Zara - are we all too short?

Glowing · 10-06-2008 10:20pm #1

Hi everyone,

I was shopping in Zara recently, and it struck me that all the trousers there are all WAY too long. I'm a size 8, normal height, i.e all most size 8 things fit me in the length - but in Zara, I'm almost standing on the knee part, they're so long!!

They're always pushing the alterations service there too, and I was wondering if you think that they make things too long on purpose so you'll spend the extra on alterations?

Or maybe I am just short ....;)

?

Jemmy · 10-06-2008 10:23pm

Nah i just dont buy trousers in there, its ridiculous. I wudnt spend the extra cash!

xOxSinéadxOx · 10-06-2008 10:31pm

why did tou say what size you are? they don't get longer with size!

Loopy · 10-06-2008 10:33pm

I think that's exactly what they do to make extra dough. I'm 5' 8 and some of their trousers are too long on me.

They don't realise they probably loose more money cos most people couldnt be bothered paying extra for alterations and will go elsewhere.

K-town · 11-06-2008 9:31am

i work in zara and all legs lengths are 34''. i think its because its a spanish company and spanish people are quite tall. the dress sizes are also a small fit because people on the continent are asmaller build than ireland- at least thats we are told!

Kintarō Hattori · 11-06-2008 9:51am

K-town wrote: »

i work in zara and all legs lengths are 34''. i think its because its a spanish company and spanish people are quite tall. the dress sizes are also a small fit because people on the continent are asmaller build than ireland- at least thats we are told!

So Zara sell long trousers because people in Spain are taller and smaller fitting dresses because Spanish people are slimmer. Oh and they do this in Ireland. I can see the business sense that makes.......... :rolleyes:

K-town · 11-06-2008 9:59am

its a spanish company that sells all over the world not just ireland, and the same clothes accessories are sold everywhere

if you are a small build and 5 9'', its the perfect shop for you as there are no alterations to do.

if you dont like altering clothes or cannot fit into the clothes SHOP SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Glowing · 11-06-2008 10:14am

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

why did tou say what size you are? they don't get longer with size!

Yes they do! Generally if you try on a 10, they'll be longer in the leg ...

And I bet you wouldn't have made that comment if I had said I was a size 16 :mad::rolleyes:

panda100 · 11-06-2008 11:11am

Thank god for zara!Im a 36 inch leg so I buy all my trews in zara!

Niamho! · 11-06-2008 12:50pm

i have never Ever bought anything from Zara. dontreally know why. even when i walk in i walk straight back out. theres something about that shop that i just cannot be bothered. its weird.

sorry... i know tat has nothing to do with the trousers issue. just thought i'd throw it in there, hehe.

ncmc · 11-06-2008 4:55pm

Glowing wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I was shopping in Zara recently, and it struck me that all the trousers there are all WAY too long. I'm a size 8, normal height, i.e all most size 8 things fit me in the length - but in Zara, I'm almost standing on the knee part, they're so long!!

They're always pushing the alterations service there too, and I was wondering if you think that they make things too long on purpose so you'll spend the extra on alterations?

Or maybe I am just short ....;)?

Hi, I used to work in Zara. The trousers in there are very long (their atandard is a 36") the reason for this is that Zara pride themselves on responding very quickly to fashion from the catwalks and as a result, they don't carry too much stock in their warehouse of anything. By only stocking one length of trouser leg, it cuts down on the amount of stock they need to carry. How often have you seen something in Zara only for it to be gone the next week, never to return? Same reason, they don't keep tonnes of stock in the warehouse.

The price they charge to alter the clothes is the same price that the tailor charges them, there is no profit made on alterations. In fact they negotiate a lower price with the tailor, so you are paying less than if you took it to the tailor yourself.

Just before I left two years ago, they had just brought out a range of jeans in a 32" leg, to test how it would sell. Suprisingly, it didn't sell any better than the standard leg.

ncmc · 11-06-2008 4:58pm

Niamho! wrote: »

i have never Ever bought anything from Zara. dontreally know why. even when i walk in i walk straight back out. theres something about that shop that i just cannot be bothered. its weird.

sorry... i know tat has nothing to do with the trousers issue. just thought i'd throw it in there, hehe.

I know what you mean Niamho, I never used to buy much there even when I worked there! The 'something about that shop' you mention, I think, is the fact that most of the garments are folded on tables rather than hanging, it makes it much harder to shop as you can't see things clearly, plus it gets really messy which personally turns me away. If I want to sort through big piles of clothes, i'll go to Penny's thanks! It's supposed to give a 'European Boutique' kind of feel. Yeah right...

Larianne · 11-06-2008 5:13pm

K-town wrote: »

i work in zara and all legs lengths are 34''. i think its because its a spanish company and spanish people are quite tall. the dress sizes are also a small fit because people on the continent are asmaller build than ireland- at least thats we are told!

