Fashion (Shopping for Clothes)

As you’re coming to Rome, why not take some stylish Italian fashions home with you? 

Where to Shop in Rome

Whether you are hunting for the latest from Italy’s hottest designers or secondhand bargains that will make unique souvenirs of your time in Italy, you’ll find plenty of stores to choose from in Rome.

Luxury Shopping

All the luxury brands that matter have stores in the area around the Spanish Steps. On Piazza di Spagna, you’ll find the flagstore of Roman designers Valentino, Dior, and Dolce & Gabbana. From Via del Corso to the Spanish Steps, Via dei Condotti is Rome’s designer shopping street, home to the likes of Gucci, Prada, and Armani. The nearby Via di Babuino has many luxury boutiques, including Agent Provocateur for lingerie and Monnalisa for kids clothing. 

Shopping with a view on Via dei Condotti

High-Street Shopping Areas

Rome’s main shopping street is Via del Corso. This street runs from the central Piazza Venezia to Piazza del Popolo and is easily accessible from the Spagna or Flaminio metro stops. You’ll find plenty of international brands here, like Zara, H&M, and Nike, as well as Italian favorites like Intimissimi and Twinset.

Via del Corso

If you are staying on the other side of the river near the Vatican, make sure you check out the shops along Via Cola di Rienzo. Running through the upscale Prati district, this street has a mix of high-street brands, one-off stores, and luxury labels.

Department Stores

Rinascente 

This luxury department store’s flagship outlet is on Via del Tritone, a few steps from the Trevi Fountain. Filled with designer fashions, shoes, bags, perfumes, and stylish household items, this store also boasts a rooftop restaurant with a view and an ancient aqueduct in the basement. A second store is located at Piazza Fiume.

Inside the Rinascente department store

Coin

The Coin is popular with locals and visitors, offering a mix of designer labels and high-street brands. There are two stores, one on Via Cola di Rienzo, close to the Vatican, and the other just outside the San Giovanni metro station. 

Coin

Vintage and Second-Hand Areas

There are a couple of areas where you can find concentrations of secondhand stores. Monti is known for its nightlife, but there are also stores selling pre-loved clothes. Some are more secondhand than vintage, while other places have carefully selected unique pieces and charge accordingly.

The streets around Piazza Navona also have some great used clothing stores. Take a look at Via Governo Vecchio and Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II, where you’ll find Humana Vintage (there’s also one in Monti) that helps fund humanitarian projects in the developing world.

Second-hand clothing store near Piazza Navona

For high-end vintage items, don’t miss A.N.G.E.L.O inside the Rinascente department store on Via del Tritone.

Vintage clothes inside Rinascente

Outlet Malls

If you’re staying in Rome for a while and love a bargain, there are two big shopping villages offering huge discounts. The McArthur Glen Castel Romano Outlet is about 30 minutes south of Rome, and there are various buses there each day from Termini Station and EUR Fermi metro stop (line B). Here you’ll find lots of designer stores and some high-street fashion brands.

Valmontone Outlet is less than an hour from the city and sells mostly high street fashions, as well as household products and cosmetics. You can get to Valmontone by train, then catch the shuttle bus to the outlet. There are only 3 buses a day in each direction, so check the times carefully before you head out.

Practical Information

Shop Opening and Closing Times

Most shops don’t open until 10 am. Large shops will stay open until 7 pm. Smaller shops will often close for a couple of hours over lunch.

Most large stores are open on Sundays and public holidays. This may not be true for smaller stores.

Smaller shops may also take very long summer vacations. From mid-July to mid-September, expect to see many chiuso per ferie signs, usually with the return date.

Expect most shops to be closed on Easter, Christmas, and May 1 (Labor Day).

Accepted Payment Methods

Credit cards and cash are accepted in most places. Some smaller shops may only accept cash, and some won’t accept American Express, even if they take Visa and Mastercard.

Tax Refund for Tourists – How it Works

Small stores may not advertise that they offer tax refunds, so you should always ask inside before you buy.

