The Zara Zone
Summer saves, faves, and how-tos
Against my much better judgment…I often find myself scrolling the Zara app. I know, I’m crazy — AND I don’t even think it’s a bad user experience!! In 2024 I made a vow not to shop Zara and the likes unless the situation was dire. My goal was to move away from purchasing at high street stores on a need-right-now basis, for obvious environmental reasons, and because it’s just plain dumb to buy a top for $100 that’s 30% polyester and 70% something you really can’t pronounce. Not to mention, a top that you’ll wear to one dinner and then forget about for 1-2 years until you do a closet clean out. By then it’s worth less than $0, by the way. I DIGRESS!
Sometimes, however, they simply do things really well. It’s no secret they’ve been upping their game globally for years. I will ALSO stress that a few of my most-worn, favorite pieces are Zara items — a wool coat, a great linen skirt, a suede jacket, a great belt. As long as the material is real (100% cotton, wool, cashmere, suede, leather, etc.) you’re in the clear. This applies to their home goods too! Honestly…they’ve just gotten too damn good to ignore, especially since much of their homeware is made in Portugal, like many of your favorite brands.
Now, a few important notes, general shopping best practices, and caveats:
1. Keep a running list in your phone of things you need (want).
2. Shop your closet first before anything else.
3. Vintage is always the answer.
4. Invest in well-made new items that will last — ideally support smaller brands, shops, etc.
5. THEN you can shop Zara, but not in an acquiring a bunch of shit way — in an I know I need/want something like this and this works / I love it for 1/4 the price of that thing I’ve had on my list forever way. And always ALWAYS make sure the material is real. That’s the only way we can justify.
6. I work in the contemporary fashion industry and I’m really not here to defend Zara! I’m also the first of my friends at a table to roll my eyes when someone talks about their haul or current Zara cart. It’s consumerism and the copycat effect at its worst, a Dupe Disneyland!
If you’re wondering — yes, I am internally (now externally) justifying, because this summer it’s unfortunately just too damn good. And, per the above, if the material is real and WILL stand the test of time…it will also hold up in a court of law. At least, if I were the judge.
So, since Zara launched a curated FYP of sorts based on past purchases and saves — and mine has been sickeningly good — I have no choice but to link them all here. I also did some IRL research so you don’t have to….
