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I love Zara prints/colors, but...

Chris987

Veteran

I just LOVE some of the prints I see at Zara, although the clothing rarely fits me. When I find a print I love there, usually the garment doesn't fit at all (most of their items are made for taller/slimmer bodies than me) or if it does fit, it has more trendy details than I like.

I sometimes imagine how I could rework/alter a given garment to fit better or simplify the trendy details. I’m a pretty good seamstress and used to make some of my own clothes, but most of the Zara things I like would require a complete makeover and I just don't want to go there.

Here are three finds of examples. The first blouse actually fit quite well but I didn't like the big sleeves. The second is hard to see but the print is a stunning burgundy, brown, mustard print, but it has a tie at the neckline with a buckle that looked very uncomfortable and not easy to remove. The third I haven't seen IRL but I just like it, but expect it would not fit right. #4 is one in my closet but the fit is a bit off so I hardly ever wear it.

Here are some of my ideas of what to do:

Stay out of Zara and stop torturing myself
start wearing some more trendy silhouettes
Look for similar prints elsewhere. Ugh. No idea how to do this in a productive manner. Searching on "blouse in burgundy/brown print" gets too many results and no guarantee that I'll like any of them
write to Zara and ask them if they would sell me their fabrics by the yard. Oh yeah, I'm sure they would do that
Look for similar print fabrics elsewhere and make my own. I sometimes think this might be worth it. Once I find a pattern that works I could repeat in different fabrics. Could take less time than all the shopping/returns. I don't have many good fabric stores near me but know of a few. Ordering online would provide jillions of options but more risk of course.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Tie-dye Print Shirt

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Animal Print Shirt

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Floral Print Blouse

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Tulip Print Blouse

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34 replies

Latest reply was from lyn67

Style Fan

Veteran

Chris, you raise some interesting questions. Zara has some great prints and colours which you have pointed out. I like to walk through Zara occasionally to get a feel for trends and what might be coming up next. I have tried a few things on but nothing fits me. I have friends who find all kinds of things there. I think Zara is geared towards a straighter body than mine. I look to Zara as inspiration and not as a source for actual clothing.
I use to sew my clothes (teenager) and I have thought about getting back into it. If I had that talent I would be doing it now. I haven't bought fabric in a long time so I don't know anything about that part. It seems a lot of fabric is online these days. Will they send a small sample to you of the fabric if you buy it online?

kkards

Veteran

i stopped buying Zara years ago becuase i dont have one near, and while they shipped fast and processed returns fast, sizing and quality made it like playing the roulette wheel....
if i had any sewing talent, thats the root i'd go....i would think most online fabric stores would send you a swatch before you place an order...

Chris987

Veteran

Style Fan, I'm nodding along with everything you said! Yes Zara is about trends, but I find I love the colors in their prints. They are usually colors I already want to combine but haven't quite built outfits around yet (like brown, mustard, and burgundy). Maybe you are right I'd be better off thinking of them as inspiration and not falling too much in love with their clothes. . And yes I think you are right that an online fabric store will send you samples.

Style Fan

Veteran

Chris, Zara is definitely more fashion-forward (is that the right word) than other retailers. I love the colour combinations too. Reminds me so much of the 70s.

RobinF

Veteran

I agree, I love the styles but the fits are definitely for tall slim women. I have found a few tops that work for me but it is hit or miss.

I do think fabric stores are pretty limited too. Online has more but are hard to judge. I think you can get samples though.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I agree they often have the best prints! Zara tops are often *thisclose* to working for me -- some actually do, IF they have ample bust room (which is not always the case)! I have a wrap blouse from them in an Asian print that I love. I've totally given up on any thing in Zara that needs to fit my bottom half -- they clearly do not cut for hips and thighs.

I'm wracking my brain trying to come up with other retailers/designers who use prints with a similar appeal, and at the moment I'm coming up short. But I'll be following along, as I feel similarly to you.

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Janet

(website)

Veteran

Chris, how about altering the sleeves on the first one? That may be a relatively inexpensive solution if you love the shirt otherwise.

Christina F.

Veteran

I stay out of Zara. I think I bought one of the famous blanket scarves once. The reason I don’t like it is that I think some of the clothes look good online. Then when I go to the store, I either can’t find what I liked, or it looks so much worse in person, in terms of quality. I never even try anything on since I know I’m the wrong body type anyway. So I leave empty handed. Every time.

Clearly they do a good job creating trendy patterns and silhouettes. If I were you I’d just treat their website as a massive inspiration board.

