It’s mid-November, and most of us have started planning for Christmas. Whether that’s shopping for gifts, an advent calendar to count down to the big day or items for the home. Now that covid restrictions are a thing of the past, the Christmas night out has returned, and many people are looking to celebrate the season in style. Most high street retailers have dropped their Christmas ranges - from Zara to Mango and H&M - but it’s the latter’s collection that has caught the attention of shoppers, as one dress has become an overnight sensation.

The H&M white sequin party dress of 2023

H&M’s white sequin tie back dress - a thigh length number with a black tie back and long sleeves - has become a sell out success, with many people selling the item, which retails at £54.99, on resale sites for three times the price. When I went to see if I could find one in Glasgow, a salesperson in H&M told me that she’d been asked at least five times that morning, and it has been reported that H&M staff are getting 200 requests a day for the dress. Which leads to the question, why has this specific dress caught the eye of so many shoppers? The reviews from those who managed to buy the dress are favourable, with one writing about how it’s ‘heavy, silky lined and comfy with a bit of stretch’ while another added that it’s ‘double layered so not itchy or see through.’ H&M won’t officially speculate (saying ‘we are unable to comment on the reasoning behind its popularity at this point in time’), but it’d be fair to look to social media. A search on TikTok for white sequin dress h m has over 339 million views, with some showcasing ‘dupe’ dresses.

Speaking to Vogue in 2019, Haeni Kim, founder of the British label Kitri commented on what makes a dress go viral, saying: "It’s important to have a relatively affordable price point for it to be feasible for as many people as possible to buy, but I don’t think it’s the only factor. It needs to be [worn by] multiple sources at the same time. Generally, it has been our dresses [that go viral] for us, and they are in a current yet wearable silhouette, in a fresh colour or pattern, with great photography."

Will the H&M white sequin dress come back in stock?

This is something else that H&M won’t officially comment on, but given the dress’s popularity and that it’s still November, it is likely. There’s also the chance that people who have bought it will return the item if it doesn’t fit well. When I asked in a store, I was told to keep checking and one salesperson said they were expecting more stock soon. But one thing to think about, given how many people have bought it, and will continue to buy if more come into stores, there are going to be many people in the same outfit this festive season.

The 2019 Zara dress

The H&M sequin dress has been a sell out success.

This is not the first time that this has happened. In 2019, a £39.99, long, baggy, white with black polka dots Zara dress was THE dress of the summer. While this trend was fairly centralised to London, it did filter out and you’d often see multiple people wearing the dress during this time. It even had its own Instagram account hot4thespot, I was one of the people who bought one (although I was fairly oblivious), and still wear it to this day given how comfortable it is.

Regardless of how you feel about all of this, it’s undeniable that the right mix of price tag, look and social media timing can lead to a sell out success. For those still hunting for the H&M white sequin dress, I wish you luck and a very merry party season.

Christmas 2023: Why the £54 white sequined tie back dress from H&M is the season’s ‘it’ dress - and if it’ll be back in stock

Will the H&M white sequin dress come back in stock?

The 2019 Zara dress