Serious Shopping in Madrid
 

I'm travelling to Madrid later this month and I want to do some serious shopping !! Nothing extremely expensive..but definitely brand name women's clothing, accesories, makeup, perfumes and such..I was told that El Corte Ingles stores are actually not the best place to buy. Even though they are huge..it can be on the expensive side..<BR>Do any of you Fodorites know where I can find quality brands at reasonable prices ? <BR>Thanks for the input !!

Gracie I must admit to no shopping knowledge of Spain! Actually my best friend and I are trying to plan a trip to southern Spain this summer.<BR><BR>Just wanted to ask you for some direction on travel agencies / airlines. Where did you have the most luck? And I hope you don't fly Northwest. If they lose/delay your luggage they are totally incapable of tracking it. Total crapshoot!! Good luck in Spain.

Hi Gracie,<BR>First of all, on the 7th of January the winter sales begin, so you are going to be lucky with your shopping.<BR>And now, what do you mean with brand name clothing? If you are looking for foreign brands, there won´t be big differences between the boutiques and the prices at El Corte Ingles. On the other side, you might try the spanish designers such as Adolfo Dominguez, Roberto Verino, Purificaci&oacute;n Garcia, Antonio Mir&oacute; and many more. I, myself, love the clothes at Adolfo Dominguez. You might ask at your hotel about the proper addresses. <BR>About shoes and leather bags, I would check Acosta, Ursula Mascar&oacute;, El Caballo, and of course, Camper. And the Loewe shops.<BR>Cheap, near Puerta del Sol you can find H&M, the swedish chain shop. Some funky designs, but the quality is worse than Zara or Mango.<BR>There is an outlet park outside Madrid, but I haven´t been there yet, so I cannot tell you about the quality.<BR>Rgds, Cova

Hi Gracie!<BR>Try this for brand name:<BR>Dafnis<BR>PºHabana,174<BR>Happy shopping!

Hi Doug, I'm actually staying at my brother's aptartment so I don't need a travel agent..I'm flying in British Airways...no surprises I hope but I've already flown with them and had no problems...

Gracie,<BR>Notes from my Madrid shopping file:<BR><BR>I also love Adolfo Dominguez (think of him as the Spanish Armani), but I can't afford him except during the big markdowns. Also check Roberto Verino (Armani Jr.). I bought a beautiful jacket of his at a reasonable sale price. Also Purificacion Garcia and ultra hip Amaya Arzuaga. Their boutiques are in the upscale Salamanca district: A.D. on Serrano #18, R.V. on Serrano, corner of Ayala, next to Bally or Claudio Coello #27, P.G on Serrano #28 and A.A. on Lagasca #50. (caveat: street #'s may have changed, but they'll get you in the general area). The smaller El Corte Ingles on Serrano behind the Hotel Villamagna carries the top designers and is less crowded, easier during the sales than the huge one at the Puerta del Sol, which is a teeming sea of mass humanity. Also the big El C.I. at the Goya metro stop and the even larger one on Raimundo Fernandez Villaverde off the northern end of the Castellana. Both carry the top names and are more pleasant than the Sol complex. <BR><BR>For inexp. designer knock-offs:<BR>Mango, Don Algodon and Zara have branches everywhere and terrific sale prices-don't miss. Also while in the Salamanca district, check out the ABC Serrano (#61) complex. There's a Zara there and a dozen more boutiques that will have slashed prices. Also the inexpensive but fashionable clothes at the chain, Cortefiel, on Serrano or Goya.<BR><BR>For shoes and bags, I'd splurge at Acosta (on Hermosilla #36 or Claudio Coello #21 in the Salamanca district). The bags are more practical and less pricey than Loewe but look great. Also try Yanko on Lagasca #52 (same area) or Farrutx on Serrano #7 for high fashion. Piamonte at Lagasca #28 has Almodovar-type funky designs. For casual shoes, there's a big Camper store on the Gran Via.<BR>Also prices at Tod's on Ortega y Gasset #17 (Salamanca) are lower than in U.S. but still quite exp.-don't know if you want to go that high end.<BR><BR>At the Loewe store, with leather like Gucci, on the corner of Serrano and Goya (also Gran Via #8 and the Hotel Palace), you'll see beautiful, timeless, but pricey ($130) Hermes-type scarves. Also sold at the airport duty free designer boutiques. The Loewe store is great for dreaming/browsing.<BR><BR>For Spanish perfumes, look for "Gala Dia", "Gala Noche" (yum!) "Aire" (light) and "L", all by Loewe. Try them out in the gorgeous Loewe store then buy cheaper at any discount perfumeria like Collado Hermoso or El Corte Ingles at a 10% discount. "Duende" by Jesus del Pozo and "Carmen" by Seville's Victorio & Lucchino are other Spanish scents. Also "Agua de Sevilla", and Don Algodon sells cologne.<BR>I've always found makeup more exp. in Spain, so can't advise except to say that Penelope Cruz gets her beauty products at Massumeh Massi on Monte Esquinza #37 (www.massumeh.com)<BR><BR>For Majorica pearls, like the ones they sell in the U.S. for a hefy price at Neiman Marcus , I always buy for friends at El C. I.. In white, cream, greyish blue, dark grey.<BR>The boutique El C.I. on Serrano has a varied selection and good help. And if you'd like a handmade lace shawl (a "manton"), this branch has a nice selection in all colors/ sizes, and they'll be on sale too.<BR><BR>About Dafnis-it's where the ladies-who-lunch on Spain's best dressed list (like Isabel Preysler, J. Iglesia's ex-wife) get their haute couture. Very, very pricey but interesting people watching!<BR><BR>About the outlet mall: It's in a Madrid suburb, Las Rozas Village, 30 min away, off the A6. 40 outlet stores including Camper, Antonio Miro, Farrutx, and Mandarina Duck, but probably not worth the time/effort unless you want to make a stop on route by car to Segovia or El Escorial.<BR><BR>Have fun!<BR>Maribel

