Women's Clothes, Florence

Around the Duomo are loads of streets with millions of great little shops. Intimissi is a chain of really lovely underwear shops (i saw three of them in Florence) and its really cheap. I got a lovely vest and pants for €13.

There is also a lovely china shop just off from the Duomo where i got a little teapot with a Lautrec painting on it.

We also got most of our souvenirs for presents in Florence. There were loads of stalls selling aprons with Bottecellis Venus' body on or boxers with David's "bits" on them for about €5 so we stocked up on those.

Also a few nice pottery shops which i could have spent a fortune in and on Ponte Vecchio there are a lot of gorgeous jewellery shops.

My advice would be to go to the Duomo and then explore all the surrounding streets. There are lovely clothes, shoes, jewellery, stationary and sweet shops - i just wish we had more time there.

What to buy: Gucci ---- Here you can but clothes . handbags, etc. The best of the best. Around the suranding area you will see many other major designer stores. Not to be missed!

What to pay: The prices here are considerable less. It is worth taking the extra mile to save BIG $$$$$.

We found a number of really good, affordable clothing stores on the street right before you cross over the Arno on the Ponte Vecchio. If you are facing the bank with the Boboli Gardens with the Duomo behind you, go to the street to the left before going over the bridge (borgo S. Jacopo A).

What to buy: Just remember the sobering fact that Italian women do not have large breasts or hips. Also, they seem to be much more comfortable wearing extremely tight clothing then we do here in the States.

If you need to pick up an item (I needed tights) and/or need to kill an hour or 2 in the middle of the day, check out La Rinascente. It is open from 9am to 9pm.

What to buy: This store is basically on par with Bloomingdales (as opposed to La Standa or Coin which are more like KMart).

While in florence you can´t miss the shops. The entire centre of the city has shopping streets. Most shops sell clothes or something simulair. There are clothesshops from all the famous brands.
But they are not cheap.

One store even names itself: Expensive !

What to buy: All brands of fashionable clothes.

What to pay: Lots of €...

Via Pietrapiana is a great place for shopping there are lots of small stores with clothes, shoes, houseware and lots of antiques shops. A nice place to have a drink after all the shopping is the Bar at Piazza S. Ambrogio or go around the corner and either eat cheap and good in the mercato or not so cheap but spectacular at "Il cibreo".

What to buy: Clothes!! Shoes, shoes, shoes!