Emily's Unofficial Guide to Milan Shopping

Tips & tricks on navigating the fashion capital of the world - and how to do it on a budget.

Milan is known as the fashion capital of the world - and for good reason! One of the biggest draws of exchange in Milan at Bocconi was the fashion scene: fashion-related courses, fashion week, and the pull of the luxury brands.

I did a lot of shopping while I was in Milan (maybe too much): here is how to find exactly the type of store you’re looking for. Make sure you have room in your suitcase!

1. High Street Shopping (The Classic Retailers)

Looking for Zara, Bershka, H&M, and more? You can find multiple locations all in the area surrounding the Duomo (the big church in the middle of the city). On Via Torino, you can find a big Zara, and many other stores leading all the way down the street. At first it may seem like this is the main area, but If you walk 10 minutes from there, you will find a full open air mall with those same stores and more! Bershka is a personal favourite of mine (Corso Vittorio Emanuele II).

2. Thrifting

Milan has an incredible thrift shopping scene, from budget finds to curated vintage stores. If you’re looking for budget finds, Humana has several locations around the city (similar to Value Village in Canada). Navigli area has many thrift stores in the area as well!

Tip: East Market is a massive vintage market about 20 minutes on the tram from Bocconi–think 3 football fields of clothing vendors. You can find a ton of vintage luxury goods, and cheaper items like leather and denim. It happens every third week, and is truly an activity–food trucks, drinks, lots of people. (Via Mecenate)

3. Street Markets (My Favourite!)

Italian street markets were my absolute favourite activity. Most happened on Saturday mornings, but with some googling, you can usually find one every day of the week. Not only do these markets usually have food, but you can find the best deals by sifting through 1-5 euro tables at the market!

Tip: there is a market about a 5 minute walk from Bocconi (Via Crema, Saturdays 9-1ish). PLUS if you buy multiple pieces, they'll usually drop the price.

4. Luxury (Window) Shopping

If you are in the market for luxury goods, there is no better place to buy it than Milan. In the Quadrilatero d'Oro, located right beside the Duomo, you can find all luxury stores in one spot, and the building is a tourist attraction in itself! For me, window shopping was more in my exchange budget!

There is no doubt that Milan is an expensive city...

But I have to say my favourite purchases were under 10 euros from my local market – just takes some digging! In Milan, there is shopping for every style and budget.

Happy shopping!