H&M Picks Continued - Cute, flattering skirts under $35

Ahh, back to reality, work, and studying. This will probably be my only post this week, since I have a huge exam this weekend which I cannot wait to get over with. But I wanted to share these great skirts which I picked up a week or two ago before they are no longer in stores, in case any readers wanted to go check them out in person.

On a separate note, Black Friday this year was tres disappointing for me - I hope readers had better luck! At midnight last Thurs, I visited (with high hopes) this outlet mall which had a ton of stores that I love - Saks Off 5th, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Ann Taylor outlet, AT LOFT outlet, Banana Republic outlet, plus much more. Somehow I managed to walk away with just a few Snuggies. It's so hard to find small petite sizes during chaotic sales like Black Friday, especially at discount department stores where you need time to dig.

Anyways, without further delay, back to the skirts. I continue to be surprised by the crafstmanship and wearable designs of H&M Trend, which can be obtained at prices only marginally higher than their regular stuff. Unfortunately, I think this line can only be found at stores in major cities like NYC, Boston, and San Francisico.

1. H&M "Trend" black / gray paneled high-waisted skirt. Size 2, $34.99.

At first glance, this looked just like a basic work skirt to me. Upon closer examination, however, I noticed it was actually quite trendy with lots of flattering details. This skirt has a banded waist with contrasting belt loops, contrasting side panels, pleated front panel, front pockets, and two back contrasting mock-pockets. Fully lined. The end result? An optical illusion that makes the wearer look like she has a small waist and curvy behind. Since I have minimal natural curves, I'm not complaining.

The key to the curvy illusion is the contrast side panels coupled with a very narrow bottom opening. Since there was so much going on at the bottom of this skirt, I paired it with a plain black tee and a thin black belt. I just adore the front pockets:

Click "Read More" for more skirts.



2. H&M "Trend" black / metallic cream skirt with piping detail. Size 2, $34.99.

All my photos don't do this skirt justice! For some reason, the lovely creamy champagne color of the skirt does not come out at all in the photos. I typically stay away from shiny or metallic materials in large quantities, but I thought this skirt was done well. The texture of the cream material is difficult to describe - a mix between jacquard and satin. I love the piping detail and elastic waist band with tiny ruffles. Oh, fully lined as well. This skirt is seriously so comfortable on because of the elastic waist (generously sized and not restrictive at all, unlike my elastic waist belt!).

I was at a loss about what to pair this with. The skirt really is a statement piece, but a plain tee on top didn't look right. I think a soft, black fitted sweater would be best, which remains high priority on my to-get list.

Paired with tights and black heels, this is currently work appropriate for me at my business-casual dress client. The metallic looks so festive in person, yet not glaringly metallic.

For cocktail or other nighttime settings, I switched up the top. The pattern of the piping reminded me of corsets for some reason, so I dug out the closest thing I had to a corset.

Tank top with structured bust from Forever 21, size S, $10.

3. Satiny pencil skirt with zipper detail. Sz 2, $24.99.
As evident by the price point, this is the one skirt I got that was not H&M Trend. The crafstmanship is noticeably poorer, but this skirt is still very cute and will last for at least a handful of wears. The zippers are cute (one is mock, one is the actual closure) and the satin is stretchy and curve-hugging, but I can tell it may pill and snag easily. It's also unlined so anything worn underneath or tucked in shows up clearly (still hunting for the perfect shapewear).

Note the ridiculous little bulges and creases around the tummy area caused by the tucked-in blouse. To make matters worse the blouse I chose has buttons, which are showing clearly. Paired with H&M cotton sleeveless top and Forever 21 necklace:

The key is probably to wear a smooth, fitted top. I was able to tuck in this tank with minimal fabric lines. Paired with the same corset tank from above:

While on my skirt shopping spree, I also picked up a fuzzy sweater from the juniors department. I loathe the quality of H&M's "Divided" line, but sometimes they do have cute stuff. Although the material of this sweater was iffy, it looked so cozy I couldn't resist.

I usually avoid shoulder details like the plague, but the fit on this was not too bad. Unfortunately, the material was indeed terrible - crazy itchy and constantly shedding. I am going to keep my eyes peeled for a similar sweater in a soft cashmere knit with better-looking buttons.

While I was admiring the fit, my boyfriend strolled by muttering about how I looked just like Shredder. I had no idea who "Shredder" was, but I had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't a petite fashion icon. A quick Google search yielded my answer:

Shredder --> Me

Apparently it's some villain from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We do have the same tastes, from the shoulder spikes down to the black waist-cinching belt. Priced exorbitantly at $29.95, the decision to return this one was easy.

I will also be returning the above skirts since I decided to keep the tweed mini, but nevertheless I wanted to showcase how pretty and well-fitting they were. Deciding which one to keep was so tough. H&M, keep up the good work with the Trend line!