Shopping in Milan

Milan: Europe's best fashion boutiques

For those who are willing and able to go for the big names, head to Corso Buenos Aires, via Torino or corso Vittorio Emmanuelle, a beautiful glass-covered arcade near the Duomo. It´s also one of the oldest shopping malls in the world. Here, you´ll find Prada, Louis Vuitton and Gucci´s flagship stores.

Another good area for haute couture shopping is the Quadrilatero d’ Oro (Golden Rectangle). Here, along, Via della Spiga, Via Manzoni and Via Sant Andrea you´ll find the latest Armani, Versace, Hermes, Miu-Miu, Fendi, Christian Dior and Roberto Cavalli.

Bargain shopping options

Another option for shopping in Milan is Il Salvagente (the lifesaver, in English), has three floors of bargain clothes for both men and women. Dmagazine is still considered a bit pricey for an outlet, but you might want to try your luck. If not, head to Basement, located in a cellar and created exclusively for women. You'll find 50 and 70% discounts on famous fashion brands such as Prada, YSL and even Dolce & Gabbana.

Buy alternative or street-style fashion in Milan

You might be searching for big names but a bit more alternative. If this is the case, make your way to the Como Outlet for items from Chloé, Comme des Garçons and Kookai. This area is perfect to grab a bite to eat and sit down before you continue your shopping spree.

The Navigli area in Milan is a paradise for street-style fashion. Along Corso di Porta Ticinese, grab fantastic deals by designers and labels like Custo Barcelona, Miss Sixty, Diesel and Gas. This area also thrives on its 2nd hand clothes stores, alternative boutiques and vintage markets held once a month.

The Brera District is home to Milan´s art galleries and small boutiques. Make sure you check out the open-air markets such as the one held on Monday and Thursday mornings along Vía San Marco.

Offer sales in Milan fashion boutiques

While shopping in Milan is a unique experience at any time, it becomes that little bit more special, not to mention lighter on the wallet, during the Milan sales. We’ll tell you the whens, wheres, and hows of finding the best clothing at discounted rates. A word of warning: the following information might have a detrimental effect on your bank balance, but it’ll also have an oh so glamourous effect on how fabulous you look.

Sales in Milan: When?

If you’re planning on going to the sales in Milan, you have two options: summer or winter. Every year at these magical times, the stores try to sell their excess winter or summer stock before the arrival of the next collection. But make no mistake, if they could keep the stock and sell it at full price later, they would. Customers get an excellent item of clothing at a price that usually makes the store owners wince. During the sales, the consumer has the power.
The summer sales in Milan shops start on the first Saturday of July, and the winter sales begin after the end of the festive season, which is marked by the holiday of the Epiphany on the 6th of January. Both sales last for several weeks, until all the stock has been sold. As a general rule, expect the summer sales to last until the end of August, and the winter sales to last until the end of February. That’s nearly four months of sales time for replenishing your wardrobe.

How to get the best deals?

As with sales all the world over, the best chance of snatching a really nice item at an incredible price is at the beginning of the sales. If you’ve got your heart set on one particular type of clothing that is highly valued in the fashion world, don’t expect it to necessarily still be available in your size if you arrive too late. So ideally, plan your trip to the sales with plenty of time to spare. Now that you know when they take place, get to the front of the line by arriving in the city a couple of days before the actual shopping sales in Milan begin. Get settled into your hotel, check out some of Milan’s excellent attractions, and then get ready to attack the stores when the big day arrives.

Shopping advice for the Milan sales

There’s going to be a lot of items on sale during this Milan fashion event, so think carefully about what you’re going to buy. This is important as you’ll only be allowed to return sales items if they are defective. On a more general note, don’t be afraid to buy for the future. The items on sale during the summer will be of little use for the winter (and vice versa), so store them away during the cold season and unveil your new wardrobe when the first rays of May sunshine pierce the clouds.

Where to go for Milan sales

If you stick to the city’s famous shopping streets (Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Corso di Porta Ticinese, Corso Buenos Aires, and Via Torino), you will end up with top quality items, whilst enjoying being a part of the city's luxurious thrum. In order to focus purely on shopping, make the small journey to one designer outlets in Milan. These shopping meccas often offer greater discounts and tend to have a wider selection of choice than the city centre boutiques. Shuttle buses transporting customers from Milan's centre to the outlets depart several times a day, making them relatively easy to access.

Shopping in Milan is truly an unforgettable experience for any fashion enthusiast. From big name stores to alternative boutiques and amazing sales—Milan has it all when it comes to shopping. Take the trip and enjoy all the excitement of Italy’s fashion capital?

Planning your trip to Milan? Check out our best city center hotels in Milan.