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My name is Tiffany, and I survived the great H&M Balmain hunt of 2015.

I was lucky in that my experience was relatively tame compared to others. Videos circulated yesterday of the crowds in New York, Paris and London absolutely losing their complete and entire minds when the H&M doors finally opened at 8AM.

The people in my line were actually [gasp] quite friendly. It felt like we bonded while we were in the trenches for the H&M Balmaination Army Brigade. The guys sitting next to me offered their chocolates and muffins to those around. It was a very orderly and pleasant experience.

Nothing like this:

Instagram Photo

But did I mention that I was first in line? Yeah, that happened. I arrived at 11:45PM on Wednesday night, confirmed with the mall security the location for the line, and set-up shop. I was fully prepared with a chair, blanket, poncho, books, laptop, phone, external charger, snacks and water. As the great Ricky Bobby said “If you’re not first, you’re last”.

Seriously, If you weren’t in that first shopping group, I’m not sure what you were able to get. The collection was extremely limited. Each H&M did not offer the entire collection and what they did have was in small quantities especially the accessories. My store had maybe one of each accessory in a glass case. Ma’am, what?

The items are popping up on eBay, but you’ll have to pay a pretty penny until the madness dies down.

But if you were lucky enough to snag some pieces, it’s really only half the battle. Styling the pieces is a whole other challenge in and of itself.

If you’re a little intimidated by the textures, sequins and overall fabulosity of the H&M for Balmain collection. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Balmain for H&M

Source: H&M / H&M

Wear the piece, don’t let the piece wear youThis is all about packing confidence when wearing a piece from this collection. Try to stay as true to your personal style as possible. If you’re a minimalist, stick to the black pieces or make one piece the statement and keep everything else simple. If you’re a maximalist, pile it on like you normally do!

Balmain for H&M

Source: H&M / H&M

Get pieces with options. I’m a fan of sequins just as much as the next person but how many times do you think you can wear the same sequined dress over and over again? When looking at your new pieces, think about different ways to wear them. For example, the beaded dress can be worn as a top, with pants, or under a blazer. Whatever your pleasure just try to mix it up.

Balmain for H&M

Source: H&M / H&M

Wear all of your pieces at the same time or nah? We all know that you’ve scored a few pieces from the H&M for Balmain collection but do you need to wear them all at the same time? It’s really up to you. Some of the pieces look really good together but see how they work with the rest of your wardrobe. Again, mix it up.

This collaboration was one of the most anticipated collections in H&M’s history. If you were lucky enough to nab a few pieces, more power to you. If not, check out eBay and decide if the re-sale price is worth it to you.

Happy Balmaining!

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In Real Life: Camping Out For The Balmain/H&M Collection Was SO Worth It  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com