I Spent 3 Hours in the World's Largest Zara—14 Items I Brought Home With Me

Woman wearing white polka-dot halter-neck dress from Zara.

(Image credit: @balencianas)

If you know me at all, then you're probably well aware that I have a soft spot for Zara. I've been shopping there ever since the Spanish fashion brand opened its doors at my local mall, expanding my fashion horizons. Though I admittedly don't go wild on the site like I once did when I'm in the United States, my restraint goes out the window when I'm in Madrid, where the world's biggest Zara is located. Twice a year, I stock up on all of the best pieces when I'm visiting my parents abroad. Mostly, I focus on heavy discounts and first-to-arrive pieces that aren't available in the United States for another month or so.

After touching down in Madrid earlier this summer, naturally, my first stop was the brand's four-floor, 7700-square-meter flagship on Madrid's buzziest commercial street. Three hours and countless dressing room pictures later, I walked away with 14 items that were deliciously irresistible, including one I wore that same night. Usually, I might find one or two pieces that I want to try on, but this time around, that number was in the double digits.

Although I whittled down my items to sub-20, there are so many new Zara arrivals I can't stop thinking about. Scroll down to meet every one of them. Trust me—it'll be a delight.

Shop more Zara summer items:

Assistant Shopping Editor
Ana Escalante is an award-winning journalist and Gen Z editor whose work ranges from dissecting size inclusivity at fashion week to discussing how American Girl Doll meme accounts are the the answer to society's collective spiral. She's covered it all: Queen Elizabeth II's corgis, Roe v. Wade frontline protests, and the emergence of jorts (or jean shorts for the uninitated). At Who What Wear, Ana is responsible for delivering smart, insightful, personality-driven shopping guides and trend features for a digital-first generation.Before joining Who What Wear, Ana was Glamour magazine's editorial assistant, where she focused on daily news and special packages, including leading the brand's 2022 Met Gala coverage. For more than half a decade, she has covered style, beauty, and digital culture for publications such as Paper magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue Japan, and Allure, among others. Ana has been called a rising star in media by publications such as Nylon and Teen Vogue. (Her mother, meanwhile, calls her "the coolest person" she knows.)