Last time I went into Milan, I kind of didn't have time for the Quadilatero d'Oro or any of the famed shopping in the city. Since I couldn't get a ticket for a Cinque Terre hike on short notice, I decided today to go back.
If you don't know, the Quadrilatero d'Oro (or Rectangle of Gold) is a section of Milan cornered off by four streets that dozens of high-end stores and boutiques call home. Gucci, Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and Prada set up shop here, and each store has a well-dressed man in black tie to open the door for customers. The window displays are simple yet decadent- but let's face it, if they're Roberto Cavalli heels, they stand on their own. No pun intended.
I did mostly window shopping in the Quadrilatero d'Oro. I'll be honest, I was intimidated that everyone inside was wearing sunglasses that cost at least twice my entire outfit. (At the Paul and Shark store, all of their shirts said Rhode Island on them! Weird, but I still wouldn't go inside.) I rounded the corner and hit up some of the less account-draining stores.
There are a bunch of outlet shops that offer some big names at even half or more off the regular prices. Beware, though: this doesn't mean "not expensive." To complete my Milan shopping experience, I did (oh yes, I did) purchase a pair of Italian shoes at one of the outlets! I had tried them on earlier in the day, and these things fit perfectly and were so comfortable for heels, but at 175 euros, I hesitated. In fact, I hid them under a chair in the store (oops) and told myself if no one finds these by 6pm, it's a sign.
Well even with a sign at the end of the day, I still winced paying for these 50% off suckers. My grandfather says they last forever. (They better.) But hey, now I can say that I own Italian shoes from Milan! Fancy.
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