Okay. So Last week i went to this networking event (ugh, i hate networking; but hey, free wine), and i’m standing there drinking my aperol spritz when this girl comes up to me and says “oh my god, your blazer is amazing – is it Jacquemus?” – and i am literally choking on my drink trying not to laugh because, well, ma’am. But seriously? That’s basically the greatest compliment you can give a person. If someone thinks your h&m/uniqlo/walmart piece is designer, you’ve basically won at fashion.
Anyway – all this made me start thinking about how we all pretend we’re not shopping at zara, but honestly everyone shops there (especially people in the fashion industry who allegedly have access to better stuff). For example, i work at a boutique, so i get employee discounts on indie brands, i follow all the sample sale accounts on Instagram, i know which influencers sell their pr packages on Vestiaire, etc. ; but still, i end up browsing zara at 2 a.m. Adding blazers to my cart like it’s a personality disorder.
Of course, i did what any gen z-er would do in this situation and started polling all my friends in the fashion industry about their zara shopping habits. And oh man, the confessions that came out of this completely scientifically-backed research project (a.k.a. Sending totally unprofessional and chaotic voice messages to every friend in my contact list at 11 pm on a tuesday):
One of the biggest revelations was that every single person buys their blazers at zara. Like, every single person. There’s apparently some special black wool blazer with subtly-shouldered padding that was basically the official uniform of fashion week last year. I saw it on three different editors within a span of One day during NYFW and they all seemed to think they were being super unique. One of the girls told me she bought it in four colors and just alternates between them since nobody seems to notice they're basically the same cut. Honestly? Brilliant behavior.
There’s something about zara blazers that hits this sweet spot where they look expensive enough that you won’t get ridiculed at industry events, but not expensive-looking enough that you’ll appear to be try-hard. Like they have just enough off-kilter tailoring details to be interesting, but not enough to be screaming “i bought this at zara spring ’24!” there’s a very particular aesthetic here that manages to be visually appealing regardless of whether you’re styling it over vintage jeans or showing up to client meetings in it while everyone else paid $2000 for their jacket.
Personally, i currently have three zara blazers hanging in my closet, and i’m not embarrassed. There’s the black One i bought for job interviews that has gone to more industry events than most designers’ products. There’s a cream-colored One that looks great in pictures for social media (content is key). And there’s this oversized pinstripe One that i bought in a fleeting fantasy that i’d have a full-on menswear moment, wore it once and now it just sits there judging me.
Blazers aren’t the only thing fashion people are secretly stockingpiling from zara either. White button-down shirts appeared a lot in my extremely formal poll. Apparently the oversized poplin ones are like heroin for fashion editors. One of the editors who works for a major magazine confessed she owns six identical white zara shirts because they inevitably get stained with makeup at photo shoots and there’s nothing worse than seeing foundation stains on white cotton when you’re trying to look polished at fashion week.
Men’s received a lot of shoutouts from virtually everybody i polled which makes complete sense when you consider it. Their men’s shirts are cut perfectly oversized without looking sloppy, which is apparently nearly impossible to achieve in women’s clothing sometimes. I’ve purchased men’s sweaters at zara and then pretended they’re from some cool Scandinavian label when people ask. The silhouettes are basically perfection for creating that image of being artistic/important/don’t try too hard that everybody in the fashion industry is working towards.
Knitwear was another area where folks got pretty worked up. This One stylist sent me an entire rant about how the merino wool sweaters at zara are almost indistinguishable from versions costing five times as much, particularly the plain crew-neck varieties. She swore she’s done side-by-side comparisons and couldn’t possibly tell the difference, which is both impressive for zara and kinda sad for luxury Knitwear brands i guess?
Honestly? I’m guilty of participating in this phenomenon because i own approximately four zara sweaters and wear them almost constantly. There’s this black cashmere blend sweater that i’ve gotten compliments on at every single event i’ve worn it to. Folks always ask where it came from and i’ve started telling them it’s vintage because it’s less painful than admitting that it’s from zara but styled well enough to look upscale. Am i lying? Possibly. Do i care? Not particularly.
Leather pants are honestly just legendary. You know those faux-leather straight-leg styles that come back every season? Apparently they’re a staple of the fashion community. I bought a pair last fall thinking they’d be a TREND piece i could wear three times max but i literally live in them now. They’re perfect for capturing that vibe of potentially attending an art gallery opening or grabbing drinks in Shoreditch which pretty much sums up my entire wardrobe.
