Zara

Some say it's an upscale H&M. Some say it's brilliant. Some say it's pronounced "Zay-Rah." They're wrong. Either way, Chicago just landed Zara's largest North American retail outlet, and it's counting on locals to scoop up enough sparkly miniskirts, colorful sweaters, and European-cut coats to make it worth the real estate. With recession-friendly prices already blowing locals away, there's no...

In Short
Like its European brethren H&M, Zara makes affordable basics with a twist, like a wider neckline or a lower-slung belt. But this is no average chain: Zara designs, makes and...