For something unique go to<BR><BR>www.sesena.com<BR><BR>Men's and women's capes! Only store like it in the world.

Maribel, thanks for reminding me about Farrutx. I couldn´t remember the name, and I have three bags. All bought by my sister at a small shop in Chueca, with discounts of 50 and 30%, last season´s bags, but still beautiful leather. We are planning a weekend in February to do a bit of shopping.<BR>The good thing for Gracie is that if she is going at the end of January, she might be able to get to the great sale at Adolfo Dominguez (next week will be 20%, and at the end of the month it can reach 50%). But I have realized lately that I prefer to invest in a good cut trouser from him, than in 3 cheaper ones (specially when you are not a 38 size, and you have your "small" problems with your body :) ).<BR>Cortefiel can also be interesting. Lots of shops around Madrid, the Pedro del Hierro collections, the lingerie from Woman´s Secret ... They have some lovely white blouses this winter.<BR>El Corte Ingl&eacute;s has bought the Marks and Spencer shops in Spain, and I guess they might put some of their sales at the place in Serrano.<BR>Rgds, Covadonga<BR>

Hi Cova,<BR>Thanks for reminding me of the Woman's Secret (like Victoria's Secret in U.S.). There's a W.S. shop on Velazquez near Goya. And I had forgotten that El Corte Inles had purchased Marks and Spencer, so I'll check out their Serrano store in June. Also the Moda Shopping up on the Castellana/General Peron has lots of boutiques where my sisters-in-law shop, including Adolfo Dominguez and Roberto Verino. Big bargains up there during rebajas, and those 3rd markdowns are terrific (that's when I bought my R.V. jacket). Also need to mention Salvador Bachiller shoes.<BR>Have fun shopping in Madrid in Feb.<BR>Regards,<BR>Maribel<BR><BR>For Gracie:<BR>Those Sesena capes that Mark David Miller mentions on Calle Cruz, near the Puerta del Sol, are really gorgeous if you want a once in a lifetime purchase (Hillary Clinton bought a couple), and they also have beautiful and exp. shawls. Have a look at their display window at least. It's a treat to see them first hand.

Loewe. Loewe. Loewe. (pronounced LO-A-BAY) The most beautiful leather. On a par with Longchamp but even finer. I found prices in Spain for things like well-known and usually expensive skin care products and make-up to be half of what I pay in the States. I purchased them at El Cortes Ingles but there are many Beauty Supply stores that are great,too. I didn't find any clothes of real quality at Cortes--it's kind of like our lower end dept. stores but there are some wonderful little shops all over Madrid and Spain where you'll find beautiful Leather Coats and unique clothing. Walk around and you will discover not only some good shopping but one of the most interestingly beautiful places in Europe.