I had the privilege of previewing and trying out some of the new H&M Sport collection on Tuesday morning at Bislett Stadium in Oslo. One thing H&M has done consistently well over the past decade or so is identify popular trends and make those trends more accessible to the mass market. Their recent push of their sports gear is evidence and validation that not only sportswear but performance fashion is a large emerging market. The quality is good too. No special bells or whistles, but that's not what you're come to expect from H&M. It's a good product at a great price. My biggest complaint with H&M in the past has been that I could always find something I liked better somewhere else...basically, it was too basic. But this time they have some stuff that is technically strong and looks good too.
The slides above show a grey technical running hoodie, training shorts that aren't marathon runner short or basketball long, another breathable hooded jacket (that I'll talk about later after a few runs with it) and an interesting running sweater from their new Go To Gold collection. A hooded merino wool sweater that fits close to the body. Click the pic for a link to the website. This is exactly what I mean about fashion looking at performance qualities in sportswear. Merino wool is a better fabric option than any synthetic for this type of sweater and its form fit is perfect for activity as a standalone or as a layer. Finding an item like this isn't easy...finding one for under $100 is even harder. Bravo H&M.