The Zara Experiment

It is no secret that I have been underwhelmed by Zara in the past. But like the good scientist that I am, I wanted to test my hypothesis that Zara-Down-Under would elicit the exact same response in me as other Zara stores around the globe have. So, with a day off today I headed for Pitt Street Mall ready for my experiment. At 9.25am I joined the small queue of people who were already patiently waiting for the doors to open. I have to say that with listening in to the bubbly conversations going on around me, liking the cute black skater dresses on display in the window and the lovely security guards reassurring us all that the store opening was imminent, I could really feel my excitment building. Oh yes, building to such a level that I began planning my entrance strategy and bargaining with myself about how much money I would allow myself to spend on the animal print items I could see on the far wall. Things were looking good.

The doors opened and in I rushed in a state of frenzy. For 10 minutes I wondered around the store touching, unfolding, checking and imagining the integration of Zara clothing into my current wardrobe. I gave it a darn good go. But you know what? My initial enthusiasm didn't change the fact that Zara and I just don't gel, no matter where in the world we meet. The fact that I like to be able to justify my purchases in terms of cost vs. quality, fit, current wardrobe, longevity and desire to own just added to this. There was nothing in Zara today that made me think I had found the holy grail of clothing, shoes or accesories. There wasn't anything that I felt could fill a short term vacancy in my closet or even be an impulse buy to be regretted soon after purchase. There really is no arguing with hard evidence like that. So with the hypothesis that I am in a tiny minority of people who don't adore Zara proven beyond all doubt, I left the store empty-handed. I am happy I  tried but I am very happy with the thought that my latest Shopbop parcel should be arriving tomorrow...

Zara hits Sydney

I must seriously be the only female in Sydney who is not hyperventilating with excitement over the Zara store opening in Pitt Street Mall today. Don’t get me wrong, I do like it as a store, but it is not the sort of brand that gets me all hot and bothered. I feel about Zara the same way I do about Country Road, that it is good for basics and the odd piece every now and again but probably not the first store I would rush into on a big day out of shopping. Perhaps this is because online purchasing has stolen my heart over the last few months, perhaps a holiday in Hawaii last year opened up my eyes to shopping the American way or maybe I just don’t get the whole Zara phenomenon. Even when we lived in the UK with a Zara store down the road, I wasn’t a convert. Other Spanish brands I could get excited about, Mango, Massimo Dutti and Custo, but never Zara. Still, the curious part of me is suggesting a visit may be on the cards once the hype dies down a little, just to see what all of the local fuss is about.

Seems though, that my non-excitment might be shared by a small minority. General Pants in conjunction with everyone’s favourite bad boys of denim Ksubi, launched their new collaboration today called “Sex & Fashion”. A rather risqué front window in Pitt Street mall featuring barely clad models seen through a giant key hole is sure to grab some of the attention away from Zara. Although I might be slightly older then the target demographic of this range (yet the perfect target for Zara just by being a living, breathing female with a penchant for shopping), I did have a good chuckle over the tongue-in-cheek badges General Pants produced especially for this day of big lanuches: “My Mum loves Zara”. Ah, you just gotta love a cheeky slogan