Clothing shopping in Rome
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Angelo di Nepi (Via Cola di Rienzo 267)
Roman designer Nepi adores rich colour, and combines Italian cut and style with rich Indian fabrics: sumptuous reds, shocking pinks, intricate embroidery and heavy silk to make you as pretty as a peacock.
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Valentino
The watchword for old-school glamour and elegance. Valentino himself might have retired but the label still carries on his dedication to beautifully cut, red, white and black, red carpet–ready outfits. Men head to Bocca di Leone 16. tebro An old-style department store that has kept wealthy locals in linen, socks, ties, swimwear and underwear for over 140 years. You can even have sheets made to measure for your yacht.
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Bomba
Discerning Romans worship Cristina Bomba's sartorial creations. Here they're mixed with Metradamo and Liviana Conti gowns, Nafi De Luca millinery, Donatella Pellini jewellery and idiosyncratic footwear from Fiorentini & Baker. There's a small selection of modish ties and shoes for men, while bespoke fans can book a Monday appointment with the in-house tailor (a basic dress or suit takes about a week to complete).
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Suzuganaru
Suzuganaru’s men’s and women’s boutiques sit side by side, selling whimsical, individual clothes that you won’t find anywhere else. Photographer-designer Marcella Manfredini makes some of the women’s clothes in the shop, and there are dresses in unusual prints and accessories such as bright lacquer bangles. Next door the men’s clothes are lower key but equally hip.
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Artigiani Pellettieri – Marco Pelle/di Clemente
Ring the bell at this unassuming doorway and hurry up flights of stairs to a family-run leather workshop that feels like it hasn’t changed for decades. The elderly artisans create belts (€70 to €100), watch straps (€40 to €90), bags, picture frames, travel cases, and other such elegant stuff. You can take along a buckle or watch to which you want a belt or strap fitted.
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Salvatore Ferragamo
Star shoemaker Salvatore shod Hollywood stars in the ‘20s before setting up shop in Italy in the ‘30s, and creating both the Roman sandal and the wedge heel. This is where to look if you’re after perfect-fit classics in unconventional materials, as well as fabulously glamorous clothing (beautifully cut men’s suits are just along the road at number 66).
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Antichi Kimono
Not only does local designer Gloria Gobbi turn vintage Japanese obis into corsets and bags, she's known to transform Uzbekistani carpets into coats, selling them alongside her eclectic handmade jewellery and other fetching accessories by Euro artisans. There's even a small selection of silk scarves and quirky accessories for male individualists.
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Temporary Love
Backstreet boutique-gallery Temporary Love collaborates with artists to create limited-edition men’s and women’s bags and edgy threads – from where-did-you-get-that T-shirts to hand-painted totes. There are five collections/exhibitions a year, and they’ve worked with France’s Serge Uberti and local street-art hero Sten.
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Elio Ferraro
Style queens raid these racks for classic one-off outfits and collectable prototypes - think Tom Ford feather dress designed for Gucci that's straight off the runway. Highlights include vintage Pucci, Missoni and Valentino, mixed in with architect-cum-designer Elio's own creations. Match it all with cult interior design pieces from the 1950s to 1980s.
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Ethic
This hint-of-boho place is an Italian clothing chain, with retro-influenced, original, bold designs – tribal silver jewellery, military-style coats, long suede boots and cute twinsets. It’s an eclectic mix in interesting colours, fabrics and designs. Plus, it’s reasonably priced. There are loads of branches around town.
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Super
Lauded by French Vogue and Japanese Elle, minimalist, unisex Super ditches big-name bores for hard-to-find threads from Italian innovators February and Mario's, and progressive foreigners such as London's Poetic Licence and Anglo-French label April 77. The retro furniture's for sale, as is the cool collection of quirky designer novelties.
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Maga Morgana
Maga Morgana, an independent boutique, stocks a mix of brightly coloured knitwear, woollen wraps, Minnie Mouse shoes and flimsy frocks. Some are Luciana Iannace's own designs; other items are sourced from Paris, Florence and elsewhere. Head down the road to Via del Governo Vecchio 98 (06 687 80 95) for silk and wedding dresses.
