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Madrid is a world design center. You'll have no trouble finding traditional crafts, such as ceramics, woven baskets, guitars, and leather goods, as well as a wealth of contemporary art and fashion pieces. Small, family-run shops and boutiques generally close during lunch hours, on Saturday afternoon, and on Sunday.
Madrid has three main shopping areas. The first stretches from Callao to Puerta del Sol (Calle Preciados, Gran Vía on both sides of Callao, and the streets around the Puerta del Sol) and includes the major department stores (El Corte Inglés and the French music, book, and electronics chain FNAC) and popular brands such as H&M and Zara.
The second area, far more elegant and expensive, is in the eastern Salamanca district, bounded roughly by Serrano, Juan Bravo, Jorge Juan (and its mews), and Velázquez; the shops on Goya extend as far as Alcalá. The streets just off the Plaza de Colón, particularly Calle Serrano and Calle Ortega y Gasset, have the widest selection of designer goods—think Prada, Loewe, Armani, and Louis Vuitton—as well as other mainstream and popular local designers (Purificación García, Pedro del Hierro, Adolfo Domínguez, Roberto Verino). Calle Jorge Juan, Calle Lagasca, and Calle Claudio Coello hold the widest selection of smart boutiques from renowned Spanish designers such as Sybilla, DelPozo, and Dolores Promesas.
Finally, for hipper clothes, Chueca, Malasaña, and the streets around the Conde Duque cultural center are your best bets. Calle Fuencarral, between Gran Vía and Tribunal, has the most shops in this area with outposts from Diesel, Adidas, and Footlocker, but also local brands such as El Ganso, Adolfo Domínguez U (selling the Galician designer's younger collection), and Custo as well as some cosmetics stores (Madame B and M.A.C). Less mainstream and sometimes more exciting is the selection you can find on nearby Calles Hortaleza, Almirante, and Piamonte and around the Conde Duque cultural center.
A well-curated selection of vintage threads keeps this boutique packed with cool kids. There's a particularly wide selection of billowy patterned shirts and worn-in Levis. There's another location by Sol at Plaza de Herradores 8. As in all vintage stores, be sure to check garments for stains, tears, and missing buttons before buying.
A favorite among local fashionistas, this store has two branches—one dedicated to high-end women's wear and another to furniture and decor—on the same street.
This popular Galician designer creates simple, elegant lines for men and women. Of the numerous locations around the city, this flagship is the most varied and cutting-edge.
This is the flagship store of two young Spanish designers with clothes and accessories for both men and women. All garments are handmade in an atelier north of Madrid. Other stores can be found on Calle de Sagasta 4 and Calle del Clavel 4.
A fashion temple that screams "Movida Madrileña," the '80s countercultural movement that ushered Madrid into the modern era, this vintage store is decked out with wildly patterned skirts and dresses and fluorescent track jackets.
You'll find a broad selection of European designer brands (e.g., Bergamot, Forte Forte, Pomandère, Babo) at Nac. The store on Calle de Génova is the biggest of the four in Madrid.
This Madrileño designer has a solid reputation for his casual preppy clothes for both sexes. The boutique is chic and inviting with walnut and marble furnishings and a section devoted to garments by sister company Cortefiel.
The bubbly owner of this women's-wear store culls daring, colorful garments from Spanish designers for her devoted (mostly 40-and-above) clientele.
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