The Latest Trending Zara Dress Is Bound to Divide Opinion—So We All Tried It On

Zara knows a thing or two about creating a viral dress, however, the latest styles that are proving popular are a little more divisive than the polka-dot midi. These new dresses have oversized, tiered silhouettes that could easily look a little too shapeless. There is one dress in particular that is becoming a hit with the fashion crowd—when I compiled a Zara wish list story, almost every influencer included the same beige poplin dress with a ruffled high-neck collar in their top picks.

We were a little unsure of how this would translate in real life, so we decided to all try it on for ourselves—and our reactions were mixed: "First of all, this dress ticks all the boxes when it comes to fit, as I am the first to jump on any man-repelling dress trend that complements my chunky sandals and minimalist summer mentality. Pie crust collars and voluminous skirts are my kryptonite," said Joy. "However, the dress just fell short of perfection due to its colour—a sentiment which I'm sure will be echoed by the rest of the team. I already own plenty of separates in varying shades of beige, however for some reason this particular tone didn't quite do it for me. It was ever-so-slightly too pale, and even with my summer tan, I still felt like a member of a religious cult—or, you know, a large bean bag. So it's a 10/10 for silhouette, 4/10 for colour. Sorry, Zara!"

I have to agree with Joy's review of the dress—if this was in white or black I might be a little more convinced. However, despite concerns over the colour, we were all surprised by how well this shade of beige photographed. 

How Our Editors Styled the Dress

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(Image credit: Who What Wear)

Style Notes: Hannah wears the collar open on the dress and adds more definition with a tan belt.

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(Image credit: Who What Wear)

Style Notes: Nell wears the dress back to front, with a pair of chunky sandals.

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(Image credit: Who What Wear)

Style Notes: Joy fastens the collar to really emphasise the pie-crust effect and pairs it with simple black sandals. 

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(Image credit: Who What Wear)

Style Notes: The beige colour of the dress works really well with tan accessories, such as this Wandler bag. 

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Next up, see our guide to the key trends for A/W 19.

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Emma Spedding
Freelance Fashion Editor

Emma is a freelance fashion editor with over 15 years experience in industry, having worked at The Telegraph, Grazia and, most recently, British Vogue. Emma was part of the founding team of Who What Wear UK, where she worked for six years as Deputy Editor and then Editor—helping shape the team into what it is today is one of the biggest privileges of her career and she will always see herself as a Who What Wear girl, contributing to both the US and UK sites. Whether she's writing about runway trends or spotlighting emerging brands, she aims to write about fashion in a way that is democratic and doesn't promote over consumption.