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A free-spiritedfree-spirited summersummer fromfrom H&M SS26 inspiredinspired byby scarvesscarves
The summer isn’t my favourite season. However, I do enjoy not having to wear a coat and then wondering if there’ll be a cloakroom when I reach my destination. I’ve been known to wear a sweater in the summer, as recently as yesterday, in fact. I was on a call, and someone was surprised that I was wearing one, joking that they can’t wait to see me in a t-shirt this winter. Something I can’t wait to see is the H&M SS26 collection.
The collection landed in May 2026, so while I am nearly two months late, it’s around about this time most people are comfortable shopping for the current season. The thing about living in England is, you can’t trust the weather. You’ll leave the house in a cotton t-shirt with an umbrella lodged in your bag.
I only recently stopped bringing an umbrella with me every time I leave the house because we have proof it’s not going to rain any time soon. But that leaves me with a slight dilemma: I basically have no clothes. No cute clothes for summer, that is. I don’t really want to wear jeans every day, and I also don’t want to wear something black.
I’m genuinely hot and bothered. So, in perusing one of my favourite high street brands for great-quality garments and trans-seasonal basics, this is what I’ve found.
A SCARF-INSPIRED COLLECTION
The H&M SS26 collection is underpinned by ‘the scarf’. Eliana Masgolas Buarte, Womenswear Design Lead at H&M, said, “This season, we became fascinated by the history of the scarf.” This comment doesn’t make me think anything special about H&M because, at its core, it is a fast fashion brand. Eliana and team are not spending months at a time searching for inspiration in the wilderness to create collections. They’re watching what’s trendy, what’s on the runway, and picking apart the pieces they determine are the most efficient to manufacture.
However, she then went on to say, “The collection channels that spirit of past and present, elegance and ease, bringing a spirit that is rich and storied, as well as sensual and fresh”. And I thought to myself, “Okay, now we’re getting somewhere.” That’s what I need right now: garments that will last because ingrained in its fabric is an appreciation of what was, to make space for what can be. I don’t want to dress like I was born in 1956, because I wasn’t. But I look upon historic cultural moments and ponder how cool it would’ve been to exist then.
My Grandma was recently telling me a story about how she had to queue up to see Michael Jackson perform when he came to London in person. Wow, wish I was there for that pandemonium instead of today’s resellers. My Uncle’s telling me stories of the Brixton Riots after Mark Duggan’s death. The uncertainty of those times and remembering history to process the future. Life is all about evolution, which is inextricably linked to nostalgia, good or bad.
Spring-Summer 2025
Last year, summer was trash. I was in a bad place mentally. Eliana’s “vision of a summer full of fun, freedom and day-to-night adventures” sounds good, if even a little chaotic. Something for everyone, I guess. She doubles down on her vision by saying, “The colour story is rich, with papaya, mango, kiwi and tangerine tones balance by earthy terracotta and brown.” An ethnic minority’s dream, right? If you are dark-skinned or, at the very least, tanned, the H&M SS26 collection seems to have what you need.
But I couldn’t stop there. She boasted that H&M’s silhouettes embrace movement, from maxi dresses to sarong trousers and trousers with barrel legs. I’m not being funny, but I’m kind of ready to see what the collection looks like. Barrel leg jeans are in. I have owned 3 in my life, and they are fab. They cup my bum, but not too tightly; they don’t cling onto my calf muscles, and they pair well with tight and loose-fitted tops.
While that all does sound great, I don’t much care for knit dresses, crochet tops and dresses or skirts with a semi-sheer fabric. I can already tell these items are likely to be made from trash materials, so it’s an immediate no for me. The collection’s swimwear also contained refined “chain-details” or delicate beading. I’ll judge the beading when I see it, but the refined chain is an immediate no.
H&M SS26 Collection
I can’t say I’m disappointed with the offering from H&M this season, because I don’t have the same urge to part with my money as I have before. H&M’s shoe offering includes a translucent jelly flip-flop, and that isn’t new. But Eliana did say, “A fresh take on a summer staple”, so we shall see.
The jewellery includes “Shell-inspired earrings, mirror sunset shades, oversized bangles and chunky gold-tone chains”. Shell-inspired earrings are boring unless you’re going on holiday or are running low on jewellery and you need a quick fix. Mirror sunset shades: boo. Throw tomatoes. Oversized bangles: No. Chunky gold-tone chains are very 2014 and not in a good way.
While the campaign images seem fun, I believe that, based on Eliana’s description of the collection, she nailed the “Free-spirited mood” and a wardrobe shaped by “travel, creativity and self-expression”. It’s likely personal taste and current wardrobe staples that’d push someone to make a new purchase.
The H&M SS26 collection is available to shop now.
Images courtesy of H&M.
