Milan is one of the best cities in Europe for shopping — from designer boutiques and luxury collections to outlets, showrooms, shoes, bags, souvenirs, and gourmet Italian products. As a personal shopper and stylist in Italy for over 15 years, I’ll share what is truly worth buying in Milan, where to find better prices, and how to plan your shopping depending on your budget and style goals.
What Is Best to Buy in Milan
- Clothing (wedding dresses, custom tailoring, factory shopping, wholesale, fur coats, plus sizes, outlets, VIP shopping)
- Where to buy bags, fur coats, and shoes in Milan at the best prices
- What souvenirs to buy as gifts
- What food products to buy
- Seasonal sales twice a year — in summer and winter
- What to buy for men
- Where to find luxury collections
What and Where to Buy in Milan: Clothing
Let’s start with the most popular kind of shopping in the world capital of fashion — clothing, of course. Almost any type of clothing — coats, dresses, suits, puffer jackets, and trousers — is usually often more affordable than buying the same items abroad, especially when you consider local markups, import costs, and the Tax Free system, because when choosing stylish pieces from world-famous brands and emerging designers, you do not have to pay the additional local markup for customs clearance, taxes, and so on. By the way, you can also get part of your shopping expenses back (up to 22%!) through the Tax Free system.
Depending on your budget and how much time you have for shopping, you can either choose:
- a shopping stroll through Milan’s central stores, where you will find a wide range of premium boutiques, although prices can be quite high,
- or a more budget-friendly shopping trip to stock stores and outlets in the suburbs of Milan.
As a stylist and personal shopper, I always find out in advance what my client’s shopping goal is. Clothing shopping usually falls into the following categories, which you can read about separately — each section includes stores where it is best to shop for clothing in Milan:
Wedding Dresses
Popular bridal boutiques include Antonella Del Brusco, Pronovias, Atelier Aimee, Max Mara Bridal, and Spose Milano. You can read more about where to buy the best wedding dress in my article about wedding shopping in Milan.
Custom-Made Men’s and Women’s Clothing from Tailors
Milan is famous for its more than century-long history of ateliers created by some of the world’s leading fashion houses. Here, you can have a dress, suit, fur coat, shoes, leather goods, or fashionable accessories custom made by some of the best designers in the world. Read more about where to order custom clothing in Milan in my article about atelier shopping.
Where to Buy Clothing Wholesale in Milan
For those planning to shop wholesale for resale in their own store, I have gathered useful information here — wholesale shopping in Italy. It includes details on shipping options, taxes, and regulations.
Where to Buy Clothing in Milan at Factory Prices — Go to Showrooms!
In Italy, almost every factory has its own showroom where you can buy clothing and shoes at nearly cost price and without middleman markups. This is a very profitable option. Read more here — showrooms.
All these factories offer excellent prices: Jo No Fui, Diego M, Versace Jeans, Vladimiro Gioia, Krocoa, Gemma H, Daniel Michetti, Gail Sorronda, Heather Williams, Jerome C. Rousseau, Leitmotiv, Loriblu, Sergio Zambon, Illaria Nistri, Giorgio Lentini, Giuseppe Patane, Chiara D’este, Gabriele Colangelo, Nadine, Melys, and others.
The only downside is that you will need to travel to the factories, because only some of these showrooms are located in the central part of the city, while the rest are in the suburbs of Milan.
Fur Coats
People come to Italy for fur coats — stylish and high-quality pieces from Simonetta Ravizza, Annabella, Fendi, Nijole, Paolo Moretti, Vladimiro Gioia, Dellera, Miu Miu, Prada, Mala Mati, Ferre, and Blumarine. Read more about fur shopping and prices in my article on where it is best to buy a fur coat in Milan.
Plus Sizes — Clothing and Shoes for Curvy Women and Men
Regardless of a person’s weight or body shape, high-quality and fashionable clothing made from good fabrics can create a stylish and truly stunning look. Read more about where to buy plus-size clothing in Milan here — plus-size shopping.
Where Is It Cheapest to Buy Clothing in Milan?
There are two main options: shopping for last season’s collections with discounts of 20–80% in outlets in the Milan suburbs, or during seasonal sales, which take place twice a year — in July/August and January/February.
The Most Popular Outlets Near Milan
- Zegna Outlet in Milan — eyewear, suits, and men’s shopping at great prices.
- FoxTown Outlet — for those willing to spend a little more in order to find the right size in clothing and shoes (especially non-standard sizes); it is located in Switzerland near Lugano.
- Pollini Outlet — the famous Italian footwear brand.
- Vicolungo Outlet — more than 150 stores!
- Serravalle Outlet — more than 180 stores.
- Castel Romano Outlet in Rome.
- Franciacorta Outlet — opened recently and is still not widely known among shopping lovers.
- Armani Outlet — simple enough, it’s Armani.
- Max Mara — outlets and stores where you can buy clothing in Milan at great prices.
Personal Shopping — Where and What to Buy in Milan with a Stylist
If you are already overwhelmed by the choice of stores and boutiques, send me a message, and I will help you choose the shopping spots that best suit your time and budget. As a stylist, I can organize individual or family shopping for you.
What Souvenirs to Buy in Milan as Gifts
Number one are the world-famous Bialetti coffee makers, ceramic and metal miniatures of buildings, souvenirs with the symbols of Milan’s football club, clothing, shoes, and accessories by Italian designers, a mini copy of the Madonnina statue (the Milan equivalent of bringing home an Eiffel Tower from Paris), and Milan’s signature spice — saffron.
What Food Products to Buy
Italy is a gastronomic paradise for gourmets! Bring back from Milan sweets (Amaretti cookies and almond Cantucci), cheese, wine, sausages, and delicacies. Also, the famous grape spirit Grappa and everyone’s favorite liqueur Limoncello. The quality of European products and Italian cuisine will definitely leave you impressed.
What to Buy for Men in Milan
I would also like to highlight shopping for men as a separate category. Italy, as a trendsetter in elite menswear, offers a rich selection of premium clothing, shoes, watches, and other accessories.
In addition to the latest collections from world-famous brands, men in Milan can also find perfectly fitted suits, trousers, or casualwear at discounted prices in stock stores. Compared to Moscow shops, the advantages are much lower prices, better size availability, and guaranteed quality from the manufacturer. Read more about what and where to buy for men in Milan here.
Luxury Collections
In Milan, luxury collections for both women and men are presented in boutiques and shopping centers in the city center. If you would like to arrange a VIP shopping experience, you can contact me directly through the website. This service includes turnkey shopping planning designed to bring maximum value to the client. A professional stylist will create stylish outfit combinations for you based on your wishes and shopping goals.
So, Let’s Go Shopping!
We have now explored where to buy a bag, fur coat, shoes, and a wedding dress in Milan. We also covered what souvenirs to bring back from Italy, what food products and sweets to buy, what to shop for men, and where to go for the best shopping deals and discounts. I hope this information has been useful to you!
Need help planning your shopping route in Milan? I can create a personalized shopping itinerary based on your budget, style, size, and preferred brands.
See you in sunny Milan! Stay stylish and beautiful, and feel free to ask me any questions about shopping in Milan if you still need more information. Yours, stylist and personal shopper, Anna Chekunova.
