French Secrets to Shopping at Zara

If the words French and Zara pique your interest, you're not alone. The obsession with French-girl style will seemingly never die, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a woman in this day and age who doesn't have a few Zara pieces in her closet. Put the two together and minds will be blown, which is essentially what we experienced when we came across a section of French photographer and blogger Garance Doré's book, Love Style Life, on her undying love for Zara (pages 37–38, FYI).

Doré did her readers the pleasure of outlining exactly how she shops at Zara, providing tips and tricks that women around the world can steal. After all, isn't it one of a fashion girl's life missions to always get the best stuff at Zara? (We can feel your heads nodding.) That said, we were clearly inspired by this gem from Doré's tome and took it upon ourselves to share with you the tried-and-true Zara shopping methods of the stylish French woman herself.

Check them out below, and shop the incredible Zara finds we unearthed by applying the tips ourselves!

Doré recommends shopping the store the day new arrivals drop (Mondays and Thursdays) for the best selection. While she'd prefer to see and touch the items in person, she professes that online is your best bet for getting your hands on the new stuff first.

Shop our new-arrival picks:

Doré claims to always be in and out of Zara in five minutes because she's identified what her favorite collections are and only shops those. Her recommendation? Shop the pieces at the front of the store. That's where Zara keeps the best stuff.

Shop pieces from some of our favorite collections:

When you spot a perfect piece, whether it be due to the fabric, cut, details, or all the above, buy it immediately and never look back. Doré refers to it as "the piece." It stands out from the pack and serves as proof that Zara makes great things.

Shop our favorite pieces:

While it may be tempting, Doré recommends steering clear of pieces inspired by designer pieces, out of respect for the designer if nothing else. Zara comes up with plenty of unique creations, so you shouldn't have trouble finding something else.

Shop our favorite unique pieces:

Doré goes into a little more depth on her website with this final tip. You're probably aware by now of what Zara excels in. As with any store, stick to what you know the store does best. You'll make decisions more quickly and will undoubtedly be happier with your purchases in the long run. Doré recommends the retailer's coats, denim, T-shirts, ballet flats, and scarves.

Shop our favorite Zara specialties:

Share your best Zara shopping tips with us in the comments below!

Opening Images: Garance Doré and Collage Vintage