Zara as a retailer?

[denny]

So I have been trying to focus on updating my fashion lately and thus have been searching for online retailers that provide quality, good looking clothes at a decent price. I found a retailer named Zara. They have some great looking clothes, and especially shoes, at seemingly good prices. Does anyone have any experience with this retailer? How is the quality of their clothes and shoes? Any help would be great.

[jason_carreira]

They're mid-tier quality-wise and a good value for their price... this is from what I've heard, i've never bought there. Their stuff is made in Portugal and features more fashion-forward, trendy European design elements.

[alan]

My only experience with Zara was my wife dragging me into one of their stores while we were on our honeymoon in Europe. I recall it being pricey, but that was partially due to the exchange rate.

[AedanM]

American Zara isn't too pricey, especially when they have a sale going on. I've picked up a bunch of things that I really like there, including a chino suit for under $100. I haven't had any problems with quality. They cut their clothes slim (very euro style) which is nice. I haven't had an experience with their shoes yet but they look nice.

[bere09]

Anyway to track when they go on sale? I don't think their website shows it. Their prices for stuff regularly isn't that great since a lot of it is polyester heavy and they have very few items with natural fabrics, however at sale prices it may be worth picking up.

[Johdus]

A step up quality wise from H&M, but too Euro-trendy for my tastes.

[VespaMatt]

I think its a little overpriced and I dispute that its much of an improvement over H&M. My local store doesn't often have sales and when they do its usually only on pants and some odd and ends, suits and sports coats generally sell out. I think their pants can be worth the money as well as their bags and accessories. Jackets and suits are nice and priced reasonably but I feel like I look like a serious snob since I am pulling the tags out on every single one to see the material make up - like people said, avoid the stuff with the high poly count. This seasons they have A LOT of linen and cotten blends, so its a good time to buy them. The cut is super slim so I usually do have to size up. I'd normally wear a size 38 jacket but I have to go with a 40 with theirs.


I have a couple knit items that didn't last so I can't recommend them for that. In those cases, considering the price, I wished I would have just paid extra and gotten a real brand name.


They have a really great return system, which is definitely a plus. I usually order everything in multiple sizes and try them on at home.

[LesserBlackDog]

It's like a slightly more upscale H&M. Like the European counterpart to Express. Quality isn't great but the prices can be hard to beat, especially if you can get stuff on sale. And the fits will be very modern. Watch for fiber content (as close to 100% natural as possible) and don't abuse the stuff you get there, and you should be pretty safe. I'd probably stay away from the shoes, mostly because I've never heard anything about them and a lot of major clothing retailers seem to put out some really, really crappy shoes (think Banana Republic).

[somaticmarker1]

I own a few items from Zara. Quality wise its about the same as H&M. Its been my experience that H&M has more natural fabric options (Zara is very heavy snythetic), but the synthetic stuff from Zara is of better quality than H&M. I have found their blazers to have more shoulder padding than I like.


For your basic staples, I think you are better off going with BR or major brands you can find in department stores (Tommy, CK, etc). But for more trendy pieces, Zara ia a good option.

[AedanM]

Hmm I never noticed that they have a lot of polyester. Everything I've bought from there (suit, shirts, etc) has been 100% cotton. But that's good to know for future reference.


They also tend to have some fun narrow ties that are pretty cheap, like $20 on sale.

[dchun]

Pay attention to the material. Some people have already mentioned they use a lot of polyester. They do make stuff that is 100% cotton or a blend without poly.


One big plus for Zara is that most of their blazers and sport jackets come in measured sizes (ie 38, 40, 42 etc...) instead of just S M and L.


They are definitely more fashion oriented but the prices are decent so I don't mind picking up something that might not last (both in fashion trends and quality).