We Tried On the 13 Biggest Summer Trends at Zara—These Were the Worst

Meet Lauren, Who What Wear's fashion editor and co-founder of The Devils Wear Zara. Lauren is so obsessed with Zara that we started calling her The Zara Scout. Now she's turning the nickname into a franchise so she can regularly share her insider knowledge of the brand, including all her hacks, secrets, and must-haves with you.

Mimi Postigo and I know Zara like the back of our hands. While some might champion that as an accomplishment, it's more often than not our biggest weakness, as it results in us spending way too much time and money obsessing over the retailer. Instead of keeping all of our Z knowledge to ourselves, we started this dressing room series (along with The Devils Wear Zara) as a way to inform you on the latest and greatest happenings in the Zara world.

Today, we're here for another round of photographing some of our favorite finds from inside brick-and-mortar Zara stores across New York (Lauren) and Los Angeles (Mimi). The theme this time around is summer trends. Each season, Zara tends to stock up on not only trends that are bubbling throughout the industry but also trends unique to the brand. Ahead, find out which trends out of the ones we tried on were winners and which ones we did a hard pass on. To clarify, the ones we didn't end up loving are not trends that are dead or out or lame or anything of the sort, and after reading our quotes as to why we skipped over each, you'll understand what we mean by "the worst."

Trends we passed on:

Floral Maxi Dresses

"I really was hoping to try on tons of playful floral dresses, but I found that (particularly in the maxi dress section) they all felt a bit cheap and the prints didn't excite me." — Lauren 

Poplin Pieces

"Zara definitely does a great poplin top, dress, skirt—you name it—but compared to all the linen and fringe and prints below, the poplin pieces this season didn't stand a chance." — Mimi

Distressed Denim

"I'm not the biggest fan of distressed denim, in general, but right now, a lot of the more distressed jeans and shorts at Zara are a little too distressed, if you know what I mean. If you're looking for an affordable pair of denim, head straight for the retailer's more traditional styles." — Lauren 

Trends we loved:

Updated Wrap Tops

"I saw this top in the window and instantly knew I needed to try it on. The material is light and breezy, and the way it ties is flattering despite its oversize shape. I also tried it on sans my miniskirt for a bit of Jacquemus flair, and it looked just as cute. Would be great over a bathing suit, with some jeans, or even over a silky slip dress for a fresh touch." — Lauren 

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"This one was a little harder for me to pull off because of the low back and my personal preference of not enjoying going braless. However, from the front, this top looks so expensive, and when paired with these wide-leg trousers (shoppable later on), you have yourself a chic and comfortable summer look." — Lauren 

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Button-Front Dresses

"Another linen dress because apparently I am addicted to linen dresses. This feels appropriate for summer and is also the perfect length for a minidress. Cute with high-top Converse, too. Can you tell I'm so ready for summer? I'm literally thinking of scenarios in which I can wear these outfits." — Mimi

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One-Shoulder Pieces

"One-shoulder tops are certainly not a trend that will be around for a while, so if you're looking to dabble with it, now is your chance. Zara had this top in a few different colors, but in case you haven't noticed, I was most drawn to white and neutrals this shopping trip. I like that this one has some tailoring to it, making it feel more elevated than your regular one-shoulder tank." — Lauren

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Slime Green

"I'm late to the green trend, but I'm pretty sure it's still going strong for summer. I like the idea of wearing this with the perfect pair of vintage jeans and strappy heels for a summer night." — Mimi

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Printed Co-Ord Sets

"Co-ord sets might be one of my favorite categories at Zara for many reasons. The main one being you really get the most bang for your buck. This looks like a dress when worn together (perfect for weddings, brunches, etc.), but when worn separately, you have yourself a cute summer top to wear with all your jeans and shorts and a printed midi skirt to wear with tanks and tees and more.

"Hot tip: Buy these sandals. They are so comfortable. I wear them almost every day here in New York." — Lauren 

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Wear-With-Anything Breezy Top

"Okay, I know this looks a little bit odd over the jeans—hence I tried to unbutton it halfway to look more intentional—but I plan to wear this over a bikini top and with denim shorts this summer. It's the perfect breezy fabric that works as an elevated cover-up. Definitely one of those pieces you'll get a lot of wear out of on summer weekends." — Mimi

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Scarf Prints

"I have been looking for the perfect scarf top, and I think I finally found it. I love that this one comes to a true scarf-esque point in the front and ties in the back without being too complicated to put on. Does that make sense? This top is the perfect thing to wear with jean shorts and basically all denim, but I particularly love it with these wide-leg trousers. There's something about the color combination and the overall contrast between the two pieces that really got me." — Lauren 

"I literally only tried this on because Lauren did, and I thought this story needed a twinning moment. @Zara, will you make this in two different colors so that we can have a Mary-Kate and Ashley moment this summer? Thank you." — Mimi

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Linen

"Suits are all I can seem to talk about (and purchase) this spring/summer. My blazer collection quickly rose from a few to way too many in a matter of months. So do I need this blazer? Yes. Why? Because it's linen, and linen is the designated material of the summer. I love that this linen here is a bit heavier, which will hopefully help with the whole wrinkle situation. The pants didn't fit me nicely, but if they had, I would have grabbed the entire suit without thinking twice." — Lauren 

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"I swear every time we do one of these stories, I try on some type of linen dress. This one is a swing dress, so it legit has no shape to it. However, with a cool chain belt, I think this could be a look. It's made really well and not see-through at all. I'm sold." — Mimi

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"One more linen piece because this one was truly stunning. The way it nips at the waist made me feel so confident, and the big buttons (you can barely see them here, sorry) feel so cool and make the cuffs feel forward for what's basically a wrapped blazer." — Lauren 

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Maxi Dresses

"Full disclosure: I'm holding up this dress in the photo, but it's so stunning in person and makes for the ideal summer maxi dress. It's definitely worth tailoring so that it fits just right. It feels like the type of dress you'll get 100 compliments on. Take it on whatever summer vacation you're planning, or better yet, buy this dress, and then book said vacation to wear it on." — Mimi

Party Dressing

"I won't lie—I secretly prayed that this would be in the store because I've been dying to try it on ever since Zara dropped its Dress Time collection a few weeks ago. I think the back is so stunning and fun, and the front feels classy and timeless. For $90, this party dress is truly a steal." — Lauren 

"Here's a shot of the front for you to see. Sorry my hair was so weird." — Lauren 

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"Last but not least, I couldn't leave without trying on one of the many '80s-inspired pieces on the Zara floor. This skirt came with a matching top, which seemed like a bit much for me, but paired with this tank (that everyone in our office owns, by the way), it feels weirdly cool and like a great summer party outfit." — Lauren 

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