Hi, I'd like to invest time for shopping in Florence and Rome. I'll be in Florence and Rome for a combined period of 8 days. What would be the best places to buy local fashion, - clothes, shoes, etc for a decent price? I'm not particular about brands, rather I want lovely styles of items.

Prices across Europe these days are fairly similar.

Budget brands aren't locally sourced anymore.

The two things put together mean unless you enjoy shopping I'd invest your time elsewhere.

If shopping is a must you could try the outlet malls. Both Rome and Florence have them outside the city. If you're coming during the sale season you could just wander the city .

Here and here you can find some ideas for Rome

You can also look here for some Italian Leather bags at affordable prices!

Don’t know what you have in mind and your price range, but on October trip to Rome I found
the choice was basically either so called “ outlet stores “or very high end boutiques and designers stores.

Agree with Danon. The time when you could find shops of local makers that did not cost a fortune, or snag cashmere sweaters at a street market in Florence, is long gone. It's either Tod's and Gucci or Zara and its ilk.

Personally I would go for one good item made in Italy, rather than several junky made-in-Asia things. I was in Rome last fall; prices were in line with those in the USA, for the most part. I did find a nice jewelery shop not far from the Hassler (lower down on same street) where I bought a good copy of a Fulco di Verdura cuff bracelet. There ARE some shops with jewlery and baubles made by local, or at least Italian, designers. But as far as clothing goes, dig deep or do not waste your time. You can get a pretty good return of the VAT if you buy over a certain amount in one shop, and you can receive the refund in cash so you do not have to have the hassle of applying for the refund at the airports upon leaving the EU.

If you are going to buy leather anything be very careful and do not go super cheap, many of the leather products, particularly in Florence's leather market are made in China, and they are made of bonded leather which is a paper thin layer of leather glued onto a flexible backing.

Furla is a quality line of Italian handbags and wallets which doesn't charge the sky high prices of Gucci and the like.
You can find some nice fashion forward clothing etc in COIN and Rinascente, both department stores and both found in Florence and Rome.

I walked into Rinascente in Rome ( end of October) expecting dep. store variety, but it was not the case -
the clothing was mostly high end designer .

I was in Rinascente in October, 2017 and it was all high-end designer clothes also. I was amazed that Ralph Lauren was so expensive in Europe, probably because of import duties. I saw men's shirts on display that you could find at TJ Maxx for a third of the cost.

I saw nothing in Rome that I couldn't find at Saks, Bloomingdale's or Nordstrom in the US.

Thin,aristocrat 🥊

You might try Davide Cerasi leather boutique in Florence. It's near the Ponte Vecchio, on the Centro Storico side of the river, at Lungarno Degli Acciaiuoli 32/R - 50123 Florence. I THINK it's where we found some really lovely leather jackets a few years ago. According to the website, it's a factory as well as a store, so it should have locally produced goods.

I'm not sure what you are looking for but I shop at OVS for fast fashion while in Italy. I didnt look to see where the clothes were made but I've bought some nice affordable clothing from them.

There are lots of little stores in Rome over by the Spanish steps. I just walk into them all and browse. I'm just not sure if the clothes are locally made but I still just buy what I like and if the price is right.

Interesting, mind you it was four years ago I shopped in Rinascente in Florence and it was not all high end designers, lots of other Italian lines, they must have changed their marketing. COIN might still be a good bet though as they had more lower priced things. Personally, I like some of the independent stores, in Florence I love Jennifer Tattanelli who has the shop Cassini and a restaurant next door called JT Caffe, both right across from the Pitti Palace. Her things are very good quality but they are not budget priced, they are high end, but they last and last.

If you get tired of Rome's upscale shops with upscale prices I suggest a visit to Mercato Testaccio. I stayed nearby not too long ago and enjoyed shopping there with my friend after our morning coffees.

This is from our visit & the first few photos were taken there. https://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/jetlagged-in-rome

There is as much merchandise in the market as food though there are more photos of the food. I did love the bright bags:

Hi Nightshade,
Don't know whether the following is your style, but there is a daily clothing market on Rome's via Sannio, just south of S. Giovanni Laterno church. We've never been to the market, but just noticed that it'll be very close to our upcoming Roman rental.
I am done. The end.

There used to be a fashion outlet called Century 21 in New York, near the lamented World Trade Center. I used to see Italians there shopping for bargains on Italian label clothing and accessories.

It's still there. It's one of those places you have to visit frequently and patiently to seek out actual finds. Not my favourite place. People like to shop when they travel I guess, no matter where they are from.
Personally some of my most favourite clothes I've found in Italy, London, Paris, shopping while travelling is one of my favourite things.

Real outlets tend to be like that. If you find racks of the same items in various sizes it's almost always product made for the outlets. Usually to a lower standard. Rarely worth the time and effort.

I thought I had heard that Century 21 had closed. I haven't been back in that area for some time.