I Dressed in Zara for 7 Days Straight

My wardrobe, like many of my fellow Who What Wear editors, is a blend of affordable and luxury fashion. It’s a mix of of-the-moment pieces that tap into fashion’s most notable trends along with investment pieces that have been collected over the years. To me, that feels like a modern way of dressing. Sure, I have a pair of Chanel slingbacks that ground many of my looks, but there’s likely going to be a pair of $46 jeans that are a part of the outfit as well.

And it’s probably no secret at this point, but Zara is one of the go-to retailers our editors (myself included) count on for great affordable finds. The brand is a treasure trove of about-to-hit trends, but the real magic is Zara’s ability to look into the future and predict what we’ll want to wear a month down the road. And equally important, it has the ability to make them accessible enough to wear IRL.

This week, I decided to embrace my affinity for Zara and put myself up to a kind of wardrobe challenge: to dress in Zara for a week straight. And I did. For the office, for a date night, for dinner with friends, for a weekend coffee run—all my outfits were built around affordable pieces from Zara. What it resulted in was a mix of some more experimental trend-forward outfits (hello, tiger-print pants) with less risky looks that fit into my everyday wardrobe (yes, high-waisted denim is involved). Ahead shop the Zara items I wore and the pieces I styled them with.

Day 1: Swapping out my jeans for a new style

For a weekend outfit, I wore a pair of Zara’s “mom jeans”—a style I completely fell in love with and wore more than once during this experiment. The high-waisted cut and loose legs are a welcome change from more fitted styles. A pink top and some loafers, and it’s a winning weekend outfit.

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Day 2: I loved the jeans, so I wore them again

Like I mentioned, I wore these jeans more than once because they just fit so well. For the second time wearing the "mom jeans", I paired them with small oval sunglasses and a spaghetti-strap bodysuit for a ’90s vibe.

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Day 3: I went for it with tiger-print pants at the office

This is a look I wore to Who What Wear, but I ended up throwing on a jacket to make it more office-appropriate. Right now I’ve been seeing tiger stripes more and more and predict they’ll be everywhere soon. Let’s call it a nod to the ’80s.

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Shop the Bodysuit

Day 4: All about the square neckline

Right now, I’m all about square-neck tops—they’ve quickly replaced my standby crewneck versions. This style has already sold out, but there’s a similar one you can order below.

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Day 5: A date-night look

I went on a date this week, so I thought it was a good excuse to slip into Zara’s satin slip dress. And it fit so perfectly.

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Outfit 6: Tweed for a work lunch

Here’s another ’90s-inspired outfit. Can you tell I have a thing for fashion from the decade? Tweed skirt suits were everywhere during the time, and I’m happy to bring them back. I wore this one out for a work lunch and paired it with a throwback logo bag.

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Day 7: A long dress for an evening event

What I love most about this dress is that it’s a happy balance of so many details—turtleneck and sleeveless, ankle-grazing hem and high slit. And gold heels were the perfect complement to tie the look together.

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Next: How I shop for my classic style at Zara.