Finally! Another H&M open on the Island side as of late October…read more I like H&M because the clothes actually look good (the only exception is probably the Uniqlo UT line), and doesn't break your bank balance. And this store is actually big meaning lots of variety and something for everyone. Not only that, theres also a homewares section (decorations, bathroom stuff, etc) on the top floor making this store a very worthy rival to Muji.

This, my friends, is an exemplary H&M - hence the 5 stars…read more Notice how the merchandise at most H&M's is typically squeezed so close together, you end up inadvertently knocking stuff off the racks as you sift through it? This happens to me, anyway... and regularly. But not at this new Asia flagship location. The goods are dispersed over 4 floors and a whopping 47,000 square feet. That's a huge deal in Hong Kong, where space comes at a premium! All that extra room results in a wholly enjoyable, stress-free H&M shopping experience. You didn't think it was possible, did you? In addition to the well-organized fashion, this location boasts an H&M Home store on the top floor! There you'll find a slew of well-curated and affordable goodies for the home... anything from soft duvets and chic pillow covers to plush towels and rustic kitchen knick-knacks. For an upcoming Thanksgiving dinner that I'll be hosting in my flat, I purchased some place mats and kitchen items (I don't often cook, so now I'm set with the essentials). I also found a pair of perfectly-distressed slim-fit boyfriend (I know, an oxymoron) jeans that I LOVE. I'm soon going back to fetch a back-up pair as I know I'll wear those babies to an untimely death. Well-done, H&M! And welcome to Causeway Bay.

One of my absolute FAVORITE clothing stores in the world for "stylish disposable" wear at…read moreaffordable prices. I can always find fabulous outfits in either the womens or mens section. The designers for Zara know what they doing with keeping it's customers fashion forward. The stores are perfectly designed for easy access to view and try on clothing. I recommend Zara if you are looking for quality goods that are stylish and reasonably priced.

When shopping in Pacific Place, Zara is a must. In fact, the only fashion store where I've ever…read morebought anything in this shopping mall. As opposed to the rest of them Zara is not a designer store, neither a high end brand. It's a medium quality, good design clothing and accessories' store. We all know Zara. It may be argued that it does not match in this location but I think it's great that it's there. Today I wanted to buy a bag and it was almost an emergency...I had kept an old one for way too long. As Topshop in Queensway doesn't have many bags (if any at all) I headed to Zara. None of the other stores crossed my mind. What's more: I knew I could find what I was after - a big black bag, rather simple. This season is plagued with those, with a good range of qualities and prices. I finally got Trafaluc one and I love it, it does its job and it's nicely designed. They also have some pretty brown leather bags in this collection. I did have a look at the clothes too; Zara HK is different to Europe's stores (the ones I know) in many ways...not only the design is more minimalistic and the lines simpler but it is also more expensive and it's positioning differs from Europe's. I found the current collection a little boring but still, great to have a Zara just 2 minutes away from my office!

Sizable Uniqlo inside Cityplace Plaza…read more If you are petite, you might get better deals as almost ALL sale items are small sizes. Sale associates eager to help to find you the right size. I feel like going on a diet after shopping here in order to get into those jeans. I do prefer this location compares to the one in Causeway Bay as it is not as busy!

On the 3rd floor of Cityplaza which is connected to the Tai Koo MTR station. Wide selection of…read moreclothing here, especially kids clothing, pyjama, and undergarments. They close at 9pm, which I believe is an hour earlier than the mall does. Their staff is very helpful and always willing to help you out. One caveat of this location is that they often run out of the smaller sizes, so they're often left with the medium and large sizes during sales. This is probably die to the fact that their store is a tad smaller than other typical Uniqlo stores around the city.

