What am I missing about Zara?

[CambridgeBlue]

Countless threads on here recommend it as the place for everything from jersey blazers to bags and that's backed up by lots of style bloggers raving about it but I just can't find anything nice in there, ever!

I've actually got some vouchers to spend but I went into the local store (quite a big one) at the weekend and came away empty handed. I tried loads on but the fabrics were horrible (even silk felt nasty), the colours really unflattering - dull and too bright at the same time - and every time I picked up what looked like a nice item it had some weird detail or tacky embellishment. And what's with the gold on everything? It all felt very badly made and too fashiony for me but not cheap enough to reflect that.

Where am I going wrong? Where are all these nice basics and must buys that everyone talks about? Still need to spend the vouchers but at the moment I'd rather hang on to them, there's nothing I want in there even if it's effectively 'free'.

Another point, is subtlety of colour. Brora cashmere uses quite a few different shades of colour in their cashmere, so you get a beautiful depth of colour. Although, I have to say that some of it is a bit muted and the shapes can be a bit old fashioned.

In contrast, some of the Uniqlo cashmere can look quite cheap as they use one solid block of colour, with no variation within it. This year, their grey, camel, navy, black and cream look the best to me. I think their red looks cheap and ditto some of the other colours. Also, the camel cashmere is a much better camel than their beige / camel merino.

I think I sound nightmarishly fussy [wince], but I think the details matter [hopeful].

I have never bought a single thing in there either and I love clothes and shopping. So who does buy from there?

I agree about the fabrics but it's not just zara that have gone all synthetic. I'm rapidly running out of places to shop. I didn't buy a thing all summer.

It used to be great but now has a fatal mixture of high fashion and low quality.

Agree wrt to the blingy "gold" and (worse) "rose gold".

Spanish Zara was brilliant the last time I was in one which admittedly is probably two years plus. Different stock from UK. Only downside UK14 is XL in spain

Just me then who loves Zara, I buy most of my clothes there. Agree there are a few bits which aren't great quality. I only buy in the sale and particularly like their day dresses and blouses. I'm also not convinced that the stock is different elsewhere, I was in Spain a couple of weeks ago and it was identical stock.

I used to like Zara, years ago. Now, it's cheap, badly made synthetic rubbish. Don't, stand too close to a naked flame wearing Zara.

Same stock in Zara everywhere I've been in one. Quality shocking recently, I used to get all my basics there, they don't last now and prices gone up.