On February 13th, the 8,200 square-feet flagship store officially opened on the prime real estate of Pine Street.
Tucked into Westlake Center, the eco-efficient space is simple and unadorned. Straight lines run through the ceiling to guide customers along and each “cube” captures a specific trend.
Free shipping on Zara’s fairly recent e-commerce store has allowed us Seattleites to wear the affordable threads. However, the turnover rate in-store is much, much higher. You won’t find everything online as you will in store, and vice versa. But it is good to remember in case a certain item you foolishly decided to wait on (sorry – there’s no such thing as indecisiveness here) sold out.
As a seasoned shopper and a former Spain resident, I consider myself a valid source on all things Zara. There are almost 2,000 in Spain and I’ve probably been to at least a third of them – no joke.
While it’s not as overwhelming as say, Forever 21 and H&M, there’s still a lot of ground to cover. Plan accordingly and you can survive the masses.
1. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, BUY IT.
Zara will never repeat the same garment. Most of us fashion folks remember that white wrap mini skort that was all over the blogosphere. While you won’t find it in it’s original color/fabric, you can find it in two-tone faux leather – perfect for spring.
The lesson here is: if you want those Margiela look-alike mules, you better buy those Margiela look-alike mules. However, if you want to ponder your options while continuing to browse hands-free– see tip #2.
2. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, HIDE IT.
I’m totally going against girl shopping code here, but sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I’ve had a 13-year-old grab the last size of a knockoff Chloe blazer from (literally) right under my nose. Find an area without much traffic and conceal appropriately.
3. SIZE UP.
You can curse those damn Europeans while you do it, but I promise you won’t regret it when you size up on jeans and other form-fitting clothing before entering the dressing room.
4. USE THE KIDS DRESSING ROOM.
There are two women’s dressing rooms (one for each floor) at the Seattle location. Then one for kids and one for men. Unless it’s the weekend (i.e., moms with children in tow from Bellevue braving the abyss also known as Downtown) – you’ll cut off at least 20 minutes of wait time if you beeline for the Kids department. Trust.
5. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed at Zara. I always ask myself two questions: 1) “Does this look like it’s from Zara?” and 2) “Will I want to wear this three months from now?” If the answer is yes to either (or both), then pass. If you’ve spent $300+ there, you’re doing something wrong.
What Zara does well is make affordability look chic. Head-to-toe of anything is a no-no in my book, but mix and match with a sleight of hand and you can have a killer outfit within your reach – and your budget.
