Beautiful green hills, flavorful local red wine, decadent cheese, extravagant designer clothes… Italy is known for this and much, much more.
But since the Euro is still unfavorable, not many Americans have been able to make the trip to Europe this year. If you do happen to find your way to Florence, take an extra drive 35 minutes to Via dei Tornabuoni which houses the chicest outlets in the world funnily enough titled, “The Mall.” But don’t expect hip stores or cutting-edge architecture, just serious Italians and Japanese blowing through racks and shelves in search of untouched designer goodies.
The prices were somewhat high and the selection was limited, but you can still find a few pieces that normally wouldn’t be sold in the States.
I picked up a Salavatore Ferragamo grey woven bag adorned with chain and metallic thread. The bag retailed at 220 EURO – 60% off the original price.
For those days you just don’t feel like carrying a purse, check out the shoulder strap logo clutch at 90 Euro. Luckily, this logo was in the shape of a horseshoe, and not a designer name spread across the canvas.
Bottega Veneta had great sales on shoes and although they aren’t necessarily hip, you can still pick up a pair of forest green ballerina flats for 60 Euro as a gift for your mother.
After all of that shopping, make sure to recharge yourself with some intense caffeine at the modern looking café. Ask for a Cappucco, it will be the best Cappuccino you’ll ever have and will make you sound like a local.