I always found Spanish people smaller. I'm 5'10". I never tried on any of the trousers in there as I presumed they'd be smaller because it was a Spanish brand. Be going in there next week so! Yay!

Font22 · 11-06-2008 5:51pm

Spanish people are taller!!!??????? LOL, everytime I have gone to Spain I have been towering over the locals and I'm only 5 foot 8! my sister is 5 foot 10 and looked like a giant!

softie · 11-06-2008 6:02pm

K-town wrote: »

if you dont like altering clothes or cannot fit into the clothes SHOP SOMEWHERE ELSE.

That's exactly what I start doing - SHOP SOMEWHERE ELSE even tho I used to work for Zara myself. It is really ridiculas, size L is just as big as normal M or S, I'm size 10-12, but sometimes size 14 or even 16 don't fit me. Fair play to you for being loyal to Zara but, their clothes are waaaay too small and trousers are waaaay too long and a lot if women don't like that and eventually will just stop shopping in store and believe me it wont be their loss

dudara · 11-06-2008 6:31pm

Are Spanish people really taller?

I've never bought anything in Zara for several reasons, the main reason being that most of their clothes are quite tatty and insubstantial and yet cost more than Penneys. Secondly, I'm a size 12 and yet there are size 16 items in Zara that don't fit.

Interesting to note that Mango have closed down their Ireland operations due to poor sales.

MJOR · 11-06-2008 6:42pm

Well OP i am too fat to shop in Zara( size 18 but a helluva rack lol)...... but i do know that my BF cannot buy jeans there because they are way too long!!!!!! i mean he's like trippy mac tripperson if he tries on a pair.....So next or gap it is for him FYI .............bershka are the same( for longer taller ppl) awear are good

xOxSinéadxOx · 11-06-2008 7:10pm

Glowing wrote: »

Yes they do! Generally if you try on a 10, they'll be longer in the leg ...

And I bet you wouldn't have made that comment if I had said I was a size 16 :mad::rolleyes:

i've never noticed a difference in length in difference sizes. that's why they sell short long and regular.

simu · 11-06-2008 7:26pm

dudara wrote: »

Interesting to note that Mango have closed down their Ireland operations due to poor sales.

Well, it was more complicated than that. The franchise owners in Ireland had a dispute with Mango HQ and one of their complaints was that they weren't providing them with enough good stock to sell:

from the Irish Times wrote:

The Kelly family is now seeking redress for its franchise operation failure and they plan to join forces with other disgruntled franchisees and take legal action against the retailer.

Simon Kelly claims Mango stopped providing Fabline and Latest Venture with new stock last October. He also recounts how the retailer supplied small quantities of its topline garments - Mango has a three-tier grading system for its products - while delivering large quantities of its lower-rated stock.

He says there were "times when we had women literally crying for a certain dress" but points out the poorly managed supply chain prevented them from dealing promptly with such requests. "Essentially we were getting the wrong stock in the wrong place because Mango did not have a proper technology system in place."

He adds the retailer failed to stock the Dundrum Town Centre shop with some of the chain's celebrity clothing lines and provided insufficient volumes of the popular Penelope Cruz range in 2007, which is designed for Mango by the actress and her sister Monica Cruz.

He also accuses Mango of diverting stock intended for Irish franchise stores to corporate-managed locations.

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/commercialproperty/2008/0430/1209420616345.html

As for Zara, I've never found them all that great but then again, I rarely visit Zara as they have no store in Cork city centre where I normally shop. I'm amazed that people are so hostile to the idea of getting alterations done iin-store, though! I think every shop should offer that service - it's the best way to ensure a perfect fit! It would be great to have an experienced tailor go over whatever clothes you're interested in buying and perfecting the fit for you imho.

idunnoutellme · 11-06-2008 8:53pm

i love clothes in zara. the work trousers from there i can take up myself, but when i try on their jeans they fit really well but say the faded part thats supposed to be at the knee is around my ankle...so makes no sense to even get them taken up. if only they'd sell shorter jeans.
everything else i like...dresses, tops, skirts, shorts, shoes, bags....bring on the sale

all the stars · 12-06-2008 8:40am

Worth Noting its a spanish brand and generally all their stuff is longer, spanish people are taller maybe? and slimmer? seems that way..

Glowing · 12-06-2008 8:51am

Yeah I've nothing against in store alterations -in fact I bought a pair of jeans last weekend which are being altered as we speak

I was just wondering if this is infact a ploy by them to make extra cash. They KNOW the stuff is all too long for the Irish market, but cease to do anything about it since they're making extra money ... it's good to know I'm not the only one who feels like a dwarf when I try anything on!

ncmc · 12-06-2008 9:08am

Glowing wrote: »

Yeah I've nothing against in store alterations -in fact I bought a pair of jeans last weekend which are being altered as we speak I was just wondering if this is infact a ploy by them to make extra cash. They KNOW the stuff is all too long for the Irish market, but cease to do anything about it since they're making extra money ... it's good to know I'm not the only one who feels like a dwarf when I try anything on!

