shopping in italy
 

My teenage daughters will be going to Florence, Rome,and Venice in a few days. All they can talk about is shopping in Italy. can anyone give suggestions of dicount shopping for teenage budgets.

No suggestions but a warning: Clothing is much more expensive in Italy than in the US; there are no sales, except in January and July; there is no discount shopping for teenage budgets, only for high-end designer clothing.

Surely you jest. Are you not aware of the $$$ crisis. You will pay far more in Italy.

I believe there is an outlet type store outside of Florence that sells last season's goods. Prada I think. Other than that, I'd say the street markets for off brand goods where you haggle is their only option.

Here is something on the outlets:
http://www.intuscany.net/guides/shopping_spacci.htm

Venice has plentiful shops selling glass jewelry at decent prices. I bought a fun glass ring for 8E.

All the cities sell gorgeous pashminas, prices range from very cheap (3E) to a little more expensive (20E) depending on the cashmere blend.

My advice would to have them save money to buy either leather hand gloves, leather purses, etc. Florence is great for this. I bought a pair of beautiful gloves at a leather factory store next to the Santa Croce. They were 45E, but they will last me forever. My mom still has her gloves she bought in Rome in 1970! A little pricey, but I budgeted for them so that I would have something from my trip I could use for a long time. Of course you can find them cheaper (25E seemed common)from some other stores and street vendors.

In Venice there are lots of shops. They range from places you can get a cheap t-shirt and right next door will be someplace you can buy a $10,000 dress or suit.

A place they might enjoy is in Campo Santa Maria Formosa. Almost directly in front of the church before you go across the bridge is a place called something like "Everything 10 Euros" They have a good selection of clothing for both men and women although more geared to women. Quality is reasonable and the stuff is stylish.

My daughter likes Furla leather goods, I always pick her up something in the Furla store in Venice. If you stay away from large items like big purses, the prices are not too outrageous.

Do you remember the name of the store in Florence where you bought the gloves?

This is one of many reliable glove retailers in Florence, although it is not the leather factory shop mentioned above:


http://www.madova.com/negozio/index_l2.htm

Don't expect great gloves for tiny prices, even in Italy!

I bought two pairs of gloves from Roberta's in the Oltrarno, on Borgo San Jacopo. Very well made in kid leather, with many different sizes for men and women. The sales girl judges your size and puts the glove on your hand so you can try out the fit.

I've worn my black pair everyday for months on end now, and not one stitch has unravelled and no tears in the leather (unheard of for me, I'm hard on gloves)

They were an unbelievable bargain, about 20-25 euros a pair (lined cost more) Gloves nearing this quality sell for well over $100 at the average crummy department store here in Canada. I'm only sorry I bought just two pair, I should have bought at least six.

http://www.robertafirenze.com/en/info.html

I think teenaged girls would find
street markets fun to shop at. Plus
they seem to have lots of slightly
tatty but very 'hip' fashions at the
lowest prices you'll find in a very
expensive country.

Thank you Apres_Londee, you have just solved my gift problem. We have to buy 8 office gifts and need to keep the cost and luggage space to a minimum since we're not checking bags. We usually do jewelery but that's going to be too pricey this year so I was thinking about something different. This is perfect.

Terra Nova is an Italian chain that has relatively inexpensive clothes. The quality is about the level of say a Charlotte Russe or Forever 21. The prices are about the same $10-$30 range. They are in just about every major city in Italy and even some of the smaller ones. http://www.terranova-on-line.com/ Definitely the cheapest shopping you will find for a teen other than the saturday markets or the outlet stores on the outskirts of town!

Also, Zara, the clothing chain from Spain is another option, they are all over Italy but also in the states, however the clothes are more young 20's to professional, maybe too mature for a teenager, but the prices are reasonable for Italy $40-$80 range for tops, shoes, etc.

<<there is no discount shopping for teenage budgets>>

I am not sure I agree with this, unless you are speaking of discount shopping as in Ross/Marshalls/Costco, etc.

In Florence and Rome (especially Florence), where there is a huge range of shops and you can find lots of moderately priced stuff. The great thing is that the display windows list prices in the window of how much the clothes in the window cost. My daughter and I found it a great indicator as to whether we should step in or not!

In Florence, there are outdoor markets with great bargains for leather purses, skirts, jewelry, etc. I don't think your girls will be disappointed!

A good place for the girls to start is the San Lorenzo market in Florence. Scarves, leather goods, etc galore. I can't vouch that the prices are great or the merchandise is better or any different than elsewhere, but it's a fun place to browse to pick up a few things from the trip.

J62 took the words out of my mouth. Actually, there are tons of cute things all over Italy. Rome is for me the hardest place to shop, but Florence is so easy. There are cool shoe stores by the dozens in the area east of the Duomo, all the way south. Just wander the little streets.

And I don't know the name of the huge east/west street just north of the tourist areas (kind of bordering the centro to the north) in Florence that has one discount store after another. Very good shopping for teens.


I saw lots of purses in Venice in October that were well priced enough, but the attraction was that they weren't things I see at home.

Rome's Porta Portese flea market has jeans and tops. Loads of them. Also pickpockets, but they can keep their money in their socks. Sundays in the mornings.

If you are going to Siena, Wednesday is market day and there are again lots of vendors selling inexpensive clothing.

I used to buy things at all the markets for DD when she was a teen. She generally liked everything we got her.

I remember another area that may be of interest. In Rome there is an area along the Tiber on the Trastevere side of the river with assorted vendors of books, shirts, dresses, jewelry and various odds and ends. I believe it's the Lungotevere Rafaello Sanzio stretch near the Isola Tiberina.

If you are staying near Trastevere or Campo Dei Fiori it's very convenient and makes for a before or after dinner stroll.

You may want to pick up Suzy Gershman's most recent edition of "Born To Shop Italy." I believe it is updated around every 2 years. There is a new edition in bookstores now. With the exchange rate the way it is now though....
Although I did buy a leather purse in Italy last summer, I have found some beautiful leather bags/purses (Furla, Desmo, which has the softest leather ever) at my local T.J. Maxx store. I love shopping in Italy but would have to think twice about purchases these days.

teenager daughters ...shopping...and Florence..hmmm could be a deadly combination!!!
Hey I love to shop myself BUT if I bought items in Florence that I wanted I would soon be very broke!
your best bet is the markets Republica and San Lorenzo..
The shops along the two main streets in Florence are mostly high end and thus high priced establishments.

There is an awesome outlet mall outside of Florence. It's amazing. The Prada outlet has great deals. And while the Euro/$$ exchange rate thing is a problem, you do get your VAT tax back.

I bought 7 pairs of Gucci shoes there ( I was dating a guy from Gucci and got 50% off the outlet price. $40 bucks a pair of Gucci Shoes)

Anyway here are the designers are the outlet mall and the link.

My only guess is teenagers are not quite ready for these brands and they are still expensive at outlet prices.

http://www.intuscany.net/guides/shopping_spacci.htm

THE MALL - Agnona, Alexander McQueen, Armani Jeans, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Emanuel Ungaro, Ermenegildo Zegna, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Hogan, I Pinco Pallino, La Perla, Loro Piana, Marni, Pucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Sergio Rossi, Stella McCartney, Tod's, Valentino, Yohji Yamamoto and Yves Saint Laurent.

Happy shopping