Zara (Zara)

Member Name: ice_pink

Product:	Zara
Date:	06/09/08 (1073 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good quality, nice range of products especially knitwear and dresses

Disadvantages: Not such a good range of accessories or shoes, a lot of the products overpriced

~*~ Zara ~*~

I guess I'm what you would call a typical 'girl'. I love shoes, clothes, nail varnish and anything pink and glittery. And, of course, shopping. I think I could probably spend my whole lifetime shopping, as long as they rotated their stock often enough. I'm one of those people that notices when Topshop brings in a new product (and gets excited about it!) or even when they move stock from the front of the store to the back, or from the left to the right. I guess it's a bit of an obsession! Although Topshop still remains my number one, Zara is a close second, and that brings me on to this review!


~*~ The store ~*~

Zara is a ladies fashion chain store which stocks a variety of clothing, including a good amount of work wear - trousers, suits, shirts and cardigans make up a good proportion of the store. Zara also have a Zara Men and a Zara Home, as well as a children's section.

Zara stock a good range of up-to-date fashion items, including some amazing dresses. The store is almost always one step ahead of the other high street stores in terms of getting hot off the catwalk looks, and it is always worth popping in to before a night out to see if you can get something funky and new to spice up your outfit.

The basic cardigans and jumpers are another one of my favourite parts of Zara - they are reasonably priced and of good quality, and available in such a large variety of colours, neck lines and sleeve lengths, that you really are spoilt for choice! Basically, if you picture a type of cardigan you want (turquoise blue, button up with three quarter sleeves and a crew neck?) chances are they will have it! The knitwear is in my opinion the best part of the store in terms of value for money. The variety of work wear is also very good - you will find something for everyone, including a great selection of trousers which are well cut for a very classy look. There are trousers in different colours, shades and patterns to make your work wardrobe that little bit more exciting, including flares, boot cuts and skinny trousers in blacks, charcoals and greys, in a selection of different fabrics.

Evening wear from this store is also good. The one part of the store I don't rate too highly is their standard 'bottoms' - jeans, casual trousers and shorts for evening wear. I don't think the store offers enough of a selection and the size range isn't wide enough to get me the perfect fit that I can get from a lot of other high street stores. For this reason I tend to stick to Zara for tops, jackets and cardigans and leave the jeans to Topshop!


~*~ The range ~*~

As I mentioned before, Zara also have a 'Zara Men'. These stores are usually separate from the main Zara store, but usually across the road, or next door. I have been in Zara men a few times and haven't been overly impressed. They stock a nice little range of work and formal wear - suits, shirts, ties, but nothing spectacular, and none of my male friends ever drag me in there, so they can't rate it too highly!

Zara also do a range of childrenswear, which is found in larger Zara stores, usually tucked away in a corner somewhere. The range caters for babies and children up to around the 13 year old age range (boys and girls). The range of childrenswear is actually really good, and quite reasonably priced - the baby girls stuff is gorgeous! I would definitely recommend you having a browse if your looking to buy a cute little outfit for a special occasion for your kids, or if you are looking for a new baby gift (prices are probably a little bit expensive for general every day wear, especially for babies that are going to grow out of the clothes in a week!)

Zara also have another store - Zara Home. This store stocks a variety of home essentials and luxuries, including bed linen, towels, bathroom essentials, table wear and accessories. There is also a special section for children (Zara Home kids) that stocks articles designed especially for children - plastic cups, smaller, decorated cutlery and so on. The Zara Home range is good, but expensive - a double duvet cover and pair of pillow cases, for example, are likely to set you back at least £75. Although the items are of good quality, they are not special enough in my opinion to justify spending that amount of money on them - Debenhams do a much better quality and wider range for more reasonable prices.

'TRF' is a range of clothing stocked within Zara stores aimed at a younger target market - late teens to early twenties. You will find TRF sections in almost all Zara stores. They stock similar articles to the main Zara collections as well as a large range of brightly coloured t-shirts, shorts and trousers, and more 'fashion' clothing. Basically just clothing aimed at a younger audience.


~*~ The sizing ~*~

Most of the items in Zara are sized from extra small (XS) to extra large (XL). I have found, however, that within the store sizing varies from style to style, so you might need a size small in one item and maybe even a large in another style, which is a bit frustrating! Sizes are also quite small - a size large is not really your typical 'large' - in most items I'd say this translates to about a UK size 12 - 14 at a push, with a medium being around a 10 (to small 12).


~*~ The prices ~*~

The prices in Zara vary greatly from range to range. The 'Zara Basics' collection, for example, are very reasonably priced - you can pick up light jackets from around £25, trousers from £20 and I've seen shirts from as little as £10. Their tops and evening tops are also great value - expect to pay around £15 to up to no more than around £30 for a good quality, fashionable top for a night out. Work attire bumps up the prices a lot, with suits going for over £100 plus. Dresses again vary, starting from a very reasonable £25 for a basic dress all the way up to close to the £100 mark for a more formal number. Knit wear from the store is usually very reasonably priced, with sweaters starting from £9, and cardigans from £12 - these are always of good quality and will last you a good couple of years, so definitely worth investing in!


~*~ The verdict ~*~

Zara is one of my favourite high street stores, and I can never resist popping in on my way past for a quick browse (even if it is just to torment myself if pay day is too far off!) It is one of my fail-safe stores that I know for certain I will be able to pick up something I will love for a night out at the last minute. Although I rate the store in terms of knitwear, dresses and evening tops, however, I do no in terms of shoes, accessories and 'bottoms' such as jeans and trousers - particularly not evening skirts and shorts for nights out. I find that other high street stores cater for my needs much better than this store. The range of shoes is nowhere near large enough to cater for my needs, and I have never actually fallen in love with a pair of shoes from Zara (which is quite unusual considering I tend to fall in love with items I can't afford on a regular basis!). Overall, I would recommend this store for basic cardigans and good quality t-shirts, the lower priced 'Zara basic' work attire, and evening tops, as well as dresses for when you fancy splurging on a gorgeous little number. Definitely worth a browse!

Summary: A good high street store with some great ranges - although some overpriced