I'll tell you a little secret - I have more customers in California than here in Virginia where my store is located....

Samples are ordered via the dealer. You can contact H&M and get them yourself, but its more cumbersome and won't get there as quickly as the dealers have a direct email connection to the H&M Swatch Department.

Leather choices are just preferences that I choose based on handling thousands of pieces of leather a year. I select on hand, drape, softness, suppleness, not so much on color (which is what most people buy on), texture and grain patterns. Some leathers I don't care for as they are too processed-looking (Document) or too hard shell (Williamsburg) or too crackly-stiff (Glazed).