FASHION > First H&M in L.A. Has Fashion Fans in a Frenzy

Cheap-chic chain H&M opens Thursday in Pasadena. Some serious shopping is expected.

Credit card? Check. Running shoes? Check. Helmet and elbow pads? Check. Check.

Shopping isn't normally considered a contact sport, but when H&M, the Swedish cheap-chic chain known for whipping up retail frenzies, opens its first Southern California store Thursday in Pasadena, protective gear might be in order.

When H&M opened in New York, lines snaked around a city block. In Chicago, the crowd rushed the doors with the fierce energy of Oklahomans at a land rush. In San Francisco last year, the bargain-hungry lined up before sunrise.

[OMG! H&M has a MySpace page!, ed.]