Shopping in Rome
Where to find the most interesting, small, intimate shops :
Various streets in the centro storico are great shopping venues
for clothes, household items, ceramics, shoes, leather goods,
jewelry, and antiques.; they are: Via della Scrofa/Via di
Ripetta, Via Campo Marzio/Via Leoncino, Via Giulia, Via del
Governo Vecchio/Via dei Banchi Nuovi, Via del Corallo,Via
dei Banchi Vecchi/Via del Pellegrino, Via dei Coronari. These
are the places to go if you want to see real artisans working
directly in their shops. Start at the Campo de' Fiori, cross
under the arch, and walk down this medieval street, named
for the hat-makers of once upon a time, Via Cappellari.
Most elegant shopping:
The area around Piazza di Spagna, Via del Corso to Piazza
di Spagna, as well as the upper part of Via Veneto has the
highest concentration of shops; they range from the moda stores
like Valentino, Versace, and Armani down to hip shops that
sell fine Italian accessories for the home and to create a
bella figura. The most exclusive street is Via Condotti, and
paralllel yet not as pricey are Via Frattina and Via Borgognona
on one side and Via Carrozze,Via della Croce and Via Vittoria
on the other. Just looking in the shop windows and strolling
by the people is worthwhile.
An Excerpt from "As the Romans Do" Chapter 29 ..."Walk down the Via Frattina, away from the American Express office at Piazza di Spagna, toward the Via del Corso. The street has little vehicular traffic, but what it lacks in automobiles it more than makes up for in people. Everywhere there are romani rubbing shoulders with tourists, shopping bags of Max Mara or Alberta Ferretti in one hand, cones of gelato in the other; in all manner of dress, height, looks; everyone coming and going in an intricate dance that has a rhythm and a timing that only the romani seem instinctively to know. At eye level there are shop windows displaying everything your heart desires, while interspersed are outdoor cafes where people are not only nourishing their appetites, but are also watching to see who is wearing what and how something they saw the day before in a fashion magazine or in a shop window looks when someone actually has it on. Over here there is a store selling dinnerware, candlelabras, shapely glass hand-blown in every shade, and linen tablecloths. Over there one can buy lingerie and stockings in a myriad of styles and patterns, shoes with the latest toes and heels, luxurious cashmere sweaters. Another window is so adorned, so elegantly laid out, so feminine, so alluring, so compelling in its startling simplicity, that for a moment it escapes me completely that these are in fact products and cosmetics on display that can be purchased inside. They all have the same theme, all inviting the viewer, the passerby, the potential consumer to come in and participate in the luxury, the sensualtiy, the warmth of the overriding bright gold that comes through the glass and glistens in the early morning brilliance of the sun. The message is clear. Look at me. Notice me. Enjoy me. I'm here for you. I exist for your pleasure, your enjoyment, your comfort. You don't have to be rich or famous. You only have to have the courage to participate in the glamoiur that comes from caring for yourself - how your skin feels and looks, the luster of your hair, the scent you leave behind as you pass others on the street. So intoxicating!"
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