Zara Launches an Online Store
Hat tip to Matthew N. and “there’s more to life than J. freakin’ Crew” jlc for the style tips.
Here’s the issue with H&M and Uniqlo. They don’t sell online (yet) so not everyone has access to them. That was especially the case with the Spanish fashion giant Zara, who until a few days ago, also didn’t have an online store and only had about 50 locations in the U.S. Most of which are clustered on the coasts (15 of them are in LA and NYC). So if you were in flyover country, you most likely had no idea what the hell a “Zara” was.
That changed on Wednesday as Zara took the huge step to selling online, and celebrated with a pretty slick “Dear America” photo lineup which features one shot from each state. Nice tribute. Well done.
Zara is more modern and fashion centric than minimalist and timelessly stylish. Certainly inexpensive, but there’s a lot of synthetic materials flying around. Feels a little like a grown up ASOS since they’re selling drop crotch pants and all. Here’s a few early picks. Be ready with your take in the comments…
.
The Shoes: Vintage Oxford – $99.90 | Brogue – $99.90
Finding a pair of interesting, slightly dressed up shoes you can wear with jeans and chinos on your downtime can make a big difference. The Vintage Oxford looks like they could fill that role perfectly if not do some duty with real dressed up stuff. Believe it or not, the Brogue comes with a leather sole.
.
The Coats: Herringbone Coat – $169 | Sheepskin Collar Coat – $229
The Herringbone coat is simple and straightforward. It’s also a good example of how Zara tends to run with their materials: 30% Wool, 50% Poly, 20% Acrylic. For the sheepskin collar double breasted jacket, I know… I know… And no I didn’t hit my head. Maybe less than a tenth of you would even consider it. But it’s got an old Hollywood luxury feel to it. This seems to be what Zara excels in. Stuff that’s maybe just a step over the line for many, at a relatively affordable price.
.
The Trench: Double Breasted Trench w/ Hood – $189.00
And this could be about as perfect as a trench gets. The hood looks like it buttons off? Maybe? That’s key. 2/3 cotton with the rest poly so the water should bead up instead of soak in.
.
The Work Bag: Buffalo Leather Retro Brief – $189.00
The detachable rucksack conversion straps in the back are unnecessary and it’s going to be a little bulky for many, but overall not a bad looking leather brief for under $200.
.
The Sweater and Shirt: Merino Wool Sweater – $59.90 | Contrast Twill Shirt – $49.90
And this is where Zara might struggle. $60 is pretty standard for a Merino Wool sweater, and sales can drop them much, much lower at other stores. Fifty bucks is no small asking price for a button up shirt, but at least it comes with some different details like the contrast at the placket.
Your turn guys. What’s your immediate reaction? Does Zara’s look appeal to you? And for the fellas who actually do have a Zara near them, how often do you shop there and what’s your take on the quality of the clothes? Leave it all in the comments section below…
I must warn you. The quality of the shoes is not very high. But I’m pretty much buying everything else there. Clothes are good, just skip those shoes.
When I lived in Fort Worth I bought several things from the Zara in Dallas. While the materials the use aren’t that great, it is a great place to buy trendier blazers and work suits. Unless you are really skinny, you want to size up. Their clothes fit me perfectly, but my normal sized friends needed to go one size higher than usual.
You are right about sweaters and shirts (along with jeans and chinos). They rarely have sales. And you can often buy higher quality and cheaper products at express, jcrew, Macy’s etc.
Greetings, I’m an American Expat living in Austria and we have tons of Zaras at every corner at the shopping districts here. I’ve been shopping at Zara since I arrived here 4 years ago. It’s really interesting, but if you happen to follow The Sartorialist, you see some striking similarities. It seems that if everything posted by him is soon about a few weeks later in Zara. Anyways, this is my breakdown on there merchandise:
1) Shoes – Good for style and year of wearing, but once you expose them to water/snow they’re done. I’ve bought several pairs. I would compare them to to the quality of Kenneth Cole Reaction.
2) Jackets/Coats – Decent quality. I bought a leather jacket from there 3 years ago and it’s still going strong even after getting caught in the rain several times. I also have a trench coat from there too that has served me well – I did however spray protectant on it.
3) Dress Shirts – Forget it. Their shirts are not worth the price. Over the years I have purchased around a dozen of them, and every Zara shirt I have owned, with the exception of one, has fallen apart after a year (split seams, buttons falling off, material thins out), and we don’t dry our clothes in a dryer. Actually, the H&M dress shirts I have bought have laster longer.
