Shopping for Children in Rome
 

Does anyone have any favorite shops for either clothing or toys for young children in Rome?

I asked the same question a few years ago here and was actually able to find the thread. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2
I never made that trip to Italy afterall because my husband became ill the day before departure. I am going to Rome in 3 weeks with my sisters and hope to find a few of these places. Now I have TWO grandchildren instead of one!

That link brings up the whole list on the left - my post is at #20 on the list.

ALso - I recently learned about Al Sogno - a wonderful toy store in the Piazza Navona - http://www.thingstodo-rome.com/broch...amp;ITEM=16#16 - -can't wait - - our hotel is right there!

There are two toy shops on the Piazza Navona; one a very beautiful one. Some small souvenir shops sell small figures of romans; I bought my 5-year old a ceasar with horse and carriage, which he liked.
Lots of traditional clothes for children, and of course the Italian labels such as Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Armani, who all do children's clothes.
There are two beautiful shops in the main shopping area; La Cicogna and Pure. If I remember correctly, one is in the Via Borgognona, the other in the next street (not the Via Condotti, the street on the other side; called Via Andrea?? can't remember exactly). Anyway, both beautiful but expensive shops.
There's also a chain called Onyx that sells sporty clothes for children.

I love Pure now that my girls are older and won't wear the hand-smocked and embroidered dresses I used to buy them at LAF. Pure carries the children's lines from designers like Dolce and Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Armani, Simonetta and La Perla. Very goreous and stylish clothes at very high prices. The store also carries baby clothes from the same designers. However, if you want your grandchildren to dress like little principesse or principes, then go to LAF on Via Capo le Case 6, between the Spanish Steps and Via Tritone. All their clothes are either silk, wool or cotton, hand smocked and embroidered by sisters in a convent in Rome. Very expensive but these are heirloom quality clothes. Another fun place is Mettimi Giu on Via due Macelli 59, near the McDonald's at the Spanish Steps. Colorful, whimsical clothing up to size 10. In Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina is a branch of Bonpoint but those are French clothes. As for toys, the stuffed animals at Al Sogno in Piazza Navona are lovely and expensive. It is a store that does not encourage browsing and absolutely no touching of the merchansdise. I prefer the other toy store in the Piazza Navona, Berte, which has a nice selection of European toys, including wooden pull toys, puzzles and great dollhouses and dollhouse items. Citta del Sole on Via della Scrofa 65 has a good selection of games, educational toys and crafts. One of my favorite toy stores in Rome is a little narrow shop on Piazza San Cosimato in Trastevere. It's across from the hospital and this is where to find the Italian versions of Barbie, stuffed Lupo di Romas (the mascot of the AS Roma soccer team) that sing the "Ole Ole" song, and other typically Italian toys at reasonable prices.

Are these strictly Roman children that you can buy, or can you get children from other regions? ((c))

(Sorry, the devil ((6)) made me do it!)

You got there ahead of me. :)

I don't think you can buy children in Rome legally.

LOL-- I knew I was asking for that!!!

Thanks for the tips! For some reason none of my guidebooks addressed this.

Dorgal, I am having trouble with your link. If it isn't too much trouble, could you top the thread? Or just tell me what you searched on? Thanks very much.

My daughter too much fun at Al (?) Sogno in P. Navona . They have a great selection of stuffed toys.
At the opposite end of the piazza, near the Fontana Quattro Fuimi there was a really fun store with a wide selection of toys bedsides animals.Grinisa mentions it in her post. i remember some very nice carved wooden toys.

I have found attractive children's clothes that I can actually afford at Prenatal in the Condotti shopping area. I bought gorgeous cotton polo style dresses that look great on a 2 and 5 year old.

I think Prenatal is an Australian brand, and not Italian, but I absolutely could find nothing affordable in the Italian made children's clothing shops.

I cannot afford the super expensive boutique children's clothing. How about chain stores that carry "different" clothing than we have in the USA at a more reasonable cost? Sory to hear that Al Sogno does not encourage browsing !!??!! What do they do when a KID comes in and wants to touch??!

There is also a Dinsey Store on Via del Corso. Ok it is NOT italian stuff, but...ya know... children love toys, no matter what! :) Also, there is Benetton 012, a "branch" of the normal Benetton store, that sells clothes for children from 0 to 12. If I remember well there is a Benetton shop in Piazza di Spagna. Check out also Termini Forum because my best friend usually buys clothes for her 9-year-old-daughter there.

please remember that most european (kids) clothes should be put in the dryer. The US machines pretty much ruin them. I'm sure other will post saying that they've never had a problem with xyz clothes item. But beware!

This just reminded me of, about 5 years ago, trying to find some nice Italian article of clothing for my new grandson. Apparently, at the time, the trendy thing in children's clothes was to put some kind of meaningless English phrase on them. I certainly didn't want to bring my grandson a shirt with pidgin English as a souvenir of Italy! Eventually I did find something acceptable at a children's boutique in Florence, but it was actually made in France!

A brand very popular in Italy for both adults and kids is Replay. There are several in Rome.