Shopping in Rome

There are a few threads if you search. 

I'm headed there again next month, not sale season :(

Anything on Via Condoti is going to be crazy expensive but also awesome.  I might look for a tie or scarf or something b/c I am not pimp enough to drop $300 on a MTM shirt.

Boggi is a mid-priced Brooks Brothers-esque store I was planning on stopping by.

There are outlets outside the city, which I may check out if I am headed past them for site seeing.

Overall, with the dollar/euro rate, potential VAT, and lack of discount/thrift shops, I am mostly going to spend time site seeing and eating, not shopping.

Unfortunately I had to find out that many shops mentioned somewhere else here have already been shut down. I was there in February, so saldi was going strong. I was a little bit disappointed, though. Didn't discover any hidden gems :/ 

+1 on Boggi, good stuff but nothing special. On piazza repubblica there are two nice shops, Sartoria Rossi and Esedra 58. Rossi is splendid, but not for the athlethic build ... 6'3" -> no chance. Cosima Colonna (close to Pantheon/piazza Colonna) is worth a visit. Haven't had the chance to pay Gruppo Clark a visit, it's pretty far from the center (piazza del radio 85).

If you have enough time you might consider taking a high speed train to Naples (1hr10mins, 30 euro one trip of you book in advance). Lovely city and better sartorial options in my opinion.

Do the Rome wander and you will find them I am sure. I was there last month when they were touting Zegna jackets from 1200 Euro down to 600 and lower. I found a brace of well made great cloth/fit/cut sports jackets at 300 Euro the pair on the street leading away from Piazza Republica and also snapped up a short rainmac at the gents shop on the Piazza itself. Of course there are the beautiful high price shops, take a trip to Brioni and drop a few Ks on something nice but my advice is to not be fixed on brands but be fixed on quality etc. Dont be mislead about my cheap sounding purchases, I am incredibly picky and knowlegeble about these matters and the jackets i snapped up are pute bargains. One thing, there was not a massive choice which oddly worked, i bought one i would not normally choose but when i get it home i love it, sometimes you need to push yourself although in that situation i was pushed, i was happy to buy one but my better half, sensing the bargain, pushed for both.

What can be better than wandering Rome, searching 'no name' tailors as you go and stopping for slices of pizza and cups of espresso as you go? It may not be heaven but i think its not many steps from the gate...

Just be careful the shop owners dont think 'tourist', i speak reasonable Italian and do know tailoring so am not fazed and in fairness they all seemed genuinely helpful (if a little salesmanlike but thats their job eh), they all did tent to push Zegna though and my reading is they thought, ah, this Englishman will have heard of Zegna and we can dazzle him with a name and a bargain but when we started to speak the other brands came out quick enough.... i wasnt looking to buy, i was looking for fun and i guess i wandered into a 8 or 9 shops (including Brioni, possibly a mistake as i was wearing Brioni and they assumed i had money to spend and was lucky to get out with my wallet intact). Bargain hunting, possibly the second most pleasure a man can get, well, maybe the third, or fourth, or, well its definitely up there in the top ten.

Good luck,

Ah, Rome.....love the place.

Behind the Pantheon there are a few nice leather shops.

Just get out there and wander, Rome may not be heaven for a stylish chap but its only a few steps from the Pearly Gates themselves. If you are only after brands then Via Condotti and close by will suit you fine, or wander up past Spanish Steps and beyond to visit Brioni, I called in last month which was a mistake as i was wearing Brioni and they swooped thinking i had money to spend.... Or go there, talk big and try everything on, be treated like a gent

I Picked up a few jackets on the main street that leads off from Piazza Republica, beautiful cloth, cut and color (Sports jackets) and both for 300 euros! (thats both for 300, not 300 each)I only wanted one but my better half sniffed a bargain and pushed the deal. There are a lot of these small tailors where you can find beautiful kit, I know tailoring and quality and these bargains were there to be had, also picked up a short raincoat for a third of the price on Piazza Repubilca itself.

If i was to offer a slight criticism then i think near every shop wanted to push Zegna, I am guessing because they assumed i was a tourist and would be impressed by Zegna, (that being said, they were at 600 euros rather than advertised 1200 so i was slightly impressed). Fair enough they are there to push sales but as soon as i started to chat (in Italian) and talked of the cloth, cut, etc they were all happy, friendly and started pulling out lots of other gear. I didn't go to buy clothes but in Rome its too easy to look and shop when you wander streets, enjoying the sights, eating slices of pizza and drinking coffee etc. I would avoid the out of town malls and discount malls because why go to Rome and not discover for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

A few years back i lived in Rome for a while, grand days, so i know it well but you will be fine if you stick to the main center/tourist areas and simply follow your nose. Buy some gloves near the Spanish steps, follow Audrey Hepburn and try not to look like a tourist, you will love it I'm sure.

if I can help with any more specific information then ask and i will if i can....

DLQ