SHOPPING:It pays to have insider knowledge about the places where Italians buy their exquisite clothes, shoes and jewellery, writes Roisin Agnew
ROME, HOME TO Bulgari and Valentino, has long been caput mundi for fashion. What unsuspecting tourists do not know, however, is that some of Rome's best shops are often hidden just off the tourist track. Returning to my native city at the beginning of May, I was struck once again by Roman women, with their bronzed, trim bodies and their immaculate sense of style. As the swallows nested in shady eaves and the sun beat down on the cobblestones, they were out flaunting their spring and summer best. Here are some of the secret haunts and shopping conspiracies of the most fashionable women in Rome. If we can't have the tanned, sleek body, then at least we can have the clothes.
Via del Governo Vecchio
This is not the name of a shop, but of a street. Situated right beside Piazza Navona, Via del Governo Vecchio (Old Government Street) is a quirky street, where you'll find some of Rome's upmarket vintage shops. The merchandise differs greatly from shop to shop, ranging from a €300 ceiling-tall silk kimono in one shop, to €60 second-hand leather boots. The street is also dotted with dress shops, one of which sells exclusively knee-length cocktail dresses made by local designers, whilst another specialises in ball gowns, selling one-off, full-length gowns. Prices range from €90 for a cocktail dress to €600 for a ball gown.
Visit it if . . . You are an aficionado of vintage and thrift shop chic. The clothes are of good quality and a lot cheaper than what you find in Dublin. Visit it if you are in search for a debs dress or a cocktail dress. Caters for a younger age group.
Diffusione Tessile
This is by far my favourite shop in Rome. It is to be found on the Via Pontina, leading to Pomezia, 30km outside the city. It's not in a promising location, and is one of Italy's best kept secrets. Diffusione Tessile sells an amalgam of last season's and this season's fashion at factory prices. It looks like an unofficial branch of Maxmara, selling Maxmara, Max & Co, Sportmax, and Marella under the name INTREND. It is also possible to look at the clothes online before you go to the store. See www.diffusionetessile.com.
Visit it if . . . You are a big fan of "Made in Italy". These clothes are quintessential Italian design - well-cut suits, flattering shirts, great handbags, inventive dresses and dramatic coats. Given the quality, prices are very modest. For example, a full-length winter wool coat with a 1950s skirt effect is sselling for €118. It caters for all ages, but is probably more appreciated by an older age group.
Porta Portese
This is a lively Sunday morning flea market, well worth visiting even if you buy nothing. Relatively new by Rome standards, it was founded just after the second World War. Today it represents a major attraction for both tourists and Romans since it embodies the great democracy of the Italian market. Right beside Trastevere train station, Porta Portese has something for everyone, whether it be cashmere jumpers for €30, Indian silk, cotton skirts and trousers for €5, Afghan jewellery and full dress, antique furniture, second hand dresses, silver jewellery or even a mobile phone, Porta Portese has it.
Visit it if . . . You love the idea of the big open-air Roman market that allows you to have a good look at the locals. Visit it if you're a fan of ethnic clothing and jewellery. Beware of thieves. Caters to a younger age group.
a. testoni
This is one of Rome's most famous shoe and leather shops. Situated on Via della Maddalena, right beside the Pantheon, this shop sells leather works leather in a way you might never have imagined. It is run by a reserved gentleman who wears a double-breasted suit to work everyday in his dimly lit, glamorous shop. Boots are the most sensational items in this shop, spanning from blood red leather knee-high riding boots, to woven summer leather boots. However, these boots are pricey, ranging from a minimum of €200 to a maximum of €700.
Visit it if . . . You thought that Fellini was making up those characters and places. Caters for a more mature age group.
Schlostal
This, too, is one of Rome's legendary shops. It has been selling quality underwear on the famous Via del Corso since the late 1880s and is one of the few places in town where one is likely to see a gentleman buying something without his wife's supervision.
Its pièce de résistance is classic underwear made with the best cotton - vests, nightdresses, pyjamas, underwear, bras, socks. They also specialise in other items such as silk neckties and scarves for men, silk dressing-gowns, and cashmere during the winter months.
Visit it if . . . You want to spoil yourself and you're a fan of comfortable, elegant, good quality cotton underwear. If you have been looking for years for a place to buy your granddad a silk cravat, you'll find one here.
La Droguerie
This is another of my favourites. La Droguerie is found in the town of Bracciano on Lago di Bracciano, one hour's drive from Rome. The shop is just two minutes away from the train station and the town itself is undoubtedly worth a day's visit. The brainchild of ex-model, now designer, Marisa, this is a modest shop, with one wall entirely taken up by the most brilliant rolls of silks and satins and another taken up by boxes of beads and stones.
The shop offers a mixture of vintage and ethnic styles. The clothes are spectacular, and include sequined skirts, flapper dresses and 1930s-styled suits. Costume jewellery is also on offer. Everything is designed by Marisa and then made by a team of female seamstresses in a "laboratory" in her house. Both clothing and jewellery can be personalised, on request.
Visit it if . . . You love beautiful clothes. If you are looking for something unique and do not mind spending a bit of money. (A flapper dress with netting, velvet and sequins is €140. A ball gown in satin, silk, or rough silk is €600-€800.) It's a good place to buy presents. The jewellery is beautiful and reasonably priced.
Blunauta
Situated in Piazza di Spagna, to the left of the Keats-Shelley Memorial House, three doors down and through a wonderful patio, Blunauta has a very central, beautiful location. The company is based in China and therefore all the clothes tend towards an oriental design and feature many different silks.
Visit it if . . . You are buying a bulk supply of clothes for summer, from underwear to suits and evening wear. The prices are reasonable and the summer collections are always particularly good.
Giokeb
Situated bang in the middle of the lively Trastevere (literally across the Tiber) area, just off Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, this is an all-silver jewellery shop. Its specialty is semi-precious stones. The window is a burst of colour, with corals on one side, onyx on the other, then turquoise, amber, agate, marcasite, mother of pearl and others besides. The designs of the jewellery are lovely.
Visit it if . . . You like semi-precious stones - the stones are cheaper in Italy than they are in Ireland and there is a much greater selection.