection will be available in H&M stores on November 23.

More updates soon!

Photo credits: H&M via Selectism and HighSnobiety

Knits You Can't Miss

You know how sometimes fashion designers and stylists go, "This piece is my favorite; it's a friend you can always go to."? That's kinda how I feel about knitwear. Not only do they functionally keep you warm, they do wonders to a person's body - if you're skinny, they bulk you up; and if you're feeling a little bloated, they create the illusion that it's not your fault, it's just the way knitwear is. As the temperature gradually drops, I've pooled together some of my favorite knits this season, with different styles, at different price points:

Clockwise from top-left:

1. ASOS Double Breasted Jersey Cardigan  Like on a jacket, the double-breast buttons give your cardigan (and you, of course) a dandy feel to it without being too formal.
2. All Saints Morris Open Cardigan  The drape-y trend has extended from womenswear to menswear this season, so I bought this from London earlier this year but haven't had the chance to wear it so far...
3. Zara Lined Jacquard Jacket  These tribal knit patterns are one of the trends this season, but they're a bit hard to pull off without looking too busy visually, so pair it with something really plain and don't wear too many accessories!
4. H&M Grey Cardigan  Love the folded collar with the shoulder epaulets for the military effect, I personally got one in military green and it's amazingly cheap at HK$149!
5. Matthew Williamson Horse Print Sweater  Leave it to Matthew Williamson to bring chicness with patterns and colors, this sweater is the perfect piece to blend into any wardrobe.
6. Thom Browne Striped Sweater  I love me some bold red stripes! And hey, red is the color of Christmas!
7. 3.1 Philipp Lim Mid Grey Tiger Intarsia Jumper  Animal prints are gonna be huge for menswear so this Philipp Lim creation would be perfect for guys like me - who prefer something more understated, yet intriguing at the same time. Especially love the mix of leopard and tiger prints!

Photo credits: Matches, Zara, H&M, ASOS, All Saints, MyWardrobe.com