Buying a coat in Italy
 

DD will be in Italy through December. She'll need a coat, but wants to buy one there rather than take one. Does anyone know how prices compare to the US? (She'd be looking at a coat in the $70 to $150 range here.) And what stores would carry reasonably priced coats? Thanks.

Where is she going in Italy?

More importantly, how big is she?

Maire, Italy has beautiful clothes. They are not inexpensive. They also have clothes that are cheap and not that great (not Italian made but imported). With the weak dollar versus the strong euro I would probably bring a coat from the US to Italy unless my budget was not tight.

Good morning! I am coming to the U.S. from Italy with my daughter. She would like to buy a coat while in America. Can you please list all the stores in the U.S. that sell coats? Thank you.

Actually Maire, my European friends do come to American just to shop!
Althought if she wants a leather...isn't Florence a good choice?

I would bring a coat from home. Go shopping as well maybe, but would not want to be dependent on finding one I liked in my price range.

Imitation, you have a point -- let's just wander around "Italy" shopping. I think it's highly unlikely you can buy a quality outerwear item for $100+ in Milan or Rome for instance -- did you know that some of the finest fabrics and makers in the world originate here, priced accordingly? If you're thinking of an H&M-type chain store, goods are definitely cheaper in the US.

"I would bring a coat from home. Go shopping as well maybe, but would not want to be dependent on finding one I liked in my price range."

Good advice. Quality clothes are expensive in Italy and the exchange rate is not in our favor. I doubt she'd find anything decent in the low end of her range, but maybe a leather jacket in the higher end in the Florence markets or some of the small shops.

I bought two leather jackets, both were more than $100 and don't remember seeing anything less than $100, even in the street markets.

It's hard to think of any consumer product that varies in price as much as a coat.

There's practically nowhere in Italy that'll sell a proper winter coat at around €100-€200. H+M (store locator at www.hm.com), and some Inditex fascias like Zara (start from www.inditex.com)have a few branches in Italy, do carry coats in some countries in winter and do sometimes - especially H+M - work at that kind of price.

She might look in chains like Coin, or just possibly in the hypermarkets like Carrfour or Auchan (google ipermercato and the city or region - in Italian - she's going to be in). Or a mail order company like Euronova.

But very few Italian women will be looking for something at that price. Practically every street in Italy will have wonderful coats (most, incidentally, made in Romania, though that's rarely clear from the label since origin labelling isn't a requirement in Italy) in independent shops, priced €300 and up. But there isn't a Wal-Mart/Asda, there isn't a C+A, there isn't a Primark and there isn't a TJ Maxx. The role midmarket chains like JC Penney plays in the US is really taken by the millions of high-quality independent small shops.

The main department store chain, Rinascente, works at much higher prices.

I'd say the choice is between buying the coat in the US (and, to be honest, risking looking a bit frumpy if she's living north enough to need a coat) and just restructuring the budget to follow the <i>italiane</i>.

Mrs F, in her youth, used to decide the sacrifice of a meal or two a day was worth it to be able to hold her head high in Via Montenapoleone. But the resultant coats are still in our wardrobe and still look terrific.

I was in Milan for the January sales and bought a lined black wool coat with military detail that hits right above the knee for 35 Euro. (70% off + additional clearance). The chain called *blu sand*, sold trendy inexpensive clothing with most labels bearing &quot;Made in Italy,&quot; although at these prices, we wondered if it were indeed only the labels they were talking about (and the coats shipped from China...)

Anyway, Blu Sand reminds me of an H&amp;M (in both trendiness and mediocre quality) but I got many compliments on the coat when I got home. It feels nice to be stopped on the street to be asked, &quot;Where did you get that&quot; and you have to admit it's from Italy... (but don't have to admit the 35 Euro part)

I also bought a great shearling coat in Florence (I live in Chicago) over 5 years ago -- $600 USD but worth every penny. I can withstand sub-degree temps in this coat and look funky cute rather than like the Michelin man. I can't tell you how many compliments this coat gets every season -- would have been at least twice the price in the U.S. Banana Republic turned out a shearling two years ago that looked like mine and it retailed at $1700.00

Anyway, even with regular prices, I think blu sand would be affordable for your daughter. I also found a gorgeous cashmere coat in creme at a boutique in some trendy part of Milan marked down to only 150 Euro but was a couple of sizes too big. The annual sales are incredible but you have to get there before the Japanese tourists if you're a smaller size.

For about 80EUR, she'll be able to find a trendy coat made from synthetics at H&amp;M or Zara. For 300EUR and up, she could get a nice wool coat at shops like Benneton. Of course, for that money, paying $200 for a good wool coat in the US and bringing it over seems like a better bet.

Buying a leather jacket in Florence is definitely a great idea and a great souvenir, since for $130-150 (depending on her bartering skills), you can find extremely high quality jackets in many styles. Not sure if that would be quite enough for winter, though, depending on where your daughter is going to be.

Would not wait until Italy to buy a winter coat.

First - the quality in the budget clothing range is not great there. (Europeans tend to have fewer clothes than Americans - but better qualty. And even here that is a very low price for a winter coat - unless you go to a sale at a discount mall.)

Second - why spend a large part of your vacation looking for what you can get at home - many more choices - and you alrady know where the discounters are.