Milan's Fashion life

Twice a year, in winter and summer, Italian fashion shows are organized in Milan. Italian fashion houses show their collections and are trying to compete in beauty and style with the French ones. On the main shopping streets  like Via Montenapoleone, Via Sant'Andrea, Via Gesu and Via Santo Spirito, that intersect each other, there are luxurious and elegant boutiques of famous brands, including Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Iceberg, Valentino, Moncler, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Versace, Cavalli, Moschino, Blumarine, Hermes, Ferre, Cartier, Bulgari, Vertu.

A large number of the shops of famous brands such as Max Mara, Max & Co, Luisa Spagnoli, Stefanel, Intimissimi and many others, as well as the largest multibrand store Rinascente, are located right behind the main square Duomo (Subway Line 1 (red line) Duomo).
There are many interesting and trendy shops along the Course Vercelli and Course Genova.
In Milan you can find also the longest shopping street in Europe with all kinds of shops to suit all tastes and budgets – it’s name is Corso Buenos Aires. Many students come here to shop. There are many pizzerias, restaurants and cafes, where you can taste and enjoy delicious Italian cuisine such as pasta with various sauces, pizza, risotto (risotto “alla milanese”), dishes of fresh seafood and Italian desserts such as tiramisù, profiteroles, creme caramel and of course, the famous Italian coffee espresso.

The new and modern exhibition center Rho Fiera Milano, where different trade and industrial exhibitions take place every week, is famous for its Salone del Mobile, Italian furniture fair and many other interesting ones.

Schedule stores, drugstores and shopping malls:

Shops in Milan usually open at 9.30 till 13.00 and in the afternoon at 15.30 till 19.30. On Sunday and Monday morning they are closed. The major department stores and shopping centers work non- stop without a lunch break. Almost all grocery stores in Italy do not work on Sundays and after lunch on Mondays. They do it only before Christmas (postponing the closure also), when the Christmas fever is on and people choose gifts.

Monday - from 15:30 to 19:00, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday - from 10:00 to 19:00, lunch break from 12:30 (13:00) to 15:00 (15:30). Closure - Sunday (except Sundays before Christmas). In August a large number of  companies, factories and shops close for 2-3 weeks and on August the 15th  in Italy there is the Summer Holiday Day (Ferragosto).

Paying by credit cards

In the majority of stores you can pay by all major credit card types . On the shop windows there are signs of the credit card type accepted. Of course you can pay cash also and in some stores there is a discount for this kind of payment, don’t forget to inform yourself about this. Nevertheless most shops have fixed prices.

 

Taxes and VAT refunds (Tax Free)

Value Added Tax (in Italian IVA) is calculated up to 12% for clothing and 35% on valuable goods such as furs and jewelry. Almost all prices of goods in the Italian stores already include tax. Tourists from non-EU countries can get a refund of tax IVA individually, but only if the purchase price from one store is more than 160 Euro. At the moment of purchase you must present your passport, and the cashier will fill in a form, which must be shown at customs at the airport to receive a stamp, showing your purchase. Then you can go to the window Tax Free in the same airport with a receipt of the sold goods  and get back the VAT in Euros and Dollars.

Products you just have to buy

In spite of clothes, shoes and other valuables, many tourists in Milan usually buy Italian wines (Chianti, Prosecco, etc), grappa (Italian grape distillate), Parmesan cheese (Italian hard, dry cheese made in Parma), Parma ham (Italian cured ham), antiques, olive oil, Italian chef  books , perfumes, different kind of cloths, reproduction of paintings such as "The Last Supper", souvenirs, linens, dishes, mortadella (type of salted pork meat), ties, Verdi’s opera discs, souvenirs of the Milan soccer clubs “Milan” and “Inter”, cashmere scarf,  fragrant soaps, underwear and many other goods.