4) Denim/Trousers/Shorts – Good quality. **Zara clothing fits tighter than your standard US brand, even more so with the pants”. I love my Zara denim and as long as you do not wash them often they will last a long time. I have a pair of khakis I bought two years ago that broke in nicely and seem like they will last a few years longer. Shorts… are shorts.
5) Sports coats/suits – Good thing about Zara in Europe is that every July and December (at least in Austria) there is a massive sale that slashes everything by up to 75% off. This includes suits and sports coats. I was able to pick up around 4 suits last year for around 300 Euros. All of them were a wool/poly mix. They have all lasted well over the year. The only problem I have encountered was the button on the front of the jackets needing to be resown.
6) Belts/leather goods/hats/scarves – In all the accessories are good, but the bags are questionable. I bought a leather satchel for my little sis and when I saw it a year later it looked like the strap was about the fall off. I have some times both in cloth and silk that have lasted. Scarves and hats are great.
Last note (sorry this is so long), the styles as you mentioned are a bit modern, but they do have some classics thrown into the mix. They are also known for mixing the two (i.e. tweed sportscoats in a slim fit). Therefore, I would pass on the super-trendy stuff that put out, but the classics are definitely worth checking out, especially when they hit the sales rack.
Regards,
Vins Granado
vinsondgranado@gmail.com
Like Topman, they excel in outerwear especially raincoats, trenches, etc. and not much else.
If anybody lives remotely close to a brick and mortar location, I would strongly suggest taking a visit to the store. I’ll get to why in a second. Coincidentally, the Zara nearest to my house recently closed. Shame, but from what I’ve heard, business was just slow. Thankfully, there is another one about 20 minutes in the opposite direction.
Their suits are SHARP. To put it bluntly, I
want one lol. They also have some ridiculously awesome sportcoats in cool houndstooth fabrics, complete with elbow patches. Their jackets, dress shirts, ties, sneakers, etc. are also designed quite well.
When interviewed, the stylist from American Idol, Miles Siggins says he dresses the male contestants in Zara clothing frequently. Love the show or hate it, they have some of the best wardrobes on television, which is a nice nod to the stores that they use.
But alas, Zara is not without its faults which is why I suggest visiting a store (if possible) before you buy. Fit seems to be the real issue. I’m a 38R/40R in most
brands, but the Zara stuff runs very tight and slim cut – in my opinion, even more so than H&M (no doubt due to the European influences). I recently lost about 8 pounds, and last time I tried their stuff on I was able to squeak by in a 40 or 42, IIRC. Proceed with caution, though.
“Their clothes fit me perfectly, but my normal sized friends needed to go one size higher than usual.”
What size are you? Getting the right fit seems to be the most difficult thing about shopping there.
Still annoyed by the apples-to-oranges comparison between Zara and J Crew. Can’t stand the contrast stitching on the top button of the oxford shirts…. moreover, the contrast stitching on the blazers and suits. The style is flashier and European, which is good for some. J Crew is more classic/traditional. Both make legit menswear, but they aren’t even comparable. That is like saying “The Yankees are better than the Lakers.”
Who said the two were similar style-wise?
I’m excited by the online shopping aspect and the apparent easy breezy free return shipping or drop it off at store for precisely the reasons listed above about fit. I can usually enjoy a day in a store trying on stuff but there is something about going into my local Zara that aggravates me – its never very orderly, sale items are just piled onto tables, and the staff seem to actually try to avoid eye contact. But I like the clothes, for the most part, and I think what Vins posted is fairly spot on.
Zara’s two strong points, for me at least, are: 1.) Their pants and 2.) Their outerwear. The pants have, at least for me, among the best silhouette I can find in a dress pant/khaki off the rack and have held up very well. They are a true slim fit. I do have to get them hemmed though, since they don’t come in lengths, and I’m a shorty with a 30′ inseam. As for the outerwear, its all pretty well based in classic design and I picked up the trench you have listed above along with another overcoat, their shawl collar jacket (I’m hoping jacket means its a little thicker than your average cardigan), and a smattering of belts and a tote bag for the beach (that seems sold out) that was reminiscent of a Jack Spade bag I’ve been eying.
& Thanks for the props. I love this website, its become the first thing I check after I log onto my computer at work and sit down with my coffee in the morning. I’ve picked up some really great items. I’ve got my first IndoChino suit on the way after this site finally tipped my hand on giving them a try.
