When in Rome… shop! While the Eternal City has all the major luxury-label shopping you can ever desire (including those with Roman roots like Valentino, Bvlgari, and Fendi), it also happens to be one that rewards the shopper who looks beyond them. In fact, on my most recent trip to Italy, I found some of the very best shopping once I ventured away from Via Condotti and found the boutiques that were tucked into side streets and more local neighborhoods, many of them small, family-run ateliers, some several generations old, from the pope’s very own tailor that sells silk socks in saturated colors to a four-generation pajama label with a cult celebrity following.
Here, I’m sharing the 12 spots I recommend most, from made-to-order tailoring and dead stock fabrics to Venetian velvet slippers in every color imaginable. Whether you’re after a covetable archival piece, a unique gift to bring home, or simply find yourself wanted a Sunday-morning stroll through a very cool outdoor market, consider this your ultimate guide to the best shopping in Rome.
Schostals Originals
Family-run for four generations, Schostals is the famous pajama and shirting label that has earned a full-fledged celebrity cult following. The pieces are timeless pieces and made to last with a distinctly Roman sensibility, and the boutique draws on a long heritage of Italian craftsmanship making the pieces one of the best things you can bring home from any Rome trip. Stop in early in the day (and early on in your travels) as sizing and colors can sell out quickly.
Gammarelli
Tailors to popes since 1798, Gammarelli is a Roman legend, but the real souvenir is picking up a pair of its cashmere socks that come in a rainbow of saturated colors.
Castelli Profumeria
The iconic perfume store in the heart of Rome’s Campo Marzio district is a must-visit even if for the experience alone. Perfumes and beauty supplies abound, but head here for the vast assortment of hair accessories, from French hair pins and combs to acetate clips (yes, including the dachshund-shaped ones) and the sales associates who will spend the time showing you how to style them.
Atelier Bomba
Atelier Bomba is a working atelier making knitwear and tailoring in small batches from natural fabrics. The boutique is a great stop for anyone hunting for something truly special and bespoke, and the pieces themselves feel fresh and full of personality.
SeryMoon Vintage
SeryMoon is a petite but well-curated vintage boutique with a specific POV. It’s pretty much Y2K and early ’00s heaven with droves of Emilio Pucci jersey dresses, Dolce & Gabbana satin corsets, and all the Chanel, Dior, and more you can imagine.
Le Tre Sarte
A small atelier with a big point of view, Le Tre Sarte is where you’ll find beautifully made, Italian-crafted pieces with an artisan touch. Think thoughtful tailoring, feminine silhouettes, and the kind of details you only notice up close. Come for a standout piece you’ll be wearing for years.
Emporio Centrale
From kitchenware to playing cards, this nicely-edited shop is a home run for gifts that feel special, not touristy. From playing cards and tinned fish to silver coupe glasses and cool candles, everything here has a story to tell.
Cavalli e Nastri
The Roman outpost of Milan’s celebrated vintage destination houses some of the best archival pieces in the city, and on my most recent visit I picked up a pair of bug-eyed Saint Laurent sunglasses from the 1970s in perfect condition.
C.I.R Corredi e Ricami a Mano
This petite embroidery shop houses an assortment of tablecloths, housewares, and children’s clothes all finished with their in-house embroidery that’s endlessly charming. I wish I could have bought it all.
Borghetto Flaminio Market
If you’re in town on a Sunday, head to this outdoor market near Piazza del Popolo for secondhand designer, costume jewelry, and loads of accessories—and be sure to bring cash.
L’Archivio di Monserrato
This eclectic two-floor boutique and atelier founded by designer Soledad Twombly feels like shopping in someone’s very well-traveled home.
Footwear Campo Marzio
In the heart of the Campo Marzio shopping district, you’ll find this no-frills shoe store that you’d be excused for glossing right over. But pop inside if you’re after a pair of traditional Venetian velvet slippers or “friuliane” which you’ll find here in every color and silhouette imaginable.
