Here’s How To Get The Zara Pieces That Nobody Else Knows About Yet

If you are someone with a Zara habit, then you must by necessity also be someone who is comfortable with the idea of ‘twinning’. Because when Zara delivers hits – which it does, with alarming regularity – you can be sure you’re not the only person who’s recognised that piece’s style star power. At this point, I am almost obliged to mention a certain spotty midi dress, but you already know all about that.

If, however, you are like me and someone who is wooed by Zara but deeply uncomfortable with the idea of ‘twinning’ then you’re left in a bit of a predicament. There is, however, a Zara shopping hack – one which everyone else doesn’t already know about – and I am going to (reluctantly) let you in on it.

For most of the past month I have been wearing my current favourite blouse which is crisp white cotton with satisfyingly puffy blouson sleeves and a Peter Pan collar. It elicits compliments every time I wear it. Earlier this week, in a Grazia team meeting, two of the fashion team WhatsApped me to ask where I’d picked it up. ‘It’s Zara :) !!!!!!’ I replied. But this was only a half truth. The blouse, you see, is actually a pyjama top – part of a set – and it came not from Zara but Zara Home.

My Zara Home epiphany came after moving a shop, skip and a jump away from one of the branches. I headed in there after I was too lazy to find my dinner plates in the still-unpacked boxes. I did not make it as far as the crockery. Instead I was charmed by the excellent sleepwear on offer – including those perfect cotton PJs. ‘Hang on!’ I thought. ‘These are far too good to save for the bedroom’ (I bought two pairs; one for bed and one for ‘out’. I am all for bed-to-bar dressing, but I am also all for basic hygiene).

Sadly for you, those pyjamas are now long gone. But there is still so much to fall for. Right now, I am hankering after an embroidered jacket (would look excellent with classic blue denim and Birkenstocks), a cotton voile nightie with sweet, puckered sleeves (I will be wearing mine out and about with stompy ankle boots) and a striped tunic (which I suppose is great for the beach, but since that’s not happening for me anytime soon, to Tesco Metro it goes). Worn with the matching shorts, a short sleeved blue shirt with contrasting piping would make a rather chic bedtime get-up – but I’m going to be taking mine out with a denim midi skirt. The sandals and ‘slippers’ are equally out-worthy. Check out the rope slides, flatform flipfops, blush pink ballet pumps and felt clogs (currently enjoying a long overdue renaissance).

In fact, you could consider this not so much a shopping hack as a time-saving one. After all, who’s to know you’ve just rolled out of bed for that 9AM Zoom call in sleepwear like this (I would, however, strongly urge you to brush your hair – that is something of a giveaway). And since I am letting you in on this secret, let’s do ourselves both a favour and agree this goes no further. Deal? Good.