Zara's are pretty much the same, no matter which country you're in! With this one, the prices were…read moreaverages, but I had a tough time finding my size in anything (size 2/4)! It was SO crowded, and there weren't any available staff to help you at all! The selection was good, except for the size selection! That was a zero star!

I am back in Florence; and asked the concierge about a special store for kids. He sent me to…read moreAnichini; http://www.anichini.net/pag.inshop.html If you want the absolute best come here. Staff is excellent the speak English and have a great understanding of fabrics. This is not a "Masses" store, so be prepared to pay top dollars, but it is worth it

From the owner: Anichini the tailor-made italian lifestyle for your children…read more The oldest children's clothing shop in Florence. Founded in 1912, has its premises in the 15th century Ricasoli Palace. Here clever artisan women make, all by hand, precious and elegant articles for girls, boys and newborns. In accordance with age-old tradition, the best Italian fabrics are transformed via hand-smocking, embroideries and laces to become timeless yet fashionable outfits that will enrich your child's and baby wardrobe and remain beautiful until his or her children are ready to wear them. Parties, weddings, special occasions, Christenings and Communions for generations have been enriched by the children creations of Anichini. Using all the care and tradition of handmade sewing, embroidery, finishing and knitting, each item is packaged for children with the finest Italian fabrics, solely to meet the demands of our customers who appreciate the value of classic and tasteful Italian style.

I went in thinking I would find good quality clothes, however, I was let down by most of the pieces…read morethey had. I went in to look at a couple of blouses and would have waited to try them on but the fitting rooms were a waste of time. All of them with more than 30min wait time and when you go in, you see tags everywhere and clothing that was left behind. When trying to navigate the store, I felt a bit claustrophobic which isn't good when you're already dealing with crowds all over the city with passerby people such as myself and my family. Once I was able to try them on, I felt itchy all over so I decided not to make any purchases and walked out. Also, I'd have to agree with everyone else, there was an unpleasant smell or rather odor to this place. Thank goodness I walked away.

I think this is the smallest H&M I've ever visited. Small as it may be, it served its purpose for…read moreus when we stopped in at the beginning of June. My husband wanted to buy some thinner shirts. The heat in Florence was no match for the polo's he packed. We took the stairs to the men's department on the second floor and found several very inexpensive options. He picked out three shirts and I believe the cost was only about $25 USD. The shirts served their purpose of cooler clothing when in Florence, and he's been wearing them at home as well, so I guess for the cost they were a good buy.

I don't love Gucci. You won't see me in this brand very often. I have a few things but most of it…read moreis just not my style. Gucci bags, belts, shoes etc. Not for me! I have a few vintage items, a cute Cruise Line scarf, some sunnies but all in all I'm not overly impressed and it's not a designer brand I'd purchase often over others. I did however very much want to check out Gucci Garden in Florence. I asked my bestie if he'd go with me and he agreed. We waited 30+ minutes to get in, the line wasn't too long when we arrived. Checking out the museum floors was interesting, but nothing that's going to blow your mind if you miss it or can't make it. The tickets are 8euro and the retail store is so so. If you're looking to purchase this brand I wouldn't recommend this retail store. You're much better off at another larger store. They do have a restaurant and a bar but we didn't dine or drink here. I live in LA and have a Gucci Osteria about 15minutes from me, so eating here was not a priority. Worth a visit if you feel like killing a little time, but it's Firenze there are probably many other lovely things you can do with your time. I did REALLY love the jackets the staff wore. Sooooo cute!! If those were for sale, I'd totally want one. I also loved their Milan show last week, but overall just not a go to for me.

I did not have a good experience here…read more This boutique is the shop you can visit after visiting the Gucci Garden (Archetypes). To be honest, I wasn't even interested in visiting this location, but was here with my husband and our Aunt and she wanted to go. We waited in line for awhile too and found that there was an entrance fee to get into the exhibit part (students get a cheaper rate). I'm not sure if they allow visitors not frequenting the exhibit first. The shop carries items of the theme of the exhibits - so not typical Gucci store items. They also sold books, dining ware, games, stationary and such on one side and clothing and accessories on the other. My bad experience came when I felt like I was being followed on side with the games, books and stuff. I was with my husband and I asked (in Italian) about the pricing of the picnic basket set, just because I was curious. As we walked around, I asked him if he was interested in a pen or other little things. Perhaps I wasn't supposed to touch anything I might want to buy, but after checking out a pen and picking up a chip from a game set (and placing them back as perfectly as I could), I noticed the woman who checked us in and the one I asked about the picnic set, eyeballing me and almost immediately heading over to where I just was needing to "fix" whatever I touched. At the same time, I noticed what felt like a security guard following me and another one coming at me from the other side. I didn't want to feel paranoid so I just continued moseying and looking around. When I was done and I was ready to go, my husband and I walked towards the doors we came in from and the security guard there kindly directed us to the other part of the shop to exit. It was a chilly evening, but I was happy to have been window shopping in the warmth. As we were walking to meet up with our Aunt, my husband said to me "You know they thought you were stealing right?" He said initially when the woman was watching me, he thought she was looking to see if I might need any help. Then another person came into the room and they were both watching me. Then a security guard just so happens to come by and now 3 people are eyeballing me. He told me that they were following me around the store and even into the next room! So I wasn't imagining it! When I really took a minute to think about the situation, I was truly disgusted. I mean really? Was it because I looked at a few things too closely? Were items for sale not allowed to be touched or inspected? There was no particular stations where people manned the counters (except at the cashier) so why wouldn't I think it was okay to look around? I guess if they didn't want anyone to touch anything, they should've said this was part of the museum too! And why weren't they watching him? Honestly, nothing was even really worth looking at, but we paid admission to get in so figured I'd max out my warm time before dinner by looking around. What a pretentious bunch of snobs. Ugh! Will never visit this place again. The museum also sucked and was a waste of money except for this one room that was good for photos. Otherwise, it was just meh and then trying for a cash grab with their ridiculous boutique. Who'd want to steal anything when no one's even buying? Your time is better spent browsing at Chanel where there are super friendly staff and security. I haven't tried the Osteria that serves food, but I'll be fine never having tried it after this terrible experience.