Comme des Garcons' at H & M, Nov. 13th!

As all good frugal fashionistas know, this is the week that H&M launches their annual designer collection. This year's collection, Comme des Garcons, will be available Nov 13th at select H&M Stores in Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco & Chicago. Much of the collection follows Comme des Garcons usual "advant-garde" outlook, so it will be interesting to see how H&M shoppers respond. I have waited in line the last two years to shop the Roberto Cavalli & Victor & Rolf collections. Believe me, it was not a pleasant experience. Its akin to being thrown into a mosh pit at a punk concert. There is always pushing & shoving, and then when the doors open, a mad rush ensues to get to the racks. God help you if you can't move quick enough to get out of the way. Its as though H&M sent out a siren call to all shoppers saying, "Bring me your bargainistas, your desperate cheap couture collectors, the huddled masses yearning for fashion to be free! " And in a blink, the multitude appears. Some will camp out all night in front of the H&M 5th Ave flagship store to guarantee their spot in the queue. I'm holding my breath this year to see if the annual event is impacted by the recession and last week's troubling economic report. This year's collection features a few interesting finds, but the price tag for some of the items has gone up. The lovely, rather Victorian looking, black dress is $349.00 US. That gives me a pause.

However, there are some more interesting & economical choices. I do like the deconstructed black jacket for $129.00 and the pink or white ruffle shirt that could go with it for $49.90. The little ruffles at the cuffs of the shirts are quite pretty. The black spaghetti strap dress for $129.00 also shows promise. I would not wear it with the black polka dot shirt from the collection though. (note: I would also not wear it with the crazy coal black eye makeup raised up to my eyebrows, or "fuller brush" type hair, as the H&M model does in some of the adverts.) I think this little black party dress would look more elegant on its own or dressed up with another type of shirt. The two pieces of outerwear also are of interest. For women, there is a great looking trench coat ($199.00) and a zip front jacket (99.90) that might be a versatile piece. Most of the collection is in basic black, with a few different shirt colors & polka dots thrown it. There will even be CDG cologne offered as well as a polka dot satchel bag.

For men, the suit jackets and shirts look well done. They look very classic, something that could be worn as a wardrobe staple for years.

So count this Recessionista girl in for this week's mad rush. I'll be making the trek to the Beverly Center early Thursday morning with my faithful traveling coffee cup at my side. The prices are a fraction of the high-end CDG line, and that's the lure. And, as every H&M collection follower knows, you can wear it a few times and then sell if on eBay if you tire of it.

I was in line last year for the Cavalli collection. Most of it was gone in 15 minutes. I'm praying for better luck this year, and wearing my running shoes !:)

Feets don't fail me now -:)