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Fashion Review: H&M Garden Collection

By Charlotte Coady

April 5, 2010 9:12 p.m.

The beginning of spring promises many things: daffodils, cute and fuzzy lambs and warming weather. With the coming of this season, a unique fashion collection has been blossoming at H&M. You can now wear that new, fresh and floral feeling with the latest line from the brand: The Garden Collection. The beauty of nature has been given an environmentally friendly twist that became available at stores on March 25.

H&M never fails to amaze. The Swedish powerhouse is keeping its success going with the new Garden Collection. The retail store is already having a fantastic season; with the success of its Sonia Rykiel collaboration and this new line, it promises 2010 will be year to remember.

Not that many years ago, an eco-friendly line would have been laughed off the Santa Monica Promenade. But those were the days of decadence, fur and Gianni Versace. The new millennium brought a new fashion consciousness where green is the new black, and H&M is selling that new green lifestyle through extremely fashionable means.

The pieces from the line are all created from organic materials such as cotton and linen, recyclable polyester and a renewable material called tencel. The eighty-piece collection is sustainable and marks a move into a fashion-conscious decade. With more and more people condemning fur, and the rise of green labels and their popularity, this romantic and refreshing collection could not come at a more perfect time.

The collection manages to make itself both fashion-forward and traditionally feminine. With pieces like the bright floral leggings and matching balconette top juxtaposed against the pale rosette tube dresses that could not be more fabulous if they were fresh from the factory make for an interesting and diverse shopping experience.

Moreover, the collection plays with differing styles such as batwing sleeve tops, high-waisted shorts and graphic, bold floral prints to more subdued girlish ones. So whether you want to rock a cool high-fashion spring look with the painted neon pansy dress or a more traditional, romantic one with the contrasting floral pinafore, there is something for everyone. There is great use of texture also; the pale pink rosette tank offers a more luxe version of a typical tank from the store making the pieces feel more fashion-forward and unique.

The pastel dress with the ruffled sides and the cropped red rosette jacket echo Valentino Spring 2010 Ready to Wear, making the line cutting-edge without compromising its accessibility.

A favorite piece has to be the pale pink batwing top. With intricate floral embroidering on the sleeves, it makes a girl feel ’70s chic instantly and is perfect for perfecting a boho-festival look just in time for Coachella. And most importantly, prices start at $15 and don’t go higher than $60; so being green doesn’t come at too high a price.

With the affordability of the collection and the critics celebrating this new eco-friendly line, the H&M Garden Collection is a great success and affirms H&M’s place as a fashion entity to be reckoned with, with or without the famed collaborations of recent months. And with its premise on green clothing, it’s making way for a new earth-friendly way of being the hottest fashionista, without the guilty conscience against Mother Nature.

So go spend your green, and be green in doing so!

E-mail Coady at [email protected].

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Charlotte Coady
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