I only give this place a 4 because I have not had an opportunity to wear many of my purchases and…read morelaunder them to know how the quality will stand up over some time. But I love COS and love that I discovered this store. I am not a fashionista, but I do love well made clothes that look taylored and yet have room to function and move. I always read care labels before a purchase and I do shy away from merino wool because it can pull and not wash well if not extremely well made. COS does have many pieces made of merino wool, so I kind of looked past these items. The clothes might use a lesser quality fabric on many pieces, but the cut and tayloring is current and comparable to items you would find in any high end retailer. The clothes, brand and price point kind of make me think of this brand as higher end than an H&M, less quality and cheaper price than Saks Fifth Avenue brands, equal in cut, structure and function as Marimekko and other equaivalent cut, high-end clothing lines in many ways and very current in the realm of what is happening in fashion. Simple lines, simple colors, modern. For business or casual, COS offers classic pieces I hope to have in my wardrobe for some time. COS is out of England. As stated on their website: "COS is a fashion brand for women and men who want modern, functional, considered design. Offering reinvented classics and wardrobe essentials, we create pieces that are made to last beyond the season. Traditional methods and new techniques merge to form timeless, understated collections. Since launching in 2007, we have opened stores worldwide in carefully considered locations, applying an architectural design concept that preserves buildings' original features whilst creating a modern, welcoming space." The store itself is a two story structure. Lots of staff if you needed assistance and pretty open space to browse around. Men's clothes are on the second floor. Store seems well organized. There are some comfortable seats throughout if you had a spouse who needed to park it while you look around.

Before departing for Hong Kong I thought to search and see if the city had a COS (H&M's high end…read morecousin) and to my surprise and delight, they had not one but two locations! COS (Collection Of Style) was a wardrobe staple of mine when I lived in London. (COS hasn't yet made it to the USA.) As a regular COS shopper I knew the sizing of the clothes here is often variable (in some items I'm an XS, others I'm a M) so I took armloads into the dressing room. I think this is a good strategy in almost any shop (if you're going to go through the hassle to take your clothes off to try on one item, you might as well try on six, right?) but even moreso here. Think you're a medium? Take a small and a large in with you too! This COS shop is on the medium-large side, with two stories and women's, men's and children's offerings. I tried on heaps of clothing and ended up going home with a fun grey jumper whose sleeves you can turn up to reveal a bright blue inside lining, an oversized sweatshirt dress and a cashmere hat. COS is definitely worth a look if you want to inject some Scandinavian cool into your closet.

Uniqlo is the queen of basics. Solid color tank tops, short-sleeved t-shirts, long-sleeved…read moret-shirts, cardigans, hoodies, capris, jeans... Have I named every clothing item in existence yet? If you're looking for work wear, Uniqlo is the place to be. The main section of Uniqlo has every kind of clothing item possible and in every color possible. You can probably pick up the same v-neck t-shirt in about seven different colors here. Uniqlo specializes in basics, but they have a section where they partner with brands that you would think are pretty unimaginable in the clothing industry. They've partnered with Campbell - yes, the soup - before, and they had a series of t-shirts with different soup cans on them. Strange, but you'd be surprised that they're actually popular! The more common themes they've done are cartoons like Snoopy, Tom and Jerry and Mickey Mouse. Last year, they collaborated with UK furniture store Laura Ashley - while the patterns were nice, all the tops kind of looked like table cloth to me! I guess this is the section for the more quirky of the personalities - I don't know about you, but the idea of being a walking advertisement for Campbell soup is not for me. The quality of clothes at Uniqlo is good, but they wear out after a while. Uniqlo has a pretty big sleepwear section, stocking sets in cute and colorful prints. They feel really good too - the quality is kind of like velour. I've bought a couple of sets over the years and find that with repeated washes, the material hardens and results in little raised fur balls (for the Cantonese-speaking, the colloquial term is 'hei mo' or 起毛). I've bought cardigans here before and this didn't happen, and I can't speak for t-shirts because I don't own any from here. Perhaps it's just the velour-like material that causes this to happen over time? You'll be glad to know that Uniqlo is quite affordable - a typical t-shirt is $99, and a hoodie probably $199. The reason I don't buy from Uniqlo more often is because I find that their stuff is a little baggy and lacks cutting. Otherwise, Uniqlo is a great place to stock up on basics at an affordable price!

The flagship store with several levels of clothes for everyone. They often have specials on where…read moreyou get a discount for buying 2 items. Men be careful with the size as they are non standard. Try them on first as although I wear medium to large most tmes, it was XL at Uniqlo. There is a good selection of kids and women clothes as well. Nice place to shop.

