Has Zara gone doolally?

[L0stinCyberspace]

Love a bit of Zara but today I found myself wondering what they're at?

Most tops are cropped and I can't imagine all the 20-something customers are going to maintain their business?

Can someone suggest a Zara-alike that's cheap, slightly edgy, but something a funky 49 year old can wear?

Zara is a Spanish shop, they don’t have our Anglo Saxon lockdown podge problems over there

I quite like it though, but only in Spain (where I spend a lot of time) and the prices are primark-y, not cos-y. I’m also really impressed by their online App Store integration - the uk is so depressing with endless shop closures and empty high streets but the Zara flagship shops are actively embracing online shopping and trying to combine it with the in store experience.

I agree the website styling is really odd.

I saw a matching double denim rhinestone studded jacket and flared jeans set in there yesterday and felt very old.

Zara seems like its had a resurgence with the Instagram generation these days so I'm not surprised there's more stuff you'd imagine on a teenager. They've always been a very mixed bag though I think, lots of styles all mixed together in the shop so you have to spend ages rifling around for more wearable pieces or what you went in for.

The website is irritating but I do think they do coats well so often buy those in winter, and the odd bit of knitwear, otherwise it isn't my first port of call.

Where I live (not UK) the delivery is fab, and I never shop in store. I find the website fine... Do I have low standards??

I’m 35 and had this exact problem looking for a wedding guest dress. Silk Fred was really good- Found a lot of the clothing still ‘young’ enough to be fashionable (ie not frumpy) but at the same time you don’t need to worry about a tit escaping

I thought I was having a flashback to C&A in the 80's last time I went in

I used to buy a lot from Zara but have t agree that in the past 2 -3 years have found very little. However yesterday I order a water repellant jacket and a padded parka. Will keep one hopefully.
www.zara.com/uk/en/water-repellent-puffer-jacket-p04432708.html?v1=114307152
www.zara.com/uk/en/padded-parka-with-hood-p08073526.html?v1=108971698

I have never liked Zara and find the way they display clothes very frustrating and more like a village jumble.
Mind you, I am really struggling to find any clothes shops I like of late.

My experiences of Zara are disappointing. Where I used to live in Lyon, the styles were all boringly monochrome and serious. It was fantastically boring and an excellent attempt at looking like an anonymous wall flower. Then back home in the uk the young staff were incredibly rude, always looking me up and down with great hostility ( I had to remind one staff member that they worked there and were thus employees, not the owners). I could never find any of the "amazing" leathers that are purported.

But my real bug bear was the awful hostility from the staff, with one cashier in a (my) large uk market & university town asking if the bank card was mine (German surname, European bank gold card, lady of colour, dr title). That's one high street demise I shan't mourn.

I bought from Zara recently for the first time, and fully expected it to be shit. But I was actually really impressed and kept both items. Natural fabrics.

I agree the website is horrible.

@Lanique

Zara's been absolute shit for years. I don't know why it's so overrated. Poor quality, badly fitting clothes produced using cheap labour. Shops like jumble sales and RUDE sales assistants.

Agree with all of this. It's so overrated. There's nothing I like about it - all the clothes are dreadful in every respect.

Cos and many others also use androgynous models. It’s off putting.

My favourite ever coat, though, was a wool, camel boyfriend coat which I bought if the fabulous Zara in Lisbon. Years ago to be fair.

in