WTF is Happening at Zara Men?!

And why is it so much better than Zara Women?

I was randomly at my local Zara a week or so ago making some dreaded in-store returns (IYKYK), and as I and began to stride out of the store, the hint of a colorfully subversive striped tee caught my eye…in the MEN’S department.

Now, I’m no stranger to shopping men’s depts. I’ve written about it before and know that shopping the men’s section is not a new concept. There are brands that offer men’s collections that can skew unisex particularly well - Alex Mill, J.Crew, and AYR come to mind. But either through sheer oversight or stupidity, I never really paid attention to Zara Men’s - until now.

To be fair, there’s a particular reason the collection stood out so strongly in-store: Zara Men’s newest collab with stylist & designer Harry Lambert. Have you guys SEEN this collection?! It’s incredible and in fact may be unisex, as they have styled some pieces on women online- but it’s still merchandised in the men’s section.

Once I was lured in with this collab, I started to peruse the rest of the department, and I was so, so shocked with how good it is. And here’s the key: Zara (as we may annoyingly know from shopping their women’s side) is generally very European in their sizing - which means they tend to run on the smaller side. This is true of the men’s collection as well, which means it lends itself well in terms of fit for women- but also can accommodate larger sizes that Zara Women sorely does not. That, coupled with the fact that on the whole for some STRANGE AND NOT OK reason, men’s clothing is usually made with far better materials than women’s clothing, made for a very eye-opening shopping experience.

So anyways, let’s take a peek at my favorites I clocked in store…along with the one very unplanned but exciting purchase I made. (The girl math from the return I made was mathing).

And yes…I know, fast fashion and all that - I get it, and I don’t disagree, but let’s be real here, we all shop everywhere and not everyone can afford big name designers 24/7…so do with this post what you will!

Note: Zara doesn’t partake in affiliate marketing, but I have still organized all the goodies below in ShopMy for easy reference.

Knitwear

The knitwear at Zara - men’s or women’s- can be a mixed bag. Generally I find Zara knitwear to be garbage, as it’s largely made of acrylic, polyester and/or polyamide blends. Sometimes a bit of a synthetic blend can be a good thing for clothing because it adds durability and structure. But generally speaking you want your knitwear to be 100% (or very close to) natural fibers. It means they’re more breathable, sustainable, long-lasting, and generally feel more comfortable on the skin.

With that said, I find the 100% wool or cashmere options at Zara Women extremely limited. They’re like needles in a haystack and tend to sell out quickly. But in the men’s department, it’s a whole new ballgame. From a very cursory review, it appears to have far more 100% wool, cotton, or natural fiber blended knitwear than the women’s collection does.

Here are some great finds that are 100% natural fibers and don’t break the bank!

from left: one (the built in faux layer is fab), two (who needs Jenni Kayne), three (it’s giving Elder Statesman), four (saw this in person and it’s actually cropped which means perfect length for us gals), five (a great oversized polo)

Outerwear

Ok, here is where the rubber meets the road because I find outerwear to truly be a unisex category. I had a field day (hint, hint) looking through all the great jackets & coats in the men’s dept. So many affordable (and cute!) options that you just don’t see on the women’s side. And since oversized outerwear is de rigeur - and unlikely to fall out of favor really anytime soon- it’s a great way to achieve that ‘borrowed from the boys’ look.

from left: one (love the cord collar), two (such a fun take on a denim jacket), three (field jacket of dreams) four (giving Alex Mill vibes) five (the fun of a checkered trench!)

Tops

Separate from knitwear, I found some really solid tees and shirts from Zara Men that are pretty much akin to digging around in your husband/boyfriend/brother’s closet. What I love about these options is the built-in “looseness” of them thanks to the men’s sizing. These days I find super form-fitting tees & tanks a bit tough to swallow, unless as a layering piece, so these felt right on point.

from left: one (a little bit Miu Miu?!), two (love the scarf detail), three (what a great denim shirt), four (never met a stripe I didn’t love), five (saw this in person and the crispness was fab)

Accessories

GUYS. The accessories at Zara Men are incredible. I don’t even think I need to say more. No idea how I’ve missed this but tons of solid options you would never find on the women’s side. They feel a touch more utilitarian in vibe which is why I think I’m drawn to them more so than what I find on the women’s side.

from left: one (um hi The Row banana bag), two (love a crochet cloche), three (a red studded belt? say no more), four (the socks version of the sweater above which I love for adding personality to an otherwise neutral outfit), five (a leather envelope clutch under $140?! no brainer)

Leather

I’ve saved the best - and maybe most shocking- for last. I had to put leather entirely in its own category bc it was downright nuts how much good 100% real leather I found in the men’s dept. In fact, I found 25 (!!!) pure leather jackets (including suede) in the men’s section, and 20 of them were under $300 (at the time of publishing). The situation was much bleaker on the women’s side. Not only do the women’s leather jackets at Zara tend to sell out quickly thanks to their low prices, but they just don’t offer as much selection. I counted only 7 100% leather (or suede) jackets on the women’s side and 4 of them were under $300. Again, why the bias in men’s vs women’s collections?! Let’s revolt and only shop men’s departments from here on out!

an embarrassment of leather riches over on the men’s side. from left: $259, $299, $259, $299, $299

Which leads me to my purchase. I recently ordered a leather field jacket from Zara Women which looked truly exceptional - only for them to CANCEL my order a week after I placed it. Zara- get your inventory sh*t together. Anyways I was bummed, and while I’m still keeping my eyes peeled if it comes back in stock, I wanted a new leather jacket for the season and wouldn’t rest til I found a good (and affordable) one. I was shocked to find this incredible quality men’s 100% leather jacket for only $229 when I was in store. Again, what sorcery is this?! Not only is the leather more lush than some of the leather jackets I’ve felt from Zara Women, it’s also WAY more affordable, as mentioned.

Apologies for the bad lighting! I quickly snapped this the other night as I was headed out the door. Nights are getting a touch cooler here- thank goodness! So the leather jacket is officially in play. Jacket, denim shorts, tee, sandals

And fresh off the presses: May I intro you to Zara Men’s brand new 90s Archive Collection that just launched this week?! More leather! Tees! Denim! And all with the 90s silhouettes we are all loving these days. I definitely have my eyes on these jeans, which look to be a great alt to vintage Levi’s. I’ll report back if I pull the trigger- or better yet- please do the same!

All this to say, make sure you do thorough research and look up, down and all around either in store or online before just buying whatever it is these retailers are feeding you! If we all take an extra look somewhere unexpected, we may just find those hidden gems.

I hope this was a fun and enlightening little read, although now I’m all worked up about the fashion injustices that exist between men and women - perhaps a diatribe for next week? Until then, thank you for reading and being here! xx

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