Is it just me, or has Zara become increasingly weird since 2020?

Has anyone else noticed that Zara has become increasingly strange over the last few years? I used to buy quite a lot from Zara, but since around 2020 it feels as if something has changed. The brand seems increasingly disconnected from what ordinary customers actually want to wear.

The designs have become more and more impractical and overcomplicated. Many dresses and tops feature random cut-outs, excessive straps, unusual proportions, oversized elements combined with tiny ones, and details that look interesting on a mannequin but make little sense in everyday life. Sometimes the clothes feel more like fashion experiments than wearable garments.

What puzzles me even more is the disconnect between the design and the fabric choice. Zara will create a bandeau summer dress but make it from a heavy fabric that looks and feels more suitable for autumn or winter. Or they'll design a dress clearly intended for hot weather and then produce it in synthetic materials that are uncomfortable and barely breathable when temperatures rise. I often find myself wondering why a summer dress isn't simply made from cotton, linen, or another natural fabric. The proportions can be odd as well. Some pieces are excessively oversized, while others feel unusually small or awkwardly cut. Another thing I've noticed is the prints and patterns. Many of them feel increasingly chaotic, random, or simply unattractive.

At the same time, prices keep going up. It feels as though Zara is trying to position itself as a more premium brand, but the quality, materials, and wearability don't always justify the price.

For me, good clothing comes down to three things:

a flattering and practical design, atractive colors, prints, and patterns and comfortable, high-quality fabrics that suit the purpose of the garment

Lately, Zara seems to struggle with all three.

Sometimes I browse the new collections and genuinely wonder who the target customer is. Am I the only one who feels that Zara has lost touch with what people actually want to wear, or have others noticed the same shift?