scott

My wife and I will spend 4 days in Madrid. If you have been to Rome and shopped you'll know what I'm talking about. How would you compare the shopping (clothes, shoes, leather). The Italians really know how to make clothes with style and quality. What's your opinion????? I would really like some feed-back if you like to shop. We will also spend time in Barcelona????

Erin

Hi, <BR>I've been to both cities (Rome 1997, Madrid 1996) with a serious shopper (my sister) and she found more bargains and innovative styles in Rome than in Madrid. In fact, I don't think she bought any clothes in Madrid, which is a record for her! While on our first day in Rome, she had 2 pairs of shoes, a pantsuit, 4 merino wool sweater sets! BTW, the clothes were inexpensive, good quality and she still wears them today.

Maira

Italian leather items and clothes are truly a good buy, but I do noticed that for the younger generation, Madrid offers better choices in clothing and accesories. El Corte Ingles is a superb department store for those items. So, I would concentrate in Rome for shopping, but if you are also buying for the young ones, don't miss a visit to El Corte Ingles.

carol

Both Madrid and Barcelona have branches of the high-end boutiques--Hermes, Gucci et al. Barcelona is the business center of Spain and I suspect that the shopping there is better. A wonderful Spanish company on the same level as Hermes and Gucci is Loewe (pronounced Low-ev-ay)for beautiful leather bags and accessories, silk scarves and a great perfume (which is what I bought there in Barcelona).

steve

my wife says that there's no place in Europe like Rome for shopping!!!

Maribel

Scott, <BR>I've shopped in both cities with "power shoppers" whose clothing budget far exceeds my own (in Rome 3 summers ago and in Madrid, every summer). Ortega & Gassett street in Madrid has the most upscale, high-end shopping(along with parts of nearby Serrano, also Claudio Coello), but Rome's Via Condotti it is not. You'll find Prada, Loewe (their elegant leather bags are softer, a bit superior to Gucci's, IMO-Gucci purchases leather from them), Tod's, L.V., Emporio Armani, Versace, Chanel, Valentino and the like, but the selection is smaller than what you'll find in Rome (and no Ferragamo store in Madrid, although their shoes/bags/scarves are sold in El Corte Ingles). Your wife should save the big ticket items for Rome, I think. If she's interested in designer clothes, the "hot" Spanish designers are Adolfo Dominguez (the Spanish Armani), Roberto Verino (Armani Jr.), Purificacion Garcia, Jesus del Pozo, Victorio y Lucchino and way, way out there Agatha Ruiz de Prada. The young and those not so young on a more limited budget purchase their clothes at Zara.