Bijou

Veteran

Chris, I find Zara very hit and miss. I understand that some stores are "Flagship" stores and get better stock. This is how I have come across some Zara gems. Unfortunately I am not so lucky at my local Zara. I do like their basic knits as a layering piece in winter, and there is one black blazer in the "Zara basics" range that is a good fit on me, but other than that it is trying on items only to think, well that was a complete waste of time.

I know if I don't have much luck with the fit of certain brands, I just steer clear. Whilst I like the aesthetic of Ted Baker clothing, it seems that the cut is not good on my body. I don't even bother looking any more.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

They do have some beautiful prints but the manufacturing of viscose and the quality of it for washing are not attractive to me. I've only tried a couple of items but neither made it beyond the very first wash (sent them back).

Canada

Love Zara but I've had very similar challenges with sizing and silhouettes. Last month I ordered a size M and a size L blouse; the sizing chart advised a size L for me. The size M swamped me and I never even opened the other blouse package. So I sent them back along with my disappointment. At 5'2", the lengths of Zara's dresses, skirts and pants just aren't going to flow proportionally on my short body. Their models are 5'10" and strutting an ankle length skirt so I'm not going to bother. The ASOS web site may offer you some pretty prints?

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I m probably what you would think of as having an easy time shopping in Zara ie tall and slim but I very often make my own stuff now because you can have what you want then in terms of fabric,pattern,cut .l often find that dresses are too short,waistbands are in the wrong place,shoulders fit then torso doesn’t.So I guess what I’m saying in a very long winded way is don’t feel too bad about not getting the fit you want in certain shops you are but no means the only one.The shops make for an imaginary customer who happens to be a certain size and shape,if you aren’t in this bracket the clothes won’t fit so good.For example the retailer that I worked for based their clothing on a pear shaped size 12(uk Size).Didnt suit me so I don’t shop there.If you have the sewing skills you will end up with a unique garment ,l know it s time consuming and sometimes it’s just nice to get something off the rail though.Prehaps you ll find a store that suits your shape and whose clothes you really like.

Greenjeans

Veteran

Curvy hourglass here who struggles with bust fit. There's something about how Zara's sleeves connect to the torso in the things I've tried that makes me feel super dumpy.

The dress below arrived yesterday. I ADORE THE PATTERN! Alas, the XL fits like a tent and is surprisingly low cut. Sexy dumpy?

Contrasting Geometric Print Dress

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abc

Veteran

I'm sized out of Zara, every time I go in, I see a lot of things I like, but none of them fit. Probably why I have only stepped foot in the store once in the last 5 years. Too disappointing.

Anyway, one suggestion. I have a blouse I love. Can you find "the one" (if you're lucky) then use that as a pattern to base other copies on? Rather than trying to find a pattern itself.

LaPed

Veteran

I don't have a single thing from Zara. I've tried on a few pieces, but they never fit right. I agree with greenjeans that there's often something odd about the shoulder seams and sleeves; every Zara jacket I've tried on, even oversized ones, has felt oddly straight-jacket-y in the shoulders.

I'm trying to think of other brands that do really cool prints and patterns, but I'm drawing a blank. I'm not much of a pattern person, beyond stripes and plaids. It's rare that I drool over prints, but I do love the florals and botanicals on Amour Vert's silk, but that's a completely different vibe and price point: https://amourvert.com/collections/silk

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I'm one of the few Zara fans, it seems! I'm not straight (though I'm straight-ish) and I'm certainly not tall, but some of their items (particularly jackets, tops, and coats, and some footwear) fit me very well. I do size up in Zara. My usual box-store size is generally too small in this brand.

I haven't actually bought dresses or jeans from them but I have some long-lasting sarong shorts and have had culottes and skirts from them that also worked well on my frame, although of course they were longer on me than on the model. That's nothing new for me and is sometimes an advantage.

Unlike others here, I find the shoulder fit of the jackets terrific (in most cases). I have a narrow build and I think this is why.

Having said that, I haven't bought anything there in quite a while so I may be talking up my (bell or balloon shaped, frilly, drop shouldered, or bat-winged) sleeve. Maybe things have changed!

When I come across a maker whose clothes are simply not cut for my body type and can't work well with simple alterations, I generally stop looking there. It's too discouraging. (Like Bijou, I don't do well with Ted Baker, for instance, and typically don't even bother looking. On the other end of the scale, Eddie Bauer is no go for me.)