What blew me away was how many folks mentioned using zara for event dressing. Like you’d assume fashion editors would break out all the stops for industry events, but apparently not?! Several people told me they’ve worn zara to major fashion events and awards ceremonies. One editor who shall remain nameless (because she’ll kill me) confessed she wore a $49.99 zara dress to a huge industry bash last spring had it altered slightly and everyone assumed it was designer. Alterations ended up being more than the price of the dress itself but she said it was still cheaper than buying something “suitable” for the event.
Accessories were brought up too, which shocked me because i think that’s probably where you can tell the most if something is cheap or not. But apparently their chunky gold jewelry is basically a dirty little secret for shoots when you need layering pieces but don’t have the budget for actual designer jewelry. “nobody can tell the difference in photos,” was an exact quote from someone who works at a very high-end publication that would likely freak out if they realized their accessories editor shopped at zara.
People were somewhat split on shoes though. Some raved about their leather ballet flats/mules – One accessories editor told me she buys the same nude flat every six months like clockwork. Others said they draw the line at shoes due to inconsistency in quality. I’m somewhere in between b/c i’ve had decent luck with their sandals but also bought boots from them once that literally fell apart after two wearings in light rain. It’s like fashion Russian roulette.
You know what really gets me though? Apparently there are very specific shopping strategies that people in the fashion industry use to buy things from zara that non-fashion shoppers don’t realize exist. First off, everyone steers clear of anything with obvious designer details. Rather they search for what One person referred to as “the quiet pieces.” those are items that resemble minimalist designer pieces with sleek lines & quality materials – typically hidden amongst all the bold statement pieces that scream “i am on trends.”
Second, sizing up is key. As i mentioned earlier, men’s is basically a treasure trove for oversized Knitwear/shirts/etc., but even in women’s sizes going up a size or two in structured pieces can create a better silhouette. One editor who normally wears a size 10 told me she buys large/small/xl in shirts/jackets for that very intentional oversized look that screams “i am creative,” rather than “this does not fit me.”
Third – and arguably most importantly – online shopping appears to be far preferable to shopping in store. “i would rather walk barefoot through London than step foot inside zara on oxford st on sat,” was an actual quote from a fashion assistant – which honestly tracks. The site appears far better equipped at helping users locate good pieces without having to navigate through crowds of teenagers competing over the last medium version of whatever is trending on TikTok each week.
Most mind-bending thing though? Someone who used to work at headquarters for zara (seriously – don’t ask how i know her – small world) told me they actually design certain pieces with fashion editors in mind! Like they have mood boards featuring street style images documenting which pieces from zara begin gaining popularity among industry insiders. They know exactly what they are doing when they make those perfectionist minimal blazers and oversized shirts!
As previously mentioned, my personal addiction to zara is fairly well-known among my circle of friends at this point. In fact, i have something called “zara sweeps” which means checking their new releases automatically every Tuesday and Friday morning when new product goes live. It’s essentially as habitual as checking Instagram stories – which may be bad but whatever.
During fashion week, i play this game where i attempt to spot pieces from zara in street style images/backstage shots. Once you learn what to look for…it is embarrassing how easy it is to spot them. There’s something about their signature beige color in Knitwear/the cut of their wide-leg trousers/the hardware on their handbags…etc…that is just slightly different than other high street brands. At this point, i can spot pieces with approximately 90% accuracy – which is either impressive or indicates i spend way too much time online shopping.
To be fair, there’s something sort of lovely about the democratization of this whole issue too? Like knowing that even some of the most seasoned pros in the fashion world – people with access to free designer clothing/press samples/industry discounts/etc….are still running out to grab those emergency zara purchases before big meetings. We’re all just attempting to present ourselves as competent/having our lives together …with variable budgets ….and ultimately just want to look okay in our jobs.
Last week i was in the fitting room at the brompton rd zara location (apparently the good One according to everyone i polled) trying on this enormous blazer when i could hear someone in the adjacent fitting room having a work call say “yes darling – i’ll have those samples pulled for tomorrow’s shoot” in perhaps the most upper-class accent ever. Clearly a fashion person…..likely purchasing the exact same blazer that i was considering trying on.
