NEW YORK -- The lines were out the door last April when London-based Topshop opened its first American store in SoHo.

Months later, foot traffic is still healthy, and on a recent visit, it was easy to understand why. Topshop's designs range from designer chic to everyday cute, with a range of prices to match.

Picture the wide-open appeal of H&M, but more upscale. Yet many of the pieces are surprisingly affordable: $60 sweaters at full price, with buy-one-get-one-free lightweight leather jackets ($200) on sale, too.

Topshop isn't trying for snobby, although for the jeans-and-a-T set it might be a little intimidating to negotiate racks of off-the-shoulder cocktail dresses and $310 Kate Moss-designed evening coats.

Happily, there were sales, sales everywhere. The 50 percent off, buy-one-get-one sale was a real bargain, especially because it included garments that were previously top-of-the-line. A valid student ID also nets an additional 10 percent off.

Topshop operates more than 300 stores in the United Kingdom, as well as another 100 abroad. A tagline on its home website (www.topshop.com) sums it up: "Topshop is the fashion destination on the British high street. Capturing the zeitgeist every season, Topshop blends cutting-edge style with purse-friendly prices to bring its fashion savvy customers their weekly fashion fix."

So, take that, Lands End.

Topshop also notes that it sells, on average, "8 underwear sets each minute, 25,000 dresses each day, 40,000 pairs of shoes each week."

Some of that underwear was on display in the SoHo store, worn by a helpful clerk moving about the three-level building. Sporting a bright pink bra worn on the outside of her gray turtleneck shirt, she tiptoed carefully in fuzzy, leopard-print wedge boots.

Topshop prides itself on customer service; visitors can make an appointment online or by phone to meet with a "style adviser." A large display board near the front doors of Topshop in New York gave a brief description of the four young women available that day, describing their own personal fashion esthetic.

Sarah Rosen, Topshop publicist, said the number of advisers on hand each day depends on scheduling. Advice is also available online, on subjects such as "How to wear the drop waist dress" and "How to wear underwear as outerwear."

Style advising is a free service by Topshop, with no obligation to purchase the clothing or accessories. Same goes for Topman (www.topman.com), the men's branch of Topshop downstairs at the SoHo venue.

U.S. shoppers online also can purchase Topshop maternity and Mini, the children's line.

Topshop New York has well-marked sections -- Mainline, Premium, Boutique and Unique -- to steer shoppers into varying price ranges. Designers such as Ann-Sofie Back and Jonathan Saunders are among the edgy talents adding to the company's penchant for young, chic fashion.

There isn't much that screams "We're British!" at Topshop -- it's not Burberry, after all. But one little lost-in-translation moment occurred when browsing through the "Sno" section of skiwear.

"Hit the piste in style!" was the motto. We don't speak French and have never skied in Gstaad, so we looked that one up: Well, of course, it's "slopes."

The impending arrival of Topshop generated great buzz last spring, and publicized visits from paparazzi-worthy shoppers such as Taylor Swift and Suri Cruise/Katie Holmes keep it going.

That celebrity is part of the fun. Perhaps you won't be purchasing a $310 "Stud" biker jacket by Ashish, but you can pick up bright leggings or wild costume jewelry without spending the rent money.

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