I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Zara is a veritable crystal ball when it comes to trends. However, I’ve recently come to realize that Zara’s fortune-telling prowess isn’t necessarily about the what, it’s about the how — how to wear the trends, that is. While the trends themselves are often molded by high-end designers six months prior, Zara’s real genius resides in the styling of them.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve visited Zara.com and promptly screen-shotted a dozen or so styled looks from the website in a frenzy of inspiration. I even get a little jealous that I didn’t think of putting this with that or that with this first, but as satisfying as it is to have a completely original styling idea, I’m amenable to doing something second when its debut is so spectacular it demands a Xerox machine. Below are five styling ideas from Zara I plan on copycatting with my wardrobe all spring.
1. Pairing Suits With Sandals
Like all great styling tricks, this one is a lesson in contrasts. Given the formal implications of a suit, injecting casual flat sandals into the mix is the sartorial manifestation of a raised eyebrow and a wink. Oh, and feel free to skip that trip to the tailor to get your trousers hemmed while you’re at it. Slouchy is THE THING for SPRING.
2. Leaning Into Mom* Accessories
*MY mom. For as long as I can remember, my mom’s spring/summer uniform has involved a rotation of different wide-brimmed straw hats and colorful, oversized earrings. I will always associate this particular combination of accessories with her as a result, which is why I couldn’t help but grin when I saw it all over Zara last week. She’ll be delighted to hear how trendy her styling preferences are shaping up to be this season.
3. Using a Sheer Cocktail Dress as a Beach Coverup
Honestly this idea is genius and I can’t believe it’s taken me 26 years to entertain it, let alone try it, especially since my ideal beach style persona is “nautical black-tie.” While I can’t in good conscience recommend bringing any nice (i.e. pricey) dresses beachside where they might very well commingle with sand, salty air and seaweed smells, if you have or can get your hands on one in the sub-$50 range (the Zara one pictured above is $36), why not acquaint it with some sea breezes?
4. Getting Matchy-Matchy With Knits
This spring, I vow to shed my hesitancy around matching and embrace coordination with the passion of an octogenarian perfectionist on Easter Sunday, especially when it comes to knits. I must admit I’m already really into the idea of knit shorts, which Zara is making a case for in spades this season, so the thought of pairing them with a synchronizing top or sweater isn’t an unthinkable next step. After all, I did tell Haley I wanted to start cultivating an adult baby cowboy aesthetic, and wearing a coordinating knit set plus cowboy boots sounds like a great start.
5. Wearing Jean Jackets as Tops
I love any styling trick that eliminates a step in my getting-dressed routine, and this one does exactly that. Every time I decide to wear my jean jacket this spring, I can eschew the subsequent task of figuring out what top to wear underneath it. Why? BECAUSE ACCORDING TO ZARA JEAN JACKETS ARE ALSO TOPS. THAT’S WHY. Having already attempted this once, let me leave you with three parting words of advice: wear a bra.
What styling ideas are you wearing (or copying) this spring, from Zara or anywhere?
Photos via Zara.