I love Zara for jackets. I’ve got a trench that’s a little more modern than the one above and get compliments every time I wear it out. Also have a canvas moto style jacket that I picked up off season that I’m pretty pumped about. The trench has been around for 2 years and hasn’t had any issues despite me wearing the hell out of it so hopefully the canvas jacket will hold up the same.
Suits have always seemed a little too modern for me. Lots of too shiny sharkskin like stuff.
Shirts just seem to expensive for what you’re getting. I’m in Dallas where they have a store and the cloth just seems thin and flimsy as some have mentioned above.
I’ve only shopped at Zara once, and that was while visiting San Francisco. They happened to be having a sale at the time and I picked up an almost metallic-y brown, herringbone blazer for something like $50. It was an ok blazer that I eventually gave away after losing a little weight and dropping from a 38S to a 36R. I don’t know if I ever looked, but I’m fairly sure it was either all poly or a poly mix. It was a cool jacket, but definitely not an expensive-looking one.
The bottom line is, from my small experience with Zara, they’re a nice place to shop for “disposable” clothes but probably not the best value for your money in terms of wardrobe staples.
“I love this website, its become the first thing I check after I log
onto my computer at work and sit down with my coffee in the morning.”
Same here, minus the coffee.
Love the trench. My Rorschach costume is almost complete.
I got a spectacular shirt/tie/sweater combo for a wedding there once, but the second time I went back I bought a shirt that the buttons ripped off of in two days. I tried to bring it back to return, but they refused to refund my purchase and would only give me store credit. I would have been fine with that, had the salespeople not been just downright stuckup and rude. I know other people who have had a serious problem trying to return things there, as well.
Being tough with returns is one thing. Being tough with returns and being an asshole about it is unacceptable, in my book.
P.S. Is it just me, or do Zara’s models all look seriously, mortally anorexic? I mean, significantly more so than the average male model?
P.P.S. It’s a shame that this coat doesn’t come in a wearable color. It’s even got a pretty decent wool/poly ratio.
Ok, I’m done, I promise.
Joe, what’s wrong with the sheepskin collar jacket? Personally, I think it looks great, and since nobody else has commented on it in particular, I was wondering what your thoughts were.
Glad to see some love for a European brand on here. Sometimes I struggle with your recommendations as many of the brands you promote are not widely available in the UK, (particularly J Crew), whilst quite a few of my favourite brands never get a mention on here so presumably don’t make it the other way either.
Zara are definitely at the cheaper end of the scale in terms of fabrics and materials, but their design is very cutting edge. I like a lot of their stuff but don’t often buy from there for one reason or another. Try looking into Reiss. Very sharp contemporary formal wear. Bit pricey mind you, (but then so is J Crew). I can only afford to buy in the sales, but have picked up some of my favourite items/clothing from them. When are J Crew going to start opening stores over in the UK is what I want to know?.
Does anyone have any opinions of their suit quality? I’m in my young 20’s and have difficulty affording J Crew and BR suits so i’ve mainly been sticking to Express Suits on sale. But Zara’s suits are about the same price if not cheaper. I’m 5/9 134 pounds so I like clothes with tight fits. Any advice? I’m not too worried about the quality as long as it will last a few years (when my income will signficantly increase).
I think this is a relatively new development, but J.Crew now ships to the UK for flat-rate 9.95 GBP via DHL Express. Just go to JCrew.com, go to the upper-right corner and click “change” in the “Ship to” box. UK, Canada, and Japan are all there.
After finding out yesterday I first spotted the herringbone coat and am going to pull the trigger soon. Glad to see you spotted it as well.
Though Im disappointed in the materials, it is the best looking (or at least unique) for the price. Everything else I like is $800+
From personal experience, Zara’s quality for their clothing is poor. Can’t speak of the quality of their shoes, but I’m not going to gamble my money by buying a pair to find out. So to answer the article’s question, “You interested?” I’d have to say “not in the least bit.”
Nothings “wrong” with it. But it’s awfully showy for a lot of us. I think it looks terrific. But I don’t think I’d wear it myself.
That’s exactly the reason I love that coat 🙂
But yes, I wish there were more, um, normal offerings that were mostly/all wool.
As long as you get one that’s mostly natural fibers and take care of it, it should be fine. I have one that’s around 70% or so wool and it’s lasted me a few years, and will probably hang around for a couple more till I also have an income-increasing moment.
I think it looks a little pretentious… not necessarily because it’s showy, as Joe says, but because I strongly associate a shearling shawl collar with classic Western workwear (a la this coat from Filson, for example).
