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How to make the most of winter sales shopping in Milan

Cold winter days? Hit the sales in Milan. Our essential guide will help you find the best of the bargains in Italy's fashion capital.

Published: 26 January 2022 17:11 CET
How to make the most of winter sales shopping in Milan
A shopper outside a store advertising discounts in central Milan. Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP

January and February in the fashion world signify one thing: winter sales.

And Milan is Italy’s fashion capital: the city of Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Gianfranco Ferré, Krizia and more. They were all working from Milan during the 1970s when Italian fashion started to gain the attention it deserved.

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about sales shopping in Italy

The rest is glorious fashion history, with tales of iconic fashion moments with equally iconic supermodels, and the growth of a whole fashion industry which stretched out into the Milan hinterland.

Today, the thing you’ll notice about Milan is that you can ‘feel’ fashion in the city. It all stems from a love of beauty which dates back to the Renaissance, and is still seen in shop windows, cafés, restaurants, galleries and architecture today. 

When to go

Head to Milan in winter and it’s generally a quieter time to visit. Plus those cold sunny winter days make for great views of the Alps from the terraces of the city’s Duomo.

The winter sales period in Milan and the surrounding region of Lombardy this year began on January 5th and continues until March 5th.

The shops will be busier if you go at the weekend, but it might give you the opportunity to combine a trip to Como or some of the other destinations on Lake Como which are equally beautiful in winter.

For fashion lovers, the February Milan Women’s Fashion Week (Fall Winter 2022-2023) is from Tuesday February 22nd – Monday February 28th. The main events take place behind closed doors, but you can still wander the city and soak up that fashion vibe.

READ ALSO: Six delightful day trips within easy reach of Milan

Shops open until late, and you’ll find various events and shopping experiences and outdoor fashion shows. 

Bear in mind though that hotel prices go up and hotels fill up fast, so you will need to book in advance. Check cameramoda.it (National Chamber of Italian Fashion) and Vogue Italia for shows and satellite events. 

A view towards the Italian Alps from the roof of Milan’s Duomo Cathedral. Photo: Miguel MEDINA / AFP

Where to go 

Milan has its various neighbourhoods, and as far as shopping is concerned there’s plenty of choice: luxury designer brands, boutiques, vintage clothing, high street names, streetwear and so on.

The Golden Quad has wall to wall luxury fashion brands, and is also a lovely place to wander. Go from one to the other, and watch out for the Ferraris and the Lamborghinis on a Saturday afternoon.

Head to Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Torino for high street names, areas such as Corso Magenta, Sant’Ambrogio and Brera for some lovely boutiques, while Porta Ticinese is famous for streetwear and quirkiness.

Don’t miss the 19th century wrought iron shopping mall, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.  

READ ALSO: Seven insider tips for shopping in Milan

Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Photo: Miguel MEDINA / AFP

What to buy

Of course, this depends on what you’re looking for. The sales is the time to consider those places that you couldn’t usually stretch to. Maybe you’re thinking of an investment piece that you’ll love for years to come? A MaxMara coat? A well-cut blazer to ‘lift’ an outfit and have it immediately work/events presentable? Or out and out vintage?

And don’t just go for clothes. Well-chosen accessories can really make all the difference. Italy is famous for its leather, and there are always bargains to be had.

The fashion trends for summer 2022 tell us that ballet flats are back. For some Milanese women, they never went out of fashion. 

Where to shop

Rinascente is the classic Milanese department store and always worth a visit. The food equivalent is Peck. Antonia boutique in Brera and Biffi along Corso Genova are both well-established boutiques.

For vintage, there’s Madame Pauline and Cavalli e Nastri, while Pellini is worth a visit for bijoux.

Where to go for coffee

Both in the Golden Quad, Pasticceria Cova and Pasticceria Marchiesi offer that Milanese experience, and chances are you might find yourself rubbing up against fashion types as you do so. (Not literally, of course.) 

Where to go for aperitivo

Exclusive Bar Bulgari down a private street in the heart of the Golden Quad opens out onto what was once a monastery vegetable garden. The whole area was once famous for its convents and monasteries. Bar Martini is the collaboration between Martini and Dolce & Gabbana, and occasional setting for fashion shows. 

Getting there

Unless you have specific reasons for driving there, jump on a train. Italo and Frecciarossa generally have some kind of offer if you book in advance.

You might also want to add in an overnight stay and enjoy Milan’s aperitivo hour or go out for dinner. If you’re going for the day, schedule in lunch. Always ring in advance and book.

Rachael Martin is a British writer and has lived just north of Milan for over 20 years. Her book The Fashion Lover’s Guide to Milan is a guide to shopping, restaurants and museums all with a fashion theme, which also explores the history of fashion in Milan.

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MOVING TO ITALY

How can you find an apartment to rent in Milan?