They def do not make money on the alterations! They charge the customer what the tailor charges them! In fact it is a lower price than the tailor would normally charge, negotiated ny Zara because they end up giving a lot of business to that tailor! As much as I hated working there, I will give them that much!

Didn't know Mango was gone, have to say it's one shop I NEVER bought a single item in.

How Strange · 12-06-2008 9:19am

all the stars wrote: »

Worth Noting its a spanish brand and generally all their stuff is longer, spanish people are taller maybe? and slimmer? seems that way..

No I don't really think this is the case. I was in Spain recently and while there are very few muffin tummies bulging out over their jeans the girls are certainly not as universally slim as french girls. Neither are they taller than Irish girls. Spanish women tend to have big hips especially past after mid 20's which is why my spanish friend explained that they love Dunnes trousers etc.

The explanation given earlier about just cutting one size trouser rather than 32", 34" and 36" makes sense but what the hell is with their sizing

As others have said, you have to go up two sizes in Zara (and I noticed the same in Mango). I'm an 8-10. Sometimes in H&M I'm a 6 depending on the cut of the top/jacket/coat. In Zara I'm at least a 12.

And the clothes just never sit right on me. The trousers just hang in a blah kind of way that make me look like a kid wearing my mothers clothes. The jumpers etc just look ridiculous.

ncmc · 12-06-2008 9:28am

How Strange wrote: »

No I don't really think this is the case. I was in Spain recently and while there are very few muffin tummies bulging out over their jeans the girls are certainly not as universally slim as french girls. Neither are they taller than Irish girls. Spanish women tend to have big hips especially past after mid 20's which is why my spanish friend explained that they love Dunnes trousers etc.

The explanation given earlier about just cutting one size trouser rather than 32", 34" and 36" makes sense but what the hell is with their sizing

As others have said, you have to go up two sizes in Zara (and I noticed the same in Mango). I'm an 8-10. Sometimes in H&M I'm a 6 depending on the cut of the top/jacket/coat. In Zara I'm at least a 12.

And the clothes just never sit right on me. The trousers just hang in a blah kind of way that make me look like a kid wearing my mothers clothes. The jumpers etc just look ridiculous.

The worst thing about the sizing in Zara is that it varies depending on what section of the store you are in. Zara ladies has three sections, Woman, Basic and TRF. The Woman section is actually quite generous in it's size, Basic is normal to-a bit on the small size and TRF is for Munchlins and lollipops only! So you end up having to bring about three sizes of everything in to the fitting room!

Pigletlover · 12-06-2008 12:56pm

I love Zara, it's the only place I can get trousers long enough to wear with heels. At least if they're too long you can get them taken up, unfortunately if they're too short there's nothing you can do :mad:

IzzyWizzy · 12-06-2008 10:51pm

The thing is, Spanish people are NOT tall. I could understand if it were a Dutch clothes shop, but Spanish people in general are shorter than Irish people so I don't get the 36 inch leg thing at all. Surely 32 would suit many more people, or at least 34? I used to live in Spain and my flatmate claimed the jeans were long because Spanish girls wear them with heels but I think that's total rubbish, I tried on a pair with heels and they still seemed about 10 inches too long.

I find the sizing a bit on the small side, but I've never had a problem, since size M is nearly always grand (I'm a size 10). The L is hardly 'large' though, probably about a size 12?

Todoquetengo · 14-06-2008 9:39pm

I'm short and even the short sizes in most shops are too long for me so I'm used to having to get all my trousers altered. When I lived in Spain all shops stocked the one length in trousers but had in store alteration services which I think is great. Only cost a couple of euro and was ready the next day. Wish more shops here would do it

Dee369369 · 15-06-2008 12:23am

Berksha is really bad for long jeans as well i have to cut off loads to get them to fit me and then they look all scraggly...grr

ncmc · 15-06-2008 7:43pm

Dee369369 wrote: »

Berksha is really bad for long jeans as well i have to cut off loads to get them to fit me and then they look all scraggly...grr

Bershka is owned by the same company as Zara, as is Pull and Bear and Massimo Dutti, so I would imagine the length in all those shops are the same.:)

Dee369369 · 15-06-2008 11:45pm

ncmc wrote: »

Bershka is owned by the same company as Zara, as is Pull and Bear and Massimo Dutti, so I would imagine the length in all those shops are the same.:)

Pull and Bear seemed to disappear they had some nice stuff.is there still one in dublin?

Zara - are we all too short?

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