H&M in the ATL!

H&M bringing cheap chic to Atlantic Station
Store will be Swedish clothing retailer's first in deep South

By PATTI BOND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/06/07
Trendy H&M is finally bringing its low-priced, high-fashion concept to Atlanta.

A 24,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open this spring in an existing building at Atlantic Station. Work inside the two-story store will begin in October, leasing officials said Monday. Part of the space is now occupied by Metropolitan Deluxe, which is closing.

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Shopping hounds have impatiently waited for the Swedish retailer to debut here. H&M — short for Hennes & Mauritz — has stores in 28 countries and landed in the United States seven years ago but skipped over the deep South until now.

H&M becomes the second popular Swede to set up shop at Atlantic Station. Cheap-chic furnishings store Ikea has generated a steady stream of traffic since opening there in 2005.

"I think H&M will have the same sort of impact," said Brian Leary, a vice president with AIG Global Real Estate, the developer for Atlantic Station. "This is big for us."

H&M has built a cultlike following out of being the Ikea of sorts in the fashion world, churning out couture knockoffs at thrift-store prices. Though H&M has been described as the "fast food of fashion," its designers strike a chord with pop culture by hooking up with stars such as Madonna and Kylie Minogue for celebrity-themed lines.

The Atlantic Station site will be H&M's flagship store in Atlanta, meaning there might be room for more H&M locations here later.

The entrance will be along 18th Street, with most of the retail space on the second floor, Leary said.

H&M, which becomes one of the largest specialty stores at the mixed-use complex, will carry the retailer's full line, including clothing for men, women and children, he said.

"It's a major presence and a major statement, for H&M and for us," Leary said.

Some Atlantic Station critics have said the urban-focused center suffers from too much mall-based retail. Many of the apparel stores, for example, are also at suburban malls around Atlanta.

Leary said that landing H&M will help the center attract other far-flung retailers, particularly those that haven't come to Atlanta yet.

"We want to talk to every hot retailer — whether they're based in Japan, Spain or elsewhere — about expanding and coming here," he said. "We're trying to raise the bar with each announcement."

Atlantic Station's master development plan, including residential and office space, is only 40 percent complete, Leary said.

When Target opens in October, Atlantic Station will have about 1.3 million square feet of retail space, he said.

BASE!!!!!

so there is this amazing store on lincoln road on south beach in miami called BASE. they are a clothing store/ homegoods/ fragrance/ music/ furniture/ design mecca. it is one of the coolest stores youve never been in! i discovered them back in '02 when i moved down to be with augie, and fell in love instantly. the first thing that hits you, besides the cool air from the blasting air conditioners rescuing you from the sweltering south florida heat, is the scent. THE scent. the whole place is permeated. its called sand. they make it there. in the back. bottle by glorius bottle. the next thing you notice is just how COOL the place it. everything is new. everything is fresh. everything is different. they make a lot of their own clothes. they cull the hottest accesories from around the world. they are on the tip of whats hot in music. and now they have opened a new store, called the annex, where they sell furniture. can you imagine... the coolest store in miami now sells furniture! so not only can you dress yourself in the hippest clothes, bath in the most amazing scents, and jam to the hottest songs... now you can fill your home with the most unique, off the wall, trendiest furniture this side of italy. if your boring little exisitence needs a jump start, head down to BASE on lincoln road in miami... follow their lead and they will transform your life.

The Way A Man Should Dress...

from The Sartorialist. i totally agree with everything he says. for you guys out there who haven't a clue, read and take note! in addition to what he says, also notice how well the jacket fits, notably around the mid section and on the shoulders. despite what we think in the U.S., a jacket should actually fit quite snug, with very little extra fabric in any one area. also notice the height of the shirt collar. all of these things add up to a perfect ensemble! click on the picture to see more detail.



"This is Dario, he works at Cesare Attolini, one of the top sartorial clothiers in the world. When I look at this photo the first thing I notice is the perfect jacket/sleeve cuff ratio, but the second thing (and maybe more subtle but equally important) is the perfect length of the shirt sleeve itself. Similar to what we do to pants, most men in America wear their shirt's sleeves with way too much extra length in the arms. If you notice Dario's sleeves hit right at the base of his wrist without having the shirt cuff buttoned. I know a couple of guys in New York that like to do the "cuffs unbuttoned thing," but they wear the sleeves too long so it makes them look like the shirt doesn't fit correctly. I also think this way of wearing your shirt sleeve gives a very subtle illusion that makes a person look taller and more lanky. Think about it, tall people with long arms rarely wear sleeves that are too long. Their sleeves ride up on their arms a bit. I think it is something we see everday but don't really notice. Charlie Rose is a perfect example of this. I watch his show sometimes and I think the way he wears his shirts looks great and gives him a heightened sense of lankiness. Maybe because I am more of a muscular, square shape I'm always on the lookout for things that might, maybe, possibly give me just one ounce of "lank". I'd kill for a little lank."