Giorgio Armani Outlet

It#s called the Factory Store

via Provinciale per Brignano, 13 - 22070 Vertemate (CO)

031/887373

Open 9:30am to 7pm, Closed Monday

As you#re coming from Malpensa Airport to Milano, you#ll be on highway A8, simply take highway A9 to Como. Go north in the direction of Como, and exit at Fino Mornasco. Right and right again to Fino Mornasco then right again in the direction of Vertemate. About where you will see a left to Vertemate, you will see a small road going right. Take that right. You can see the store before you turn.

It#s a white frame building 3 stories tall. The bottom floor is all women#s, the second is men#s and the top is sportswear. Incredible buys - everything is at least 50% off, with much more at 70%+ off.

If you happen to be there during the fashion weeks, you won#t believe the HUGE selection. If you like Armani, it's very well worth the trip. There are tons of women's clothes here, and I've found Armani's men's black label - the best - for as little as $350. They retail for about $2000.

Gucci

Via Aretina, 63

Leccio-Reggelo

055/865/7775 - I think this is the right phone #

Open Monday - Saturday 9am-6pm except Tues and it's 9am-1pm only

Closed Sunday

It#s only about 35 minutes south of Firenze, but worth the drive. The store has been recently redone and is very nice.

Take A1 south toward Rome, exit at Incisa (you#ll see a large castle to the left of the highway, just before the exit). When you go through the toll gate, turn Right in the direction of Leccio. You#ll pass back over the highway A1 and you#ll drive right past the castle you could see from A1. Gucci is about 15 minutes from the exit. Stay on the same road all the way, and immediately as you pass through Leccio, you#ll see some 2 story commercial buildings on your left. Gucci is straight ahead on the left side of the street. It#s a two story building - I think it#s green with red awnings. It#s marked with Gucci#s sign. Its# open - 9am - 6pm Monday through Saturday, except Tuesday, it closes at 1pm. Closed Sunday.

Prada

Localita Levanella SS.69 - 52025 Montevarchi (AR)

055/9789188

Open Monday - Saturday 9:30am - 6

Closed for lunch Monday - Friday 12:30-1:30

Closed for lunch Saturday - 12:30-4:30

Open Sunday 3:30- 6

A few kilometers South of the Incisa exit to Gucci is the Valdarno exit - turn right (south) then right again in the direction of Montevarchi. A few km, then cross back over A1. A few more km to the traffic circle and turn left again to Montevarchi. Go South -ALL THE WAY THROUGH Montevarchi- to Levanella on Highway #69. About 1-2 kilometers after you enter Levanella, you#ll see a small sign on your left that says I Pellettieri d#Italia. Turn left, then left again, you#ll see a long warehouse on your left. Don#t stop or go through the guardhouse, but go all the way to the back of the lot. Prada is in the back of the warehouse. Ask one of the uniformed security guards, they#ll show the door.

Great prices, great selection.

Frette, in Milano

They have two discount stores in Milano - one downtown (we've not been to it), and one in the suburbs north of Milano - it's hard to find, but if you want to try, I'll send my best directions. Frette is one of the world's best linen manufacturers and the discounts here are beyond comparison. Linen table napkins sell for as little as 50 cents. We buy towels, bed linens, comforters, etc here. One of the great buys they have here is their over runs. They make linens, towels, etc for all the best hotels and restaurants in the world and sometimes make too many. So you might wind up buying a Four Seasons bathrobe or linens from some great restaurant.

BEWARE - at Frette and some other stores, in with all the goods will be what are their seconds - goods that didn't pass their inspection for resale at a retail level. The salespeople will always tell you if it is a second (in Italian - secondo). They will not try to cheat you, but sometimes they will not mention it unless you ask first. So, always make sure you carefully examine everything you buy first. In Italy, there are NO returns on anything, even at the retail level.

Also in Milano is Etro - incredible selection. Etro's discount store is right next door to their company headquarteres. I can't find the address right now, but if anyone wants it, let me know and I'll find it. You can't believe the prices here compared to their retail stores on Madison in NYC or on St. Honre in Paris.

And if you want the very finest cashmere made in the world it#s just West of Como.

Agnona 7 Via Casazza, Borgosesia; 39-0163/202-111, fax 39-0163/202-214. Loro Piana 10 Corso Rolandi, Quarona; 39-0163/201-807.

These two factories produce the very finest cashmere in the world. You#ll see these brands only at the very best retail stores. If you've ever priced these at Neimans, etc., you'll know what I'm talking about. The addresses above are for their discount stores that adjoin their factories, about 45 minutes Northwest of Milano, west of Como.

I've never seen anything like this quality cashmere Men's overcoats about $400, sports coats at $300. Retail at 5 times that. Large selection of both men#s and women#s.

Spacio is the word in Italy for discount or factory type store. Tons and tons around the Como area. And, tons more East of our house on the road between Siena and Perugia, just east of Lago Trasimeno. If you want to find the deep discount ones, the road to Perugia has them.

Exit at Magione, then turn left to Perugia. About 2-4 km, you#ll see a store /warehouse on your right that says Cashmere # it has great goods and price, BUT just to the right of it in the same building is a store with even better prices. Big brown boxes full of cashmere at near give away prices. I bought cashmere sweaters for myself there for about $20-25. This spacio stores there even makes cashmere sweaters for Burburry.

Someone also asked about where the outlets I had mentioned earlier were for Liba shirts - their maps didn't have the towns I mentioned. The exit on the A1 Autostrade is Val d'Chiana - about 45 minutes South of Florence. Turn right after the toll booth, take the road marked to Arezzo.

Good luck shopping.

Bill Sutherland