H&M's Latest Collection Has Landed—Here Are 6 Perfect Looks to Elevate Your Spring Wardrobe

As fashion editors, we're often asked what to wear for different events (and if you're looking for wedding guest dresses, party looks or dinner outfits, we've got you covered), but the one thing I'm asked about the most is what to wear to work. You might think this would be easy to answer, but after lockdown threw our routines out of sync, as soon as I started going back into the office I realised for myself how easy it was to fall into the same cycle of jumper, trousers and loafers that quickly begins to feel a little bit samey.

Whilst there are some high-street brands I know I can rely on for the minimalist foundational pieces that are the building blocks of a wardrobe, the items I was missing the most were inspiring, exciting buys that put the fun back into getting dressed again and lately, H&M has been lightyears ahead of the competition for finding elevated pieces on a budget.

Take a look through my wardrobe and you'll find H&M items from party dresses to casual jeans, but one thing the high-street hero always gets right is tailoring. So, as soon as news of a new Studio Collection landed, I wanted to find out more—could this be the elevated yet affordable capsule we've been hoping for to upgrade our spring wardrobes? I talked to Linda Wikell, concept designer at H&M Studio, about what's making H&M look so good these days and why the Studio collection is even better.

"We launched H&M Studio just over 10 years ago as a standalone collection developed by a dedicated design team at our Stockholm atelier. It’s our most fashion-forward collection, created in durable, high-quality materials at an affordable price," Wikell told me ahead of the collection's latest launch. "[Over] the last decade we’ve released two collections per year, in line with the international fashion calendar, [and] then last year, for the 10th anniversary, we decided to expand the concept and release a series of drops throughout the year under the H&M Studio umbrella. It’s a line with a distinct personality, always with elements of bold tailoring, beautiful evening dresses and eclectic accessories in beautiful fabrics and materials, with a real attention to detail and an emphasis on versatile designs."

So, in short, don't expect T-shirts and leggings from this capsule—this drop is about upping your game whilst still looking effortless. Win, win. And what was the inspiration behind spring 2024? "For S/S '24 we envisaged a 1970s musician on the road, taking pieces from her tour wardrobe, borrowing a jacket from her best friend, a dress from her mother and mixing it all up in her own way. We wanted the collection to have a feeling of freedom and lightness. We were thinking of dusty landscapes and blue skies for the colour palette and relaxed shapes for the silhouettes, with an easy, chic vibe. As I mentioned, we always try to design super-versatile pieces that go into your existing wardrobe and can be worn in lots of different ways, so for S/S '24, there are some great wardrobe heroes that [make for] a bold look on their own or can be layered up to make more of a statement," says Wikell.

And statement pieces there are. Alongside the shirts, skirts and tailoring we'd hoped for are some standout moments I'm already preparing to see all over my socials in the coming months. But as bold as they may be, there's still longevity to these core pieces, as H&M is investing in staples that will work hard in your wardrobe for a long time to come (and the wide-leg trousers I bought three years ago and still wear are a testament to that). "More than ever, we’re aiming to design great fashion to help you express yourself. It’s less about trends [and] more about personal style, creating pieces you’ll love and cherish and want to wear again and again," notes Wikell. "These are wardrobe favourites that make you feel like the best version of yourself."

The best way to test this? Try it all on, of course. And as a fussy shopper, I have to say that I'm truly impressed. From the maxi coat that made me audibly gasp to the leather shorts I was unconvinced about on the rail but loved wearing, I got to try on my pick of H&M's Studio collection, and I can report that most of the pieces passed this fashion editor's test. If you're looking for an easy way to upgrade your workwear wardrobe without having to shelve it all and start again, keep scrolling to see what I loved from my H&M try-on. And trust me: any of these items is guaranteed to get you compliments.

