Affordable Italian Fashion at Scalo Milano Outlet & More

I’m so excited to share my latest shopping discovery with you! The Scalo Milano Outlet & More is just 15 minutes from the city center! In Milan you will find some stores with “outlet” on the sign but not all of them are actually proper outlets. Often, the term ‘outlet’ is mistakenly used to mean ‘discount store’ rather than a direct point of sale from a retail brand. You can certainly find some great bargains at these stores, but they are simply multi brand discount stores.

Some of these ‘outlet style’ boutiques tear off labels or replace them with a generic store label, so you don’t know which brands you are actually buying. If you have a good eye for fashion, you can often guess the brand, but one of the perks of going to a retail outlet is getting a label brand for less.

Disclosure: The photos have been provided courtesy the Scalo Milano Outlet & More press office but all opinions and reflections expressed in this article are my own.

Easy to get to

There are a few large outlet shopping villages near Milan, but they are all at least 2 to 3 hours away by car or bus. Scalo Milano Outlet & More is the only outlet mall which is actually in Milan! It’s only 15 minutes from the town center. They offer a free shuttle bus which runs every 20 minutes from P.zza Della Repubblica or you can take the S13 commuter metro to the Locate station.

A familiar layout

The layout of Scalo Milano is much like the shopping villages and outlet malls in the USA. I have to admit, going there eases those occasional moments of feeling homesick, it has the atmosphere of an American style shopping mall but at the same it is very Italian. There are 150 mono-brand stores from notable Italian brands such as Fratelli Rossetti, Barbutti, Enrico Coveri, Peppe Jeans and so many more but also the international brands such as Liu Jo, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s. (Click here for full store directory)

In addition to outlet shopping, there is a food court with 15 restaurants from casual to fine dining. The outlet also houses the largest European Design District with 15 mono-brand showrooms including Poltrona Frau, Kartell, Calligaris, Alessi, Bialetti and many more.

All brands are on sale year-round with savings of up to 70%, and during the sales period (twice a year) or with the “I LOVE” benefit card, further discounts are on offer. For travelers from non-EU countries, a complete VAT tax refund is available upon request and can be reimbursed at the airport before departure.

New and Reduced Merchandise

There is a belief that products at outlet stores are of lesser quality. In the past, it was common to find items with irregularities or defects but today, retailers are taking advantage of the crowd-flow that outlet shopping centers offer and treating outlet sales points as principal retail positions to sell surplus inventory rather than destroying it.

An article in BOF, brought to light the luxury industry’s practice of destroying end-of-season leftovers and the social backlash it had caused. Consumers are becoming more sensitive about the impact the fashion industry has on the environment and society and would like to see companies take more responsibility and be less wasteful.

Consumers would rather see surplus inventory sold than destroyed.

Why shop at an outlet mall

Prof. Kiran Karande assistant professor of marketing at Old Dominion University and Prof. Jaishankar Ganesh assistant professor of marketing at the University of Central Florida conducted a study on consumer behavior and outlet shopping. The study concluded that there are four main reasons for why consumers shop at shopping outlet malls:

• price/value
• merchandise
• recreational
• time saving

In my opinion, there is no shame in buying at an outlet. In fact, finding a great bargain makes the shopping experience so much more exciting!  I also agree that merchandise and time saving are determining factors for going to an outlet. If I were to go to some of my favorite shops in Milan, I would spend the entire day in transit crossing from one end of the city to another. Having all my favorite stores in one place is a real time saver.

I only discovered Scalo Milano Outlet recently, but I’ve already been there several times! I have made a short-list of my favorite stores.  What I like the most about Scalo Milano are the Made in Italy brands but I also know I can get new 501s or a Tommy polo.

Here is a selection of my favorite stores at the Scalo Milano Outlet & More:

Editor’s Picks:

My Favorite stores at Scalo Milano Outlet & More

Patrizia Peppe

Patrizia Peppe / photo Patrizia Peppe boutique Scalo Milano

Husband and wife team Claudio and Patrizia started as whoesale resellers in the 80’s until they started their own line of ready to wear in 1993.

The company’s first headquarters was in Galciana, a hamlet of Prato, Italy’s garment and textile hub, and they had a small team of only seven employees. It has since grown to a company of 250 employees still remaining small with boutiques around the globe.  

I like the Patrizia Peppe line because it is simple but edgy. Pieces are easily mixed and matched. They have everything from leather jeans to soft comfy cardigans. Classics like the English trench in Deep Blue brighten up any rainy day!

Romeo Gigli

Romeo Gigli / photo Romeo Gigli boutique Scalo Milano

Romeo Gigli was originally an architect. He often traveled for work and brought back gifts of local textiles and jewelry from his journeys. His love for fashion eclipsed his love of architecture and in 1979 he went to New York to work as an apprentice tailor in a fashion atelier.  Returning to Italy in 1983, he became head designer for Zamasport and then Callaghan. In 1986 he showed his first solo collection in Paris with great success.

Known for flowing, romantic styles and puffed sleeves, Romeo Gigli is probably one of the most haute-couture style ready-to-wear designers.  There are beautiful gowns and blouses for special occasions, but I like the daily wear which is always smart and professional. Classic knee length pencil skirts and straight legged trousers are mixed and matched in bold colors transforming a boring office outfit into breath of fresh style.

Twinset

Twinset / photo Twinset boutique Scalo Milano

Twinset was originally founded in 1987 in Capri although very much established in Milanese fashion and retail, the headquarters have remained there. Established as a knitwear company the line and company now have a head-to-toe philosophy.  

Today, the collection is varied and diverse offering jeans, dresses and accessories but it still follows a casual style code. Although the marketing is targeted to young, twenty-somethings, I like the flowing romantic summer maxi-dresses and casual wear which are very feminine and great even for us over-40s!

Douglas

Shishedo at Douglas / photo Douglas boutique Scalo Milano