With its thriving job market and international allure, Milan is one of the most popular Italian cities for foreigners to move to, but finding a place to rent can be complicated.

Published: 18 April 2024 13:03 CEST
Updated: 21 April 2024 08:07 CEST
How can you find an apartment to rent in Milan?

With its wealth of job opportunities and international appeal, Milan is one of the most popular Italian cities among foreigners.

The northern economic powerhouse is home to over 475,000 foreign nationals (around 14.7 percent of the city’s total population), including ​​a sizeable group of native English speakers.

But high demand for accommodation, high prices (monthly rent in the city comes at an average of around €25 per square metre – that’s over €12 above national average) and housing shortages all make finding a place to rent a challenging task.  

Italian rental contracts

Before actually starting to look for an apartment, it’s generally advisable to get familiar with Italy’s most popular rental agreements, or contratti di affitto in Italian. 

Excluding tourist lets (contratti turistici), which range from a minimum of one day to a maximum of 30 days, the shortest available rental agreement is the transitory contract, or contratto di locazione ad uso transitorio. 

This lasts a minimum of one month up to a maximum of 18 months, and comes with an important caveat: you’ll need to specify and prove that you have a specific, non-tourism-related reason for your temporary stay, like an apprenticeship, a short-term work contract, or degree program. 

If you’re a student attending a university, you may also be able to sign a student contract (contratto di locazione per studenti universitari), which can last between six months and three years.

Two tenants pictured inside their flat in January 2021

Two tenants pictured inside their flat in January 2021. Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP

Finally, if you’re looking for longer-term agreements, you have two main options: 

  • Unrestricted contract (contratto a canone libero). This lasts for four years, with an automatic option to renew for four more. The rental price is freely set by the landlord.
  • Determined contract (contratto a canone concordato). This lasts for three years with an automatic option to renew for two more. Rent in this case is set by the relevant municipality (or comune) and cannot be negotiated.

For further info on both of the above contracts, see our article on the topic.

Regardless of which type of contract you sign, you should always make sure there’s a clause that allows you to move out after a specified notice period (this is usually a full six months).

Using an agency

Once you’re familiar with the types of contracts available, you can start your search. 

Milan has plenty of agenzie immobiliari that can help you find your future home, with some specialised in assisting international customers (for instance, Renting Milan).

These agencies will do the work of finding and connecting you with potential properties, and negotiate the terms of the contract on your behalf. They may also know about some properties before they hit the open market, giving you a leg up on the competition.

But there are some downsides too. Properties let through rental agencies can be more expensive, as the owners must cover the costs of their own fees to the agency.

READ ALSO: How much does it cost to live in Milan in 2024?

Further, rental agencies will generally take a commission equivalent to one or two months’ rent from the tenant, which can make initial expenses rise very fast when added to the apartment’s security deposit (usually two months’ rent).

Searching online

If agency fees look a little too steep – or if you just want to explore every option – there’s an increasing number of online rental portals that you can check out.

These sites often offer a mix of properties proposed by rental agencies and apartments rented directly by owners. Some of the most popular ones for renting are Idealista, Immobiliare, Casa and Bakeca. 

All work more or less the same way: select your area, filter by cost, number of rooms, and other details, and see what’s available.

Quite conveniently, some of these websites feature maps showing statistics on rental price per square metre by neighbourhood. This can be useful to ‘zone in’ on certain areas of the city or simply to judge whether the rent being requested by a landlord is reasonable. 

Rental prices by neighbourhood in Milan.

Rental prices by neighbourhood in Milan. Screengrab from Immobiliare.it

You’ll also find listings posted on classifieds sites like Subito, and even on Facebook groups like Milano Easy Renting and Affitti Milano, though most posts will be in Italian (some key Italian renting vocabulary can be found here). 

If you do use social media for your search and find yourself dealing directly with landlords, it’s generally advisable that you keep an eye out for scams at all times. As a rule of thumb, you should never hand out money without visiting the apartment and signing a contract first.

Finally, if you’re ever unsure about the legitimacy of a listing or have any other doubts about a specific apartment or neighbourhood, seeking out advice from people already living in the city is generally well worth the effort.

How much can I expect to pay?

Renting in Milan doesn’t come cheap. 

According to data from property market portal Wikicasa, monthly rent in the city comes at an average of around €25 per square metre – that’s nearly €7 over Lombardy’s average, and more than €12 higher than national average. 

But rent can be as high as €60 per square metres in the more central areas (Duomo, Cadorna, Cordusio, Castello Sforzesco, etc.).

READ ALSO: What are the best Milan neighbourhoods for international residents?

According to Numbeo estimates, renting a one-bedroom flat in the city centre will set you back over €1,400 a month on average, while renting the same type of flat in the outskirts will come at an average monthly price of around €950.

If you have any suggestions on how to find a place to rent in Milan, please share them in the comments section below. 

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