zara
how is zara’s build quality and longevity? what things would you buy from there and what things wouldn’t you buy
18 Replies
Wouldn’t buy anything because I don’t like to support inditex.
Then again the build quality will probably be shit, and their designs in tune with the newest micro trend. It’ll likely be cheap-ish though.
Build quality & longevity will be the same as any other high street/ mall brand i.e. will vary hugely from item to item
I still have some old stuff from zara that has held up fine tbh
Like holf said, big companies like that very often have some shady business practices (inditex for sure does), but it's a cheap way to buy some interesting clothes if there's stuff you like
(They can produce cheap & interesting because they steal designs)
IMO, zara is a total crapshoot between their "quality", fit, and whether their pieces are good value for money.
sometimes they hit, sometimes they miss.
zara's fitting is all over the place because it's a brand that used to make clothes with skinny people in mind. but has now also introduced baggy oversized pieces to follow recent trends.
if you have a zara store near you, try the clothes on. if you're only able to buy online, avoid zara.
if you have a zara store near you, try the clothes on. if you're only able to buy online, avoid zara.
All that being said, if you search "Zara" in #waywt channel there are lots of examples of people styling various items from there fantastically (Click through on individual comments to see the fit they are posted under)
examples:
https://discord.com/channels/1116793467654381685/1116800072093532191/1143237540032290856
https://discord.com/channels/1116793467654381685/1116800072093532191/1142841270952280154
I can only speak for the women‘s section but I‘m a big fan of their suits, so far the quality has never disappointed me with those
I don‘t like the quality of their tops tho, they’re often flimsy imo
mostly trash. there are ok pieces like 100% cotton denim made in Turkey but there are better options anyway
i was asking cause i thought their stuff felt like good quality especially their outerwear and heavy shirts. i don’t like their bottoms.
i personally don’t care about trends, i try to focus on what i think looks good on me, i also don’t really care about design copying that much
mainly only care about longevity - how do you know if something is well built
how can you tell
from piece to piece
Focus on how the fabric feels (sturdy or flimsy), if the seams have any threads sticking out or anything like that, if the buttons are loose and think about how the garment will hold up in the wash
(Some of their stuff is purposely made so you can‘t wash it and are forced to buy new clothes again)
At least that‘s the stuff I always used to look out for
Yeah if it feels like good quality in your hands that's probably about the only metric you can use
Most items aside from like shein & temu & very cheapest h&m stuff likely aren't gonna just fall apart on you unless they're things that are designed to be delicate (like loose knit items or lacey / mesh things)
Also vegan leather/pleather
That stuff will just fall apart eventually and there‘s nothing you can do about it
how you wash or care for clothes will also impact their longevity. i owned (past tense) a blazer and cardigan from zara that lasted a while because i was diligent in how it was washed and stored.
i don't wear them anymore because of some of the reasons that have been mentioned - contributing to waste, supporting unhealthy consumerist habits, design theft - but that is your choice as a consumer
Things I would buy:
Things I wouldn't buy: all of it
did you try them in person?
don't get fooled by the pictures online
yeah i've been to the physical store here quite a few times
although, i'm not currently in the states
i'm in india atm, i haven't been to a zara specifically in the states
i'll be back in a week and i'll check out a physical store there
if it's gonna fall apart in a few years i'd wanna know so i don't buy
Again, it depends on how you take care of it and how often you wear it bud
Yeah and tbh zaras biggest draw imo is that they rip trendy designs and make them more affordable. So if you aren't looking for smth fashion forward then I'd recommend looking elsewhere for the price.
cool. thanks for the help guys!
unrelated - how often does fashion change/do trends change such that people move to new clothing styles? i thought most guy clothes were relatively timeless.
That's a topic for a new thread tbh but no, mens fashion is not timeless. Zara puts out new collections every few months to capitalize on whatever is trending