1. Pale Blue Leather Trench Coat

Style Notes: Okay, this has to be one of those coats that everyone is going to love. Whether you're a classic dresser who always has a trench at the ready, a fashion-forward magpie who is drawn to premium polish or a fan of bright colours who believes in the power of dopamine dressing, there's just something about this sky-blue trench that would make anyone instantly happier. Although it has a pleasing weight (it isn't paper-thin), it's also the kind of perfect spring layer that you can put on over any outfit and be ready to go In fact, this coat is the outfit. When the high street is full of hundreds of cotton camel trenches, there's very little difference between a good one and a great one, but this has me convinced that pale blue is actually far more versatile than you might assume. It's also a key colour trend from the S/ S'24 runways, so expect this to be major over the next few months.

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2. Oversized Jumper and Leather Shorts

Style Notes: As previously mentioned, I'm not 100% sold on shorts—love them for everyone else, less so for me. Being bottom-heavy, I'm used to being comfy in loose skirts and wide-leg trousers, and shorts leave no room for hiding anything, but I'm pleased to say that stepping out of my comfort zone led to the discovery of this leather pair. Longer in the leg and with a roomier fit, you could pull these up to the waist or have them sat lower on the hips—they're just as comfortable as drawstring joggers but with a far dressier finish. Adding this super-light mohair knit makes the outfit feel like something I would wear to work and could also easily repeat on the weekend, just with a change of shoes. So, consider me converted to "styled-up shorts"; they'll make far more sense than leather trousers when the weather warms up.

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3. Maxi Coat and Snake-Print Dress

Style Notes: This coat was the first piece I saw from the collection and it set my expectations very high. Whilst you might expect such boxy, oversized tailoring from the likes of The Frankie Shop or Raey, it's not always easy to find it executed well on the high street, but this coat is proof that it can be done (I actually saw this coat worn closed with a skinny belt in the campaign images and assumed it was designer). Because it's so roomy you can easily get chunky knitwear underneath, but for spring, I want something a little lighter, and this snake-print dress does the job. Okay, you might not work in the kind of office where a V-neck minidress is an obvious choice, but imagine it with a turtleneck underneath or a slouchy knit on top. With this one dress, you can create numerous day, night, and party looks, so that's pretty good bang for your buck.

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4. Green Suit and Collared Shirt

Style Notes: I'm a sucker for a suit, but I understand why the formal co-ord might not be to everyone's taste. If you find the thought of a work suit too "stuffy", here's an alternative: fresh, fun tailoring in just the right shade of spring green that's still subtle enough to be considered a neutral. A blazer is a wardrobe staple for good reason, and you could wear this again with dark denim jeans, midi skirts, dresses… the list goes on. The fit is just as relaxed as that of the coat (and I welcome the return of big shoulders), and should you be looking for a top to wear it with that has more interest than a plain white tee, try this collared shirt. The exaggerated details are the key to it looking so expensive.

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5. Sleeveless Jacket

Style Notes: Now this is what Wikell means by "fashion-forward"—the kind of piece that we might not have come up with ourselves but once we see it, we immediately love it. If someone had suggested a sleeveless cargo-waistcoat-meets-jacket to me, I would have wondered how it could be worn in a way that wasn't safari-coded, and the answer is with structured trousers. Trying it on with my own pinstripe trousers worked well, but there's also a remarkably similar pair in the collection, as well as a pair of pleated, sand-coloured kick-flares that would be so good with this and some chunky, flat sandals. Is it summer yet?

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6. Pinstripe Shirt

Style Notes: Ask anyone to assemble the dream workwear capsule and one thing you'll find in the mix is an Oxford button-down. The post-lockdown 2020s have been all about sized-up and unbuttoned shirts tucked into jeans—or more recently, pencil skirts—and if you've been wearing the same white or blue shirt on rotation, you might be tempted by a pinstripe iteration that's just as versatile. I decided to keep things "business-casual" with trainers, as they make the smart print feel cooler than pointy heels, but the beauty of this wardrobe hero is that you can wear it all year round, and with just about anything. Summer? Try it open over a tank top with shorts and sandals. Autumn? Under a knitted tank with a skirt and knee-high boots; and in winter, a chunky knit. Of course, right now, it's a trench and jeans. There's no need to size up, and it's already got the perfect laid-back fit.

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Shop More of My Favourite Pieces From the H&M Studio Collection: