I Dressed in Zara for 7 Days Straight
My wardrobe, like many of my fellow Who What Wear editors, is a blend of affordable and luxury fashion. It’s a mix of of-the-moment pieces that tap into fashion’s most notable trends along with investment pieces that have been collected over the years. To me, that feels like a modern way of dressing. Sure, I have a pair of Chanel slingbacks that ground many of my looks, but there’s likely going to be a pair of $46 jeans that are a part of the outfit as well.
And it’s probably no secret at this point, but Zara is one of the go-to retailers our editors (myself included) count on for great affordable finds. The brand is a treasure trove of about-to-hit trends, but the real magic is Zara’s ability to look into the future and predict what we’ll want to wear a month down the road. And equally important, it has the ability to make them accessible enough to wear IRL.
This week, I decided to embrace my affinity for Zara and put myself up to a kind of wardrobe challenge: to dress in Zara for a week straight. And I did. For the office, for a date night, for dinner with friends, for a weekend coffee run—all my outfits were built around affordable pieces from Zara. What it resulted in was a mix of some more experimental trend-forward outfits (hello, tiger-print pants) with less risky looks that fit into my everyday wardrobe (yes, high-waisted denim is involved). Ahead shop the Zara items I wore and the pieces I styled them with.
Day 1: Swapping out my jeans for a new style
For a weekend outfit, I wore a pair of Zara’s “mom jeans”—a style I completely fell in love with and wore more than once during this experiment. The high-waisted cut and loose legs are a welcome change from more fitted styles. A pink top and some loafers, and it’s a winning weekend outfit.
Shop the Jeans
Shop the Shoes
Day 2: I loved the jeans, so I wore them again
Like I mentioned, I wore these jeans more than once because they just fit so well. For the second time wearing the "mom jeans", I paired them with small oval sunglasses and a spaghetti-strap bodysuit for a ’90s vibe.
Shop the Sunglasses
Day 3: I went for it with tiger-print pants at the office
This is a look I wore to Who What Wear, but I ended up throwing on a jacket to make it more office-appropriate. Right now I’ve been seeing tiger stripes more and more and predict they’ll be everywhere soon. Let’s call it a nod to the ’80s.
Shop the Pants
Shop the Bodysuit
Day 4: All about the square neckline
Right now, I’m all about square-neck tops—they’ve quickly replaced my standby crewneck versions. This style has already sold out, but there’s a similar one you can order below.
Shop a Similar Top
Day 5: A date-night look
I went on a date this week, so I thought it was a good excuse to slip into Zara’s satin slip dress. And it fit so perfectly.
Shop the Dress
Shop the Earrings
Shop the Necklace
Outfit 6: Tweed for a work lunch
Here’s another ’90s-inspired outfit. Can you tell I have a thing for fashion from the decade? Tweed skirt suits were everywhere during the time, and I’m happy to bring them back. I wore this one out for a work lunch and paired it with a throwback logo bag.
Shop the Top and Skirt
Top and Tweed Miniskirt available in sizes XS to L.
Shop the Bag
Day 7: A long dress for an evening event
What I love most about this dress is that it’s a happy balance of so many details—turtleneck and sleeveless, ankle-grazing hem and high slit. And gold heels were the perfect complement to tie the look together.
Shop the Dress
Shop Similar Shoes
Next: How I shop for my classic style at Zara.
Kristen Nichols is the Associate Director, Special Projects at Who What Wear with over a decade of experience in fashion, editorial, and publishing. She oversees luxury content and wedding features, and covers fashion within the luxury market, runway reporting, shopping features, trends, and interviews with leading industry experts. She also contributes to podcast recordings, social media, and branded content initiatives. Kristen has worked with brands including Prada, Chanel, MyTheresa, and Luisa Via Roma, and rising designers such as Refine and Tove, and her style has been featured in publications including Vogue.com, Vogue France, WWD, and the CFDA. Before Who What Wear, Kristen began her career at Rodarte, where she worked on assistant styling, photo shoots, and runway shows, and at Allure, where she moved into print and digital editorial. She graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied art history and business, and currently lives in New York.
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