H&M Cape Town opens at 10am today in the V&A Waterfront – here’s what to expect inside

So today at 10am, SA’s very first H&M store is officially opening in the V&A Waterfront.

This flagship stores which stretches out over two floors and 4700 square meters will offer womenswear, menswear, baby/toddler/tween & teen’s clothing for both boys & girls, as well as a homewear section for the decor obsessed.

Now I joined a group of folks on Thursday evening to get a sneak peek at what’s going to be in store, while also getting to do a little bit of pre-opening shopping. #Yay

As far as pricing goes, I’d say they’re on par with Cotton On pricing.  There are some items (like their limited designer colab collections) that will be a bit pricier, but overall I was actually quite impressed, especially considering that SA’s import duties on clothing is absolutely crazy.  Quality wise I think you’ll also be quite happy.  Think Forever 21, but better.

So let’s look at some pictures shall we?  Here are a few of the store:

Then the womenswear section (which takes up the entire ground floor):

Now for accessories!

And then we have some menswear (actually quite a lot of menswear – the boys definitely don’t come second at H&M):

Homewear addicts, here it is:

And finally, for the very little ones to slightly larger little ones:

I loved the wide selection of trends, making the store massively impressive.  My only complaint would be the lighting in the changing rooms.  It’s truly frightening! (Warning: objects in the mirror may appear larger, paler & flabbier than before)  I’ve decided to block what I saw from my memory for life… But ja, if you’re not brave enough, just try your things on at home. 😉

So what did I leave with? Well to be honest, not as much as I thought I would… But I think I was a bit overwhelmed by the crowd.  I don’t shop well under pressure.  But I did manage to get a sexy pair of navy jeggings (R229), that awesome “fries” T-shirt (R149) and a cool pair of sunnies (R129). Then I also picked up a little something for my sister’s baby girl:

I’m sure this brand spankin’ new H&M store will make many hearts flutter.  I do expect major crowds over the first few weeks though, so maybe you want to give it a bit of time to settle first.

I’m looking forward to seeing how frequently they update their ranges.  If they’re able to have something fresh all the time, I think I’ll be a regular shopper for sure.

xxx