Tiare is located in Central, a short walk from the escalators. There is one other Tiare store in…read moreHong Kong located in Repulse Bay. This is a very stylish clothing boutique. It carries modern, casual clothes from the U.S. The colors are nice and warm and makes me wish I was on a boat somewhere. There's a maxi dress here and there, but it's for those who want to be stylish and comfortable. The sweat-shorts are perfect for my wardrobe. Who doesn't want to go out in their sweatpants every day? The cuff on the bottom gives them a nice refined look. There are some nice collared button ups that would pair nicely with linens pants or summer shorts. I love the Citizen and DL jeans that they have hanging in the back by the fitting room. They look long and lean will be perfect for winter. Even if you like to dress to the 10s most of the time, the clothing in here is perfect for your not so fancy fashion days. *Also, there is a random collection of candles at the top of the clothes hanging racks. If you're in the market, these can make a lovely addition to your home.

Tiare has a range of beautiful yet simple clothing. The summer dresses are really cute and the…read morematerials (generally silk or ultra light) are perfect for the weather. The prices however, seem very high for what is on sale but it's the cuts, not the out-there designs, that you pay for. If you're anything like me, the perfect white t-shirt is a coveted wardrobe item and I always manage to find one in Tiare. My preference are the silk mixes which just hang so perfectly. Actually, all of the jersey items are hits for me. If you can stomach paying around the $1000 mark for a simple top, you won't regret the purchase. I wear mine time and time again and never have to worry about them bobbling in the wash or those oh so annoying holes that mysteriously appear under the arm! If you're on their mailing list, Tiara will invite you to sample sales which are perfect if you are of average size. You can snap up items for a fraction of the cost but be warned, stock goes FAST. There is a small jewelry range as well as items such as boob tape and some underwear. A really cute boutique with a focus on quality.

Being an avid New York shopper, I jumped at the chance to check out this department store/fabled…read moreshopping mecca that we don't have back in the states. Situated in a building that houses both offices and other high end (very high end) stores such as Celine, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen, it's a nice location for anyone who wants to hit all the fashion powerhouses at once and potentially drop a mortgage. One of best parts of the store is the customer service. The salespeople go out of their way to greet you--you're lucky if you even get a cold stare by NY salespeople! I liked the selection for the women's department. A nice mix of known and upcoming designers. The display is well done, perhaps slightly crowded. I ended up purchasing something from L4 and was helped by a lovely salesperson Bubbles. She was not too pushy but made sure to let me know she would help me if I had any questions. Definitely a place to stop if you're a shopping fiend like me!

One of my favourite places to shop for cosmetics is at Harvey Nichols. There are many throughout…read moreHong Kong, but the one I most frequent is at Pacific Place. I don't know what it is with me and Pacific Place. Perhaps it's pretty much where I grew up and I know it like the back of my hand, but I just find is so convenient and I can get everything I possibly need, while have lunch and watch a movie then have dinner. It's just a do it all at one place kind of deal. Perhaps this review should be about Pacific Place. But what I really want to talk about is Harvey Nichols. If you want to be in one place and do all your shopping for high brand cosmetics, shoes, fashion etc. then harvey Nichols is one of the best places to do that. I recommend you go in with a list of things you need, because otherwise, you may come out with a list of things you didn't ever think you needed. One thing about Harvey Nichols is that their sales people are very hard sellers. I don't know if it is Hong Kong in general, it probably is, women hard sell other women like no other place i've ever seen. It's part of the culture here. They just happen to know your soft spot and go in for the kill. Don't get swept up in the frenzy, stick hard to your list and hunt for what you need. Most times you will find what you're looking for if its high end things. For example, I ran out of Shu Uemura face wash the other day. I knew exactly what I needed, and I went for it. Did the ladies try to sell me on their newest moisturiser? Of course! Did I succumb? Nope. It takes self-control and strong will but you'll be able to do it. In the mean time, get inspired! See the newest trends/products. Learn about them and take a mental note. It's the best place for knowing all the latest beauty gimmicks.

With its cozy "rooms" this location does a great job replicating the ambiances of its Madison…read moreAvenue (NY) "Collection" boutiques - with prices even higher if that was possible. While I love to browse, the premium prices - think 20-30% over US prices plus NO good sales - means I leave empty-handed more often than not. Too bad, because the sales staff is mercifully unobtrusive and gracious when engaged.