Posts with tag Zara

Thanks to boring styles, plummeting consumer spending, and a tendency to leave their employees with Post Retail Folding Disorder, the Gap has finally been overtaken by as the world's largest clothing retailer. All hail the new #1: Spain's mega fashion retailer Zara, who we've really never even heard of. The chain, based in A Coruña, Spain, has apparently been a dominating force in Europe and Latin America -- but has only a handful of stores in the US.

Zara's parent company Inditex has managed to spread its successful chain of stores far and wide by some kind of weird business model that involves keeping up with the latest trends in fashion -- something that the Gap probably should have been focusing on. Zara's unique model includes in-house design teams and encourages staff members to point out any new trends to keep the designers up to date. Not only that, but Zara apparently spends very little on advertising. Instead, they use their stores as a means of drawing attention to their brands.

We've a confession to make. We haven't been totally honest. We've been hiding something and we feel a little guilty about it.

H&M, we've been cheating on you.

We've been falling for Mango, the latest "high-end low-end" clothing store. We're particularly fond of the Pinaford Dress, which happens to come from the collection designed by Penelope and Monica Cruz. The short sleeve dress made of a broad plaid fabric is so short that it could technically be called a "top," but with a pair of opaque tights and the right pair of shoes, works for the mid-Autumn. We're thinking dark tights a pair of navy blue patent leather Mary Janes. If you can find them, that is.

The dress is available from Mango, both online and in the store for $89.

There's nothing worse than a rainy New Year's Eve, and unfortunately the view from my window shows that this is exactly what I will be up against on the biggest party night of the year.

To spare my little black dress from the elements, I poked around online to find a smart looking raincoat that would work just as well on a special occasion as it would on any average Tuesday.

Zara currently has a smashing red belted raincoat with an open neckline that sells for $169. There's something so classy and refined about this jacket that if I were to actually own it, I would be almost tempted to wear it as a dress -- you know, like the flashers in their trench coats!