How I Shop H&M in My 30s

Welcome to My Post-30 Wardrobe, a series in which our editor Allyson shares with you her experiences and advice pertaining to shopping and outfit planning as a 30-something fashion editor. While Allyson's style has certainly changed since she turned 30, she also believes that age is just a number and you should wear whatever makes you feel the coolest and most confident.

I fully condone shopping wherever you want no matter your age. There are many brands across the land that have tons of clothing options for every age group and lifestyle, fast-fashion ones included. I previously shared my Zara and Amazon shopping strategies, and now I'm taking you through my methods for finding the best stuff at H&M as a 30-something.

I've found that there are a few very specific strategies for scoring the best H&M has to offer, given its frequently updated, often overwhelming inventory. Read on to get the scoop on my useful strategy and shop my current picks from the brand.

Look for the Premium Quality Pieces

The beauty of H&M is that even the Premium Quality pieces are still relatively cheap, but considerably higher in quality.

Shop Premium Quality Pieces

Shop the Campaign Edits

When I'm short on time, I always shop the various campaign sections, as that's where the freshest, most forward pieces are highlighted.

Neutral Colors Are a Safe Bet

I find that neutrals always look more expensive than brights (although there are exceptions to that). When in doubt, go neutral it out.

Shop Neutral-Colored Pieces

Don't Forget Denim

Of all the fast-fashion brands out there, I vote H&M as the denim champion. It's constantly releasing on-trend styles, many of which are made with 100% cotton.

Shop Jeans

Size Up

I find that H&M tends to run on the small side, so I usually order a size up, or I order two sizes and return the one that doesn't fit.

The Simpler the Better

Pared-down pieces are the most likely to look expensive, so I always keep an eye out for those special basics.

Shop Simple Pieces

Stalk the Shoes

H&M's stock is filled with stylish, very affordable shoes, and they're not all just knockoffs. (Just buy quickly, as the coolest styles tend to sell out.)

Shop Shoes

Put Collaborations on Your Calendar

There's a lot of hype around H&M's special designer collaborations, so they're hard to miss. I don't find something I want in every collab, but if I do, I try to snag it as soon as it's released into the wild.

Avoid Busy Prints

I gravitate toward classic prints (or solids) at H&M, as the more ambitious prints can be hard to get right at a low price point, and they're not nearly as timeless.

Shop Classic Prints

Next up: the under-$50 H&M pieces to buy to look like a royal.