A few weeks ago, I met up with a girlfriend for dinner. As I walked into the restaurant, she stood up to greet me. ‘Ooh, I love your dress,’ she said, tweaking the edge of my skirt. ‘Is it Erdem?’
I laughed. A few days previously I had worn the same dress to a party. Someone there had asked if it was Dolce & Gabbana. The truth is, it’s neither.
It is, of course, Zara — and an utter steal at around £40 or so.
£15.99: Wearing elegant houndstooth jacket on Wednesday in Bradford which sold out in seconds
£17.00: Stylish headband at the Festival of Remembrance at London’s Royal Albert Hall in November last year
Ask any woman, of any age and any income bracket, what they think of Zara, and the cry will go up: ‘Love it!’.
I do not know a single woman, from my mother to my daughter, who does not have at least one Zara staple kicking around their wardrobe.
Whether you’re a pauper or a princess —quite literally, the Duchess of Cambridge is a big fan, as is Queen Letizia of Spain — it’s the first port of call when you need something special that won’t break the bank.
Kate, of course, (whose nearest store is just yards from her front door at Kensington Palace) rarely has this conversation with friends whenever she steps out in a Zara staple.
£29.99: Just the right jeans for a trip to school wildlife garden in West London in 2018 (left).£75.00: Kate carries the fashion flag for Britain with this jacket in Canada in 2016 (right)
£49.99: The lady in red looked special in this coat at the Queen’s 90th birthday celebration in Windsor in 2016
Her outfits tend to be identified, priced-up, posted on the internet and sold out within seconds of her pulling up a zip.
The elegant, houndstooth Zara dress she wore on a trip to Bradford this week is currently just £15.99 in the sale. I doubt, after today, there will be many left.
Perhaps her most memorable endorsement of the brand came the day after her wedding in 2011.
Hours after dazzling the world in a £250,000 Alexander McQueen bridal gown — one of the most expensive wedding dresses on record — she chose a £49.99 blue chiffon Zara dress for her going away outfit.
£79.99: Effortlessly cool arriving at a wine-tasting in Queenstown, New Zealand, in 2014
£38.00: A blouse anyone would be proud of as Kate attended a marathon in North Wales in 2013
Over the years she has rarely been out of the stuff. There she was, off-duty with William in Zara jeans.
Again, at a film premiere in a Zara necklace; yet again, at the polo in a pretty Zara summer frock, and it was a Zara headband she choose for a Remembrance Day service last year.
A PR masterstroke, most certainly, but it also shows the sheer appeal and versatility of the brand. Kate isn’t the only woman who can afford to wear what she likes, but still chooses Zara.
Claudia Winkleman on Strictly in a red sequin tuxedo: Zara.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley on Instagram: Zara.
Trinny Woodall on This Morning: Zara.
Amanda Holden out and about in London on a sunny summer’s day: Zara.
Holly Willoughby, Rochelle Humes, Alexa Chung, Helen Mirren — the list is endless.
£70.00: A red jacket worthy of a medal as she applauds the British cycling team at the London Olympics in 2012
UNKNOWN: A teal dress borrowed from her sister Pippa at Kensington Palace in 2012 (left). £30.00: Jeans to applaud at Olympic torch relay in London in 2012 (right)
A few years ago, Zara was a pretty exclusive club, accessible only to Duchess-of-Cambridge-shaped women, all long legs and slim hips.
But since they introduced plus-sizes a few years ago, even big girls like me have been allowed to join in the fun. And it’s that, I think, which is crucial to its success.
Zara’s clothes are quirky, edgy; there’s always that element of slight risk. And unlike high-end fashion, they allow you to experiment, to indulge in the occasional gamble, without having to remortgage the house.
£69.99: This floral patterned dress at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011 has got plenty of legs
It’s sartorial escapism, guilt-free shopping at its best. No wonder we love it. No wonder it has made its founder, 83-year-old Amancio Ortega Gaona, the sixth richest person on the planet.
We are almost lemming-like in our adoration.
You think this might undermine Zara’s appeal but the weird thing is, even if that piece becomes ubiquitous — as happened with last summer’s black and white polka-dot dress, which became so sought-after it even had its own Instagram account, ‘Hot for the Spot’ — it doesn’t make it any less popular.
If anything, we rush all the more to snap one up. It is, truly, bordering on a cult.
£49.99: After the £250k bridal gown, a more affordable dress as she and William head off in 2011
Tellingly, it is said that before she met Prince Harry, and when her acting career was taking off, the ambitious Meghan Markle threw a ‘Sayonara Zara’ party at her home, where she gave away her cheap clothes to make way for more expensive pieces, in a bid to reinvent herself.
Had she stuck around longer, I like to think Zara would have found a way back into Meghan’s heart.
If only the same could be said for the British public.