Molly Bloom knows style

This morning I headed downtown before work to see the unveiling of the Comme des Garçons for H&M line. Pardon my Japo-French but it was a m&%$#!f@^>*:+ mêlée. This is the best photo I could get from the escalator; the crowd was jarring and everyone was hoping to score a castaway top.

I arrived at 10:10, later than planned due to bus failure. The store opened at 10 a.m. and there was zero merchandise left on the floor when I got there. No women’s, no men’s, no accessories (my planned first-hit target). There were a few mannequins still standing but not for long. The window displays were being emptied. Sold. Out.

Like a vulture I circled the floor. A few discards were seen but either wrong style or color. Vicious. One woman was putting merchandise behind her infant in a stroller to keep people from grabbing it. I talked to a few sales associates who were way too busy to talk to me but they said people were queued for hours before opening and that everything was instantly gone. Keep in mind there was a limit of two of the same item per person. Whatevs, look for it on eBay, right?

H&M sucks and will likely cost me a job someday. It’s fast fashion, with crap construction and shoddy materials. When big designers do a low line for mass market you’re buying for the style and not for the quality. Most of the people jammed into the Union Square stores are huge Rei Kawakubo fans who can’t afford the luxury pricepoints of Comme des Garçons.

The usual CDG color palate was there: black and white and navy and plenty of polka dots. There was an adorable deconstructed jacket and an even better overcoat. I saw some funny hobble-like gypsy pants that featured a low crotchpoint below the knees. Many of the pieces were intended for that quirky Japanese layering thing, with the scooched-up sleeves and funny socks and shoes plus a cinched belt. I walked away with a navy polka dot crew-neck top and banana-leg drawstring pants. I’ll wear them as loungewear when I’m reading the Sunday Times or spending the night at a friends house.

Election Day rain bonnet made by my grandmother features a donkey on one side and an elephant on the other. Moxie’s wearing her American flag hoodie and making a quick getaway.