Going, going.....gone! Overpriced and overhyped, Isabel Marant's collection for H&M drew shoppers by the hoards in the past 12 hours. I opted to check out the collection from the snuggly comfort of my home this foggy November morning versus lining up on the cold streets of the SF flagship store (really, was there even a question about which option I would go with?)
The verdict? Though there were a few notable pieces that had caught my eye from the previews, the prices, along with the sordid fact that each distinct item will be instantly recognizable by anyone in the know, helped me refrain from shopping like a maniac. Now in hindsight, after reading about all the chaos ensuing and having experienced the virtual shoppers' mania this morning, I can see how the collection is just one pricey example of the sheep-shopper phenomenon retailers are banking on these days.
Molly Sims with a little insanity in her arms (and eyes)
Yet DESPITE my rational brain telling me to refrain, I did manage to score a little something by being pre-registered and having my credit card number already in the system. Upon entering hm.com, I was held in a queue shortly before being let loose to shop. I quickly added random items to my cart (just because I still could), but before I had time to think twice about whether I really wanted those items, they were snatched from my cart by fellow virtual shoppers. H&M was NOT reserving items in carts, so quick checkouts were encouraged and in the end, absolutely necessary to successfully purchase anything.
Maybe it was the fact that I skipped straight to the kids section (vs. womens) for a 14+ sized cardigan that had jumped out to me in the preview (it reminded me of the real Marant sweater I've been eyeballing for over a year and featured on my blog back in the spring), or maybe it was my rational brain telling me that those $300 boots looked like they had been churned out by Cathy Jean and that I could in fact score real Marant for a similar price if I simply hunted online ($399 for a beaded H&M jacket? No thanks!), but I was not too impressed.
$300 at H&M, they now have 88 bids at $623 for eBay Bulgaria. Really people?! Go buy real Marant at these prices!
The collection is certainly chic and representative of the cool-girl Parisian aesthetic Marant is famous for, but from a shopper's perspective, it's just not worth it. Blame it on the recent comparable hype of Target's 3.1 Phillip Lim collection which drew people in similar flocks, launching countless resales on ebay and craigslist. The pieces that caught my eye then are now featured on every other blog and instantly recognizable by people on street (that hideous polyestery leopard print and the BOOM sweatshirt, for example), and all this takes more than a bit of the novelty away. Hence I'm perfectly happy with my single strategic purchase this morning (which was based on previous knowledge of the brand versus buyer's impulse - trying to practice what I preach by shopping wisely) and even more comforted by H&M's return policy in the event that it doesn't live up to my expectations :)
The real Marant sweater from my blog on Transitional Chic....
...and the H&M version I purchased online this morn. We'll see how it measures up once I receive it!
P.S. There are over 1300 items already listed on eBay, with bids running for 2-3 times the original price. Yikes!
Looks like Black Friday insanity has officially commenced!
xoxo