There’s nothing inherently wrong with blending genres in fashion (in this case, a modern trench paired with a distinctly workwear collar), but it’s not something that every guy can pull off, or would even want to.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid of a little color. If the coat were in some variety of blue or green, or even a burgundy, I’d be all over it. These particular variants of red and orange, however, look like they were recycled from the 50s-era shag carpet my parents had to tear out of their cabin.
Wow. Thanks
Greeeat post. Im highly interested in there suits.
Off topic question here but joe you said that H&M and Uniqlo dont sell online “(yet)” …. is that a guess or is there an article about that somewhere? Cause that would be the happiest day of my life.
H&M is planning to open their online shopping portal in the Spring of 2012, according to articles that I’ve read on the web about the Zara opening (where H&M is always listed as their main competitor).
You are so right about the sizes. I normally wear a 40R but some items are tight even on me at that size. Definitely slimmer than Uniqlo or H&M in their fit.
I typically wear a 36 R. I am 5’11 and 145 pounds. I have a very slim, but athletic build (I ran cross country and track at the D1 level, still a 1-2 times a day and do a lot of core work). I actually find Zara to be a great fit. It was mentioned in the threads, but the blazers runs bit small in the waist and have broader shoulders than you would expect for a slim fit.
One size up seemed to fit my more average sized friend really well.
Quick question. I see one blazer that I really liked, but it is 100% polyester. I don’t live anywhere close to a Zara’s and don’t own anything with polyester? The blazer is something I would only wear casually. Is 100% polyester a bad idea?
After owning 2 blazers from H&M that were primarily polyester, I’m afraid I have to say pass. They fit was great, but they will not breathe and the wear marks from constant use will look funny compared to organic material. I remember walking outside in the wintertime and I was freezing cold but my armpits were still sweating.
TMI?
Jesus christ. The demin is BRUTAL!
I have owned a grey Zara completely synthetic sport coat for almost 7 years now, and it still gets more compliments than many others I own. Has held up well also.
Gracious!
Longtime lurker here, big zara fan. Just a heads up on Zara, if you see it on the rack and like it, buy it. Dont think. Just buy. Zara only makes a set amount of each product. Once it is sold, the store never restocks. Their claim to fame is from concept to creation in 2 weeks.
Zara is my go to store. For a medium-slim guy, their fit is either perfect or a bit small. The coats, jackets, and blazers fit PERFECTLY and look great. pants tend to crotch hug too much. My only other beef is that they run out of their best items way too quickly
I really love their suits! Slim and perfect! Almost to the point that you dont need any tailoring done! As far as quality it is pretty decent for the price. Had my Zara suit for almost a year now and I really do get a lot of compliments from it. If your into slim fitting suits take a look at Zara. Their best suit styles are out in Fall (now!)
The only thing I dont like about it is sometimes they do have funky suit styles. Maybe its funky looking to me but I’m pretty sure someone can pull it off.
I’m glad, they have always had a few things each season that I liked. Mostly sweaters.
Almost all the images you see on the Zara website is deceiving. I recall on so many occasions seeing something nice online, then going in to the store and being absolutely disgusted by the quality of the material and construction. Online shopping will only disappoint those who really care about the quality of their clothes. However, I can see them making a lot of revenue from this because there are men out there who are just flat out lazy, and will settle once they receive it.
I dont really trust zara’s quality, luckily I have 2 zara’s near me so I can check out the quality. I’ll probably buy an item online if they dont have it in store but I wouldnt want to buy something before checking it out in person. With that said, i just bought the herringbone jacket and its pretty lightweight. I’ll probably end up keeping it.
o btw, i bought it in small since i’ll probalby just have a sweater or button up under it. I usually wear 36r.
I guess it wasn’t necessarily a style comparison between the two – but this post had a comment reading: “There is more to life than J freaking Crew – check out Zara”
http://dappered.com/2011/09/in-person-the-j-crew-factory-tweed-blazer/so, I suppose I made an assumption that they were indirectly stating they prefer Zara over JCrew – but perhaps that just meant they prefer Zara style over JCrew….
Gotcha. Yeah, they’re very different and some people prefer one look over the other for sure. I’m pickin’ up what yer layin’ down now. Homie.
Man, Uniqlo…MAN. I am wearing a shirt I picked up there when I was in New York last month and I fucking LOVE this shirt. I wish I could go back and just buy an entire wardrobe. It is the best-fitting shirt I have ever worn, and the fabric is great. I wish they’d open an LA store. There’s an H&M 10 minutes away from me, and I like their clothes, but Uniqlo is NY and that’s it. Makes me sad.