But I can definitely see checking the websites of places like this if you are looking for inspiration for colour combinations and the like. And since you are a seamstress, you might enjoy searching out similar fabric for sewing.

anchie

Veteran

I think Zara is worth checking from time to time. I am not their target customer, I am not tall or slim, but some categories work for me better then others. I always have a great luck with their jackets and sweaters and currently have 6 blazers and 4 sweaters from them. On other hand, their tops and blouses are always disaster on me and don’t have any. So I usually just check the categories that work for me there.

bj1111

Veteran

i've given up for all the reasons stated. actually, they are overpriced given the general lack of longevity of most items. many don't make it through a season of wear.

bella

(website)

Veteran

Can you get enough fabric out of #2 to make a shirt for yourself? It is cheap enough that you can even buy 2. I have no knowledge of sewing though, so please ignore if this is a completely off the mark suggestion.

bella

(website)

Veteran

opps! I am amending my post, I thought #2 was a dress, but it looks like it is seperates (dress and skirt). But perhaps that works even better for a sewing project?

Chris987

Veteran

kkards...totally agree with you, and it's a roulette wheel that hardly ever ends up in my favor

Style Fan maybe that 70's feel is part of why I love the prints so much!

Thanks RobinF.

THanks Janet. I actually did consider altering the sleeves on that blouse but they are not just wide, they had sort of a spiral fold/pleat design that made it hard to see what shape the sleeve fabric really was, so I didn't get too far in thinking about altering. Yah, nothing from Zara on the bottom half fits AT ALL - true for me too.

Christina, good advice!

Bijou you make a good point about staying away from certain brands when they never fit right. Zara needs to be in that list for me. Stay out of there and stop torturing myself

Texstyle you are right, most of the fabric quality isn't very good. Another reason to avoid.

Canada, you know I should give Asos a try. It looks to me like they aim at a very young audience but they do carry a broad range of petite sizes so I should really give them a more careful look.

cardiff girl, that is in fact the holy grail for me, a store that suits my shape and who's clothes I really like. Have found a few that are ok but nothing that really nails it.

greenjeans, that dress IS cute! Sounds like the shapes are just not right for you!

abc I did once find a web site that had instructions for using a garment as a pattern without taking it apart. I'll have to see if I can find it again.

La P I'll have to take a look at amourvert...thanks for the suggestion!

Suz, lucky you to be the right body type for Zara! But as you say that doesn't mean every brand fits you either.

anchie - good for you! I've tried on every category and NONE of them work for me but obviously they do work for a lot of people or they wouldn't be as successful as they are.

bj111 - good point about being overpriced once you figure cost per wear and how long they last.

bella - I HAVE thought about what you suggest..using a Zara garment as a fabric source, but In most cases I'd have to completely disassemble it and then recut and ti's not easy for me to tell if the pieces will be the right sizes. Plus with the fabrics being so flimsy I'm not willing to invest that much time, I'd rather just start with new fabric.

Chris987

Veteran

I found the link.....how to copy a garment that fits perfectly without cutting it....maybe I'll try this at some point.

https://www.instructables.com/.....-Without-/

K.M.

Veteran

Another Zara fan here. I do love their sense of style and agree that they are quite unique in their price point--the prints, fabrics, cuts. But as others said, it's hit or miss both on fit and also on how an item looks in person. Still, I've gathered some beloved items over the years.

Re: prints. I love prints and I often admire Boden, Garnet Hill, and Sundance for their prints (can't always afford to buy them but I love looking). H&M often has good prints too. I got a couple of their William Morris collab tops and they are wonderful.

Chris987

Veteran

K.M. good suggestions. Boden sizing doesn't work for me, and H&M usually does not. Garnet Hill stuff is mostly not structured enough for my taste, but I've never seriously looked at Sundance and I really should

LaPed

Veteran

Oh, another thing to keep an eye on is Uniqlo collabs! They often do Liberty print collabs in the spring (as does J Crew), and feature lots of other designers from time to time. I have a pair of Liberty floral lounge shorts from Uniqlo that I really enjoy.

Sal

Veteran

I have seen other people have great success with Zara but I had been very blase about their offerings - checking them out in the US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and London...they are now here and I have visited the store once. I tried on and liked the pieces - but did not buy them.

Part of my issue was the general messiness of the stores - the Auckland store felt more organised.

crst

I like quite a few Loft prints in addition to H & M and Zara. Their fits are more forgiving too.

K.M.

Veteran

good point, crst, both Loft and Ann Taylor often have great prints. I still kick myself for not buying the most flattering tricolor chevron skirt from Ann Taylor from a couple of seasons ago. The color combo was vibrant and had personality without being too much.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I don't sew but I thrift and I wander around Zara in person and on-line for inspiration and a sense of what is selling locally. If I could sew I would definitely wander around a fabric store and see if I could do an inspired by Zara look. Considering the quality I don't think it is worth deconstructing actual Zara pieces unless it is a simple hem.

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