SHOPPING IN ITALIA

The outlets near Florence will get you great deals on most of the designer stuff...

A lot of high end stuff in Italy is much cheaper, even at full retail, than it is the US. For instance, ties at Marinella (in Milan) cost between half and two-thirds what Bergdorf charges for them. Battistoni accessories are also a much better deal in Rome than here.

Lucca is my favorite place to shop in Italy. Too many places to list, if you go inside the wall, just walk, you'll see plenty of shops. There is a nice Brioni shop in Como (forget the name) that is just off the lake, around the corner from the Como Nord Lago station. Off the square.

Dear Arvi, I can speak about north Italy and Milan in particular. I would avoid shopping in center of Milan, prices are more than double than in places I will tell you: - Moreschi You can buy beautiful belts here; don't go to the shop in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, but go instead to the shop in Via Manzoni. The former charge the double. I recently bought two wonderful crocodile belts there for €80 each. In Vittorio Emanuele they charged 295€ each. - Marinella Via Santa Maria Alla Porta. It is a place to go, if you don't go in Napoli. Their ties at €80. You can order bespoke ties at €90. - Borrelli It is near Via Agnello. Their suits starting from €500. - Cappelleria Melegari Via Paolo Sarpi - The best italian hats, Barbisio and Borsalino. Don't go to Borsalino in Galleria del Duomo. - Bestetti Via Urbano III - Wonderful bespoke shoes, british style, at 1000€. - Clerici Via Dante - wonderful fabrics for shirts and first class pearl buttons, starting from 20€ per meter. They can send you to a bespoke shirtmaker if you want. Another place I would strongly reccomend to go, is Biella. It is half an hour out of Milan; if you don't know Biella is the place where it is produced most of the better quality fabrics in Italy; There are many outlets attached one to the other. I suggest Zegna Outlet, Piacenza (beatiful cashmere) and Cerruti. Suits at half of the price that you find in shops. You can also visit Vitale Barbera Canonico for fabrics and Barbisio for the best felt hats I know.

There is also Kiton in Via Gesù. I'm just curious to see how much they charge here. I will see. It should cost a lot, because it is near Via Monte Napoleone. Just to rent a shop there it costs a fortune.

Ditto. Jon.

Dear Arvi, La Rinascente is nice, they buy clothes in the same factories of other labelled products, put on them the label "Sartoria Italiana", but costs half. In particular I found good ties at 15€-25€.