Bani, I'd been eyeing those Merino trousers too but I'm short so would have to get them taken in and with knitted stuff that's always problematic. Also, I have vague memories of trousers like that getting wet and it creeping up my leg throughout the day Speaking of bonkers sizing within the H&M brands, I think Cheap Monday beats them all. I know it's supposed to be skin tight but I gave up after trying the fourth size up in a pair of their jeans, firmly deciding it was them not me.
Zoloh, I think if you're the type of shopper who knows what they're looking for/what works for you it's really useful. I'm a hybrid shopper, prefer RL shops for a browse and inspiration and tend to buy online in a far more strategic functional way (or I'm simply cost saving), so the heavy focus on the filters are brilliant IME but less so for a random browse, though there is that game element in it with random clicking (especially the colours) and seeing what turns up.
My thoughts exactly Flo. There's a definite niche for premium high street brands that aren't focused on trend wear with a focus on fabric quality at their core.
Arket kind of reminds me of Manufactum if anyone's familiar with that (they have a substantial international site as well), it's sort of a department/concept store in Germany that strives to source the best quality items of anything you can think of from all over the world, from paperclips to mac coats and furniture. They have some great things but their 'gründlich' obsession to find the best possible version quality-wise often tips it into boring and/or conservative in the clothing department and comes at a realistic, but high price. However, if you need the best ever tomato knife or something random like that, they'll have it and some things are surprisingly very affordable.
Arket haven't dispatched my order yet so I'm expecting it won't arrive until somewhere halfway through next week but I'll feed back some first impressions on fit and fabric here when it does.