Shopping In Italy

Wondered about the reality of shopping (shoes and clothing) in various ports on our Cruise this June. We will be in Florence, Portofino, Positano and Rome (spending 3 nights after the cruise). Interested in shoes mostly! Any suggestion of great places to shop in these cities. I would like to know if there is any deals or affordable designer shops. Also, unique shopping places to specific cities. And, one other type of shopping, textiles, or fabric. Thanks.

With the euro and dollar close to parity you will get some decent prices however I've never ever seen a really great florentine leather bag at rock bottom prices

I got incredible deals at Gucci back in the 80's paying with lira but I digress about the good old days

Recently though (circa 2013) even when euro not close to parity...we did get some good deals at the Longchamps store both in Paris and Rome.

Still pricey but much better priced than what we would have paid at Bloomingdales or at any Longchamps store in the states.

Bottom line is you will be able to get good quality designer stuff in Italy...but you will not get it at rock bottom...plus you have that Vat tax to deal with

Also we have found that sometimes Italian sales clerks give erroneous info regarding vat tax.

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Oh man VAT tax. Forgot about that. I shopped in Paris a few years ago. Just wondering if now is the time to splurge on something fun, memories of our trip attached to it. Thanks for the info. I'm not expecting rock bottom prices just wanted to get an idea of where to go for better deals.

Are you only looking for high-end designer items or are you looking for fashionable "everyman" items? Just throwing that out there.

For Rome, the area around Via Condotti is a wonderful mix of the high-end name designers along with small boutiques. I've bought some jewelry at a small store or two there that did not fall into the $300 for a pair of earrings (got a necklace and earrings for $100). For the "everyman" experience, Via del Corso has some fun stores and chains. I don't have a Zara anywhere near where I live (I'd have to fly hours to another state), but I always have fun diving in to the Zara in Rome (and Paris) and usually pick up a thing or two. There are also some fun boutiques over in the Campo di Fiore area. There is also the big Rinascente department store and it's little indoor boutique mall on Via del Corso on you way from Trevi Fountain to The Pantheon (or vise versa). Good fashions at all pricepoints in there.

For Florence - are you just there day tripping from the ship? If day tripping, I don't know if I'd waste time shopping. BUT... for cheap stuff, the San Lorenzo market. Leather goods made mostly in the sweatshops with immigrant labor in Prato, outside of Florence. But, decent prices on some nice scarves to add some flair to outfits. Via de Tornabuoni is where you'll find the designer shops again. Walk around the Piazza della Repubblica for lots of shops, and if you walk down any of the streets from there to the Ponte Vecchio, those streets are lined with shops. One thing - if you want high-end, high-price leather, take a walk to the Scuola del Cuoio behind the Santa Croce church. It is a leather-making school. Amazing handbags and leather coats!!! I bought black leather jacket there in 2007 - definitely worth the money I paid for it - still beautiful and feels like butter. I've stayed in Florence a few times, so I had lots of time to wander. Going between my hotel (the Westin), crossing the bridge to Oltroarno and wandering around over there, walking all the little passages between the hotel and Via della Repubblica, I found tons of great little boutiques. I don't have any names, but some of the just called me in and I found wonderful stuff.

Thank you. More the everyday kind of person shopping. Although, I may make a purchase if it is just right from a high end designer. I do plan to do more shopping in Rome but thought if anyone had a great suggestion about Florence I would see if we are near any of the suggested shopping areas, might try to fit in a bit of shopping. Only a day trip to Florence. I love the idea of jewelry in Rome. I will add your suggested areas to my list of things to do in Rome. My husband will love this, NOT!! ;p

Thank you. More the everyday kind of person shopping. Although, I may make a purchase if it is just right from a high end designer. I do plan to do more shopping in Rome but thought if anyone had a great suggestion about Florence I would see if we are near any of the suggested shopping areas, might try to fit in a bit of shopping. Only a day trip to Florence. I love the idea of jewelry in Rome. I will add your suggested areas to my list of things to do in Rome. My husband will love this, NOT!! ;p

For the one bit of jewelry I picked up, the shop is called LaLa ( just looked at the card I still keep the earrings on). I want to say it was on Via della Carrozzze - a block behind Via Condotti and maybe a block or two in from Piazza de Spagna. Some where in there. Silver and Gold crystal jewelry, but much different from what you'd see in Swarovski. There was another store around Via Condotti that had some great enamel pieces, but I just could not pull the trigger on the one bracelet I liked.

For Florence, if you ever need gloves, there is a store just over the Ponte Vecchio on the Oltroarno side called Madova. Really nice leather gloves. Anything from evening gloves to casual gloves to lined gloves to winter gloves. Picked up a pair of leather driving gloves to use on those chilly days when the car isn't warmed up yet or I have to walk from the car to the store.

Oh, my previous post may have said "Rialto Bridge" for Florence - I meant Ponte Vecchio. The bridge is lined with nothing but gold stores. Every store really has the same stuff at the same price. If you just want a jewelry souvenir, pop in to any store and get something.

My wife had WAY to much a good time at "The Mall" (that's the name of the place), an outlet mall in Leccio, near Florence.

All the designer brands are there.

I must admit to pick v up an originally priced at €3500 Armani suit for €499.00....

Oh man a Mall with designer brands!!!!! I'm in trouble. good thing I am mostly on a tour during our day in Florence. I will check out the gloves. Great idea to get leather gloves. I don't have a pair and have wondered about a pair.

I love the idea of jewelry. thank you for the shop name. I'm going to look it up before I go. I like to walk goggle maps before visits to get the lay of the land.

Oh man a Mall with designer brands!!!!! I'm in trouble. good thing I am mostly on a tour during our day in Florence. I will check out the gloves. Great idea to get leather gloves. I don't have a pair and have wondered about a pair.

 

The mall mentioned is very hit or miss and it's a distance from Florence itself. I definitely would NOT plan on it if you only have a day -- way more important things to see and do in Florence that will make great memories instead of shopping....

If you have more days in Rome and are interested in gloves, I highly recommend going to Sermoneta. They are traditional glove makers with beautiful goods in all price ranges. Not only that but their store (near the foot of the Spanish Steps) is definitely an experience, where the employees give you the full experience of measuring your hands properly and assisting you with gloves to try on.

I'm not that much of a shopper; but I was staying near the Spanish Steps once, back in 1999, and stopped there to check them out, having read about them. I bought two pairs of gloves -- both of which I still have and use today!

http://www.sermonetagloves.com/en/aboutus.php

Buy sandals in Positano. I bought a pair at Artigianto Rallo (Viale Pasitea, 96) and have very happy memories each time I wear them.

I also have gloves from Madova in Florence. The shop is tiny and the glove fitting a wonderful experience.

You will see Calzedonia shops in Rome and Florence. They have a very nice selection of hoisery, lingerie and beach wear. Their leggings are fantastic.

If flying home from Rome, there a lots of duty free shops at FCO. In particular, the Furla shop has a great selection and I always end up with something as a last minute treat.