Profile

Nowhere does high style meet mass market more thoroughly than at H&M, the Swedish clothing giant that invaded US shores in 1998. With a penchant for knocking off couture runway looks—and selling them with middling quality at bargain basement prices, H&M is an easy place to find an outfit that lasts exactly a season, or just long enough for it to fade from style. The nine H&M stores in Manhattan are uniformly bright, with giant mannequins displaying the latest looks and house music thumping throughout; notoriously crowded dressing rooms are, unfortunately, a staple at all locations, thanks to the brand's popularity with tourists and bargain-hunting locals. With new shipments of clothes coming in weekly, frequent H&M shoppers offer this word of advice: If you see something you like, buy it immediately. The best, trendy stuff disappears for good in a matter of days. — Faran Alexis Krentcil

Key Departments

H&M's 34th Street Herald Square Location offers an entire floor of cheap, chic kids' wear for infants through age 13, including accessories like backpacks, stuffed animals and cute hair accessories.

Related Stories

Best of New York Awards

• Best Bargain T-Shirts (2003)