H&M's Garden Collection as Cute as We Hoped It Would Be

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The latest H&M collection dropped last week—based on the rather lackluster response to both waves of Sonia Rykiel Pour H&M collection, we obviously didn't hustle over to check it out or anything. We went to inspect the eco-friendly Garden Collection this weekend.

When we first walked in, we got a little deja vu, since we spent an hour the previous day messing around in the WeHo Target, trying on all the Liberty of London frocks. So many florals. But many of the H&M pieces are actually cheaper than the Target goods, and probably made at least as well.

We're not gonna say we loved every piece, but most of them we like, at least a lot. With the exception of the cotton floral structured tank/bustier. There were a few dresses with jersey bodies that were very typical H&M fare. The cotton sundresses were lovely, as was the recycled polyester maxi-dress in the pictures. Our favorite piece was the red strapless dress with the rosette skirt. $40, and it looks just like it did in the picture. It's an endangered species: one of the staff reported that one customer drove 100 miles just to get their hands on it. [We purchased it, and we've been wearing it around the house for the past two hours. Love! According to the tag, it's made from "100% recycled fibre from petbottles or textile waste." Huh? Petbottles?]

We only tried on five items (the rosette dress, two jersey dresses, a sundress and the floral print leggings), and the fit seemed pretty consistent and true.

The collection doesn't try to be high-end; it's just full of fun, fresh spring staples, all priced right. (Many of the dresses are $20 or less.) Get a move on: unlike the Sonia Rykiel collection, which has been relegated to the back where it's mainly collecting dust, the Garden Collection pieces are moving pretty fast.
· H&M [Official Site]