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Davide Cenci
For a look that discreetly whispers old money (think blazers, slacks and brogues in summer; tweed and flannels in winter) head to Davide Cenci, which carries a selection of impeccable top Italian and international labels (Ralph Lauren, Tod’s, Hogan, Ballantyne, Pucci) and own-brand tailoring for men, women and children.
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Lei
Lei is the place for girls who like a bit of high-class frivolity at not-too-outrageous prices. The racks are filled with pretty party frocks, unusual tops and T-shirts, and there are delicious-looking shoes from brands as diverse as Camper and Katherine Hamnett. There's another branch at Via Nazionale 88 (06 482 17 00).
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Dolce & Gabbana
Domenico & Stefano keep the it-crowd looking fabulous, smart and sexy with their seductive and never-shy takes on fashion. Think slinky trouser suits, leopard-skin underwear and gangsters’ molls, Scarlett Johansson and red-carpet dressing. Their D&G diffusion line is around the corner on Piazza di Spagna.
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Bottega di Commercio Equo e Solidale
Inside the enlightened Città dell'Altra Economia (City of the Other Economy), Bottega di Commercio Equo e Solidale sells eco-friendly threads, accessories and designer recyclables such as funky lolly-wrapper handbags, milk carton purses and lamps made from classic Italian caffetiere (espresso makers).
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Etro
The kind of clothes you'll find in Etro will never make anything less than a screaming statement. Loud and bold designs adorn fine fabrics in all sorts of daring combinations. Don't be surprised if you come across black and white Dalmatian patterns, comic strip prints and plenty of paisley as you rummage the racks.
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Gallo
Gallo is one of Italy’s most venerable and luxurious stocking manufacturers, and this small store is stripier than a Missoni-wearing tiger. There are horizontally striped knee socks, children’s clothes and very soft tights, all adored by chic Romans. Fine knit cotton bikinis are true originals.
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Brioni
James Bond (aka Pierce Brosnan), Clark Gable, Cary Grant and John Wayne have all got themselves suited and booted at venerable Brioni, all polished wood and gold leaf. Unsurprisingly, looking like Bond isn’t cheap: reckon on more than €2000 for a suit, or around €1300 for a silk skirt.
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Missoni
When Ottavio the Dalmatian tracksuit-maker and Rosita, from a shawl-making dynasty in Varese, fell in love, a fashion legend was born. The couple began to create the striped knitwear that today is instantly recognisable. Today the company is still family run, and its hippy chic never goes out of fashion.
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Arsenale
Arsenale is a watchword with cool Roman women: the warehouse-like shop is very NYC, and the look is edgy Italian chic. Roman designer Patrizia Pieroni opened Arsenale over 15 years ago, but it still feels cutting edge. Clothes are interestingly structured, in luscious fabrics, and the shoes are hot, too.
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Victory
Rome's penchant for mainstream catwalk crud bypassed Victory, which flies the flag for harder-to-find male wardrobe winners. Must-buys include Dondup jeans, Gaetano Navarra shirts and Barcelona footwear label Munich. Clued-up female fashionistas can get their fix across the street at No 103-4.
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Fendi
A temple to subtly blinging accessories, this multi-storey Art Deco building is the Fendi mothership. The look is old-style glamour, with beautiful and distinctively Fendi products – expensive but not glitzy, chic but not faddy. Fendi is famous for fur and leather products.
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Claudio Sanò
Claudio Sano creates gleaming moulded works of art in leather that are beautiful, witty and surreal, such as a briefcase with a keyhole through it, another with a bite taken out of it, and a handbag in the shape of a fish. They’re not cheap, but masterpieces seldom are.
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Contesta Rock Hair
Minimalist-style, neon rods and a disco ball set the scene for clued-up guys and girls looking for edgy threads. Snap up in-the-know indie labels such as Italy's PHCY and Australia's Insight and Spacecraft, as well as odd-ball extras such as knitted Mexican wrestling masks.
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