Today is like high street fashion's Christmas eve. At 9am tomorrow morning, the doors of 250 worldwide H&M stores will open and the new Alexander Wang collection will be finally available to buy IRL and online.
Since the collaboration was announced in April, we, like thousands of other H&M collaboration groupies, have been waiting to get our hands on the hottest sports luxe on the high street.
It's no secret that trying to shop these collaborations is always a nightmare, with scrums, all-night vigils and shoppers with military-precision strategies to ensure they get their craved designs. So you're going to need some tips. Here’s how to bag some Wang that you can actually afford…
Make A Shopping List
Work out which pieces in the collection you want to buy before you go (remember you can only buy one of each sized item). If you're snapping up pieces for their resale value on Ebay then think carefully about which bits people will be desperate to get hold of. 'There are certain products we think are a great price that will fly off the shelves straight away,' said H&M insider Zelta Denham. 'The boxing gloves, which are real leather and functional - we think a lot of people will want those as a souvenir to hang up.' But if you just want to buy a great piece to wear - think practically, we'd say the grey marl slogan jumper and the Freja open-toe boots that were inspired by the SS10 boots. Or to see get you through the festive season, the leather troussers are a winner.
Location, Location, Location
Use the H&M store locator to work out which store stocks the collection (you can search the Wang collaboration) and be strategic: Oxford circus is swamped on a normal day at 8am. Head to out of the way stores with less footfall, and don't forget that Selfridges is also stocking the collection. If you really mean business, check Citymapper the night before and first thing - you don't want to end up stuck on the tube while those precious bands are being dished out.
Get There Early
The queues for H&M collaborations are legendary, so get there early at least by 7am; shoppers have been known to camp out overnight. While we're not saying you need to pitch your tent (this isn’t an iPhone launch) if you hit the snozze you'll be sure to lose. Once there you will be given one of the fourteen different coloured wristbands in a groups of 20, dictating what time you get to shop. Do the maths that's only 280 privileged shoppers... The good news is the restricted 10 minutes shopping is not on this collection though you'd be a fool to think you can browse at leisure.
READ MORE: A New Way To Carry Your Bag. And Other Lessons We Learnt From Carven
**Check Out The Mens Section **
It's often forgotten that is a menswear collection to this launch. There is a men's version of the grey marl sweater, and the queues won't be anywhere near as frantic for the men's section.
Go It Solo
Unless you have entirely different tastes and are at least two dress sizes apart, friends are best left at home . While you might appreciate the company in the queue (have you never heard of social media?) the fierce competition in store is not to be had with a friend. When she gets her mitts on something you wanted and then rocks up looking shmokin’ on a Saturday night, don’t say we didn’t warn you. Do you think that woman in the changing room queue, holding the coveted scuba sweatshirt and matching crop top (that was seen on Rihanna and caused a frenzy) let anything, or anyone, get in her way? No, I didn’t think so either.
Changing Rooms
Do even think about it. Wear leggings and a vest for ease of changing in a quite corner in a non Wang part of the store.
Stay In Bed And Log On
Don't expect to log on to the site at 9am and be able to breeze and shop at ease. The site will crash. You need to be logged on half an house early (and put in your card details prepared) so you can dive in as soon as it hits.
Rummage The Rejections
Panicked shoppers tend to grab much more than their credit card limit can afford them before discarding half of their stash in the changing rooms and all over the store. A half an hour long camp out besides the changing rooms or a quick jump of the sales assistant, with the rejected pieces in hand, will pretty much guarantee you that item your heart desires.
**Keep Your Receipt **
If you're unsure, buy it. You can always return it within 28 days if you have bought online, but you only have three days if you bought in store.
Missed Out And Now You're Heart Broken?
Log on to Ebay and check out whether you can buy that one thing that got away. You might end up paying over the odds for it, but this is the collaboration of the year, right?
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.