H&M's cheap chic finally arrives in Seattle at Westfield Southcenter, opening July 25

I first heard of Swedish superstore H&M after spying one of their stylish yet inexpensive tops in Lucky magazine. I googled the store, and discovered that there were even more cute-but-cheap clothes where that shirt came from.

Unfortunately, with neither a location near me, nor the availability of H&M merchandise online, I was stymied from joining the legions of H&M faithful. So I vowed to visit a store just as soon as I traveled either east of the Mississippi or to Europe, whichever came first.

As luck would have it, my mom invited me on a trip to Italy not too long after I developed this lust for H&M. We flew into Milan just so I could visit the store there, which at the time was Italy's only location.

I was thrilled to find that everything looked just as chic and fashion-forward as I had anticipated. It's no wonder, though, since H&M has carried exclusive designs from such fashion luminaries as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Roberto Cavalli.

On a subsequent visit to New York City, I discovered that there's an H&M store on practically every corner, leaving me to wonder when the Swedish retailer would discover Seattle.

At long last, my wait is over. On Friday, July 25 at 10 a.m., H&M will open its flagship Seattle store at the Westfield Southcenter shopping mall. Two more stores -- on Pike Street downtown and in University Village -- will follow this fall.

The arrival of H&M is part of Westfield Southcenter's $240 million redevelopment, which includes 75 new stores (Lucky Brand Jeans, Coach, Banana Republic and Bare Escentuals among them), a movie theater and five restaurants, including Duke's Chowder House, Blue C Sushi and Joey's Grill and Lounge.

Grand-opening festivities begin at 7 a.m., when customers can line up for a scratch ticket that reveals $25 off or more from H&M, Sephora, Forever 21, MAC, Gene Juarez or other retailers. All customers in line before 9:30 a.m. will receive a ticket.

Other events include an acoustic set by local musician John Roderick of The Long Winters, a speech by Gov. Christine Gregoire and a visit from celebrity stylist Robert Verdi, who will dish the dirt on fall trends. For more information about the grand opening visit www.westfield.com/southcenter.

H&M offers clothing and accessories for men and women, and features collections ranging from sporty to dressy and casual to work-appropriate, with prices rarely over $70. New this summer are lines made with organic cotton and wool, as well as recycled wool and polyester.

NWsource editor Monica Fischer and shopping columnist Alison Brownrigg will attend a media preview of H&M on Thursday, July 24. Visit NWsource that evening to find out if the Swedish fashion icon was worth the wait.

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