Department stores and outlet villages have dedicated staff, making the process easy for you.

Some stores have dedicated staff to help with your tax refund

Tax refunds are only available to non-EU residents, so make sure you have your passport with you when you go shopping.

Here’s how it works:

• Choose items worth at least €159.95 and take them to the cash desk. 
• Inform the staff that you want to claim a tax refund before they ring up your items.
• They will complete the necessary forms with you, including your personal details and passport number.
• At the airport, show the form, the goods, and your receipt to get a refund. The goods should be carried in your luggage, and you shouldn’t wear them before leaving Italy. Remember to pack them on top of your luggage so they are easy to get to and to leave yourself plenty of time before check-in.

Clothing sizes in Italy

Here is a rough guide to clothing sizes in Italy. 

Women’s sizes

Italian	US	UK
36	0	4	XS
38	2	6	S
40	4	8	S-M
42	6	10	M
44	8	12	M-L
46	10	14	L
48	12	16	XL
50	14	18	XXL
52	16	20	XXXL

Shoe sizes

Italian	US	UK
35	5	3
35.5	5.5	3.5
36	6	4
36.5	6.5	4.5
37	7	5
37.5	7.5	5.5
38	8	6
38.5	8.5	6.5
39	9	7
39.5	9.5	7.5
40	10	8
40.5	10.5	8.5
41	11	9
41.5	11.5	9.5
42	12	10

Men’s Jackets

Europe	US & Canada	UK
40	30	30	XXS
42	32	32	XS
44	34	34	S
46	36	36	S
48	38	38	M
50	40	40	M
52	42	42	L
54	44	44	L
56	46	46	XL
58	48	48	XXL
60	50	50	XXXL

Men’s Jeans & Pants

Europe	US & Canada	UK
34	25/26	25/26
36	27/28	27/28
38	29/30	29/30
40	31	31
42	32	32
44	33	33
46	34	34
48	35	35
50	36	36

Men’s Shoe sizes

Italian	US	UK
39	6	5.5
39	6.5	6
40	7	6.5
40-41	7.5	7
41	8	7.5
41-42	8.5	8
42	9	8.5
42-43	9.5	9
43	10	9.5
43-44	10.5	10
44	11	10.5
44-45	11.5	11
45	12	11.5
46	13	12.5
47	14	13.5

Some labels will show sizes for different countries, which can be useful. Others will only be in Italian. 

Try clothes on by looking for the camerino (changing room).

Label showing the size in different countries

Budgeting and Sales

If you’re searching for this season’s latest fashions, here’s what you can expect to spend on t-shirts, dresses, and jeans on the high street and from designer fashion houses.

	On the high street	Luxury brands
t-shirt	€10-20	€300+
Dress	€50-70	€1000-2000
Jeans	€40-60	€450-800

Sales Periods in Rome 

Sales in Rome

There are 2 main sales, known as saldi in Italian, each year:

• Winter Sales start around January 6^th 
• Summer sales start the first Saturday in July

Both last for about 6 weeks.

At the start of the sales, expect 10-50% discounts on most items. This is a great time to get those items you wanted that were outside your budget. 

After the first couple of weeks, there will be further reductions. Discounts can go up to 70%, and you can get some fantastic bargains. 

Many shops also do smaller mid-season sales on limited items. Many shops use Black Friday as an excuse for a sale, though discounts tend to be around 10%-30%. 

Tips for a Successful Shopping Experience

• If you want the shops to yourselves, go in the mornings when the kids are at school. After 2 pm, high-street stores and shopping centers fill up.
• If you carry many bags, stick to areas you can get to by metro, as buses can be slow, and you may find yourself standing up for a long time.
• Many shops charge for shopping bags to encourage shoppers to bring their own. If you want to save money, bring reusable bags, or pick up some Rome-themed ones before you hit the shops.
• If you want to visit a particular shop, check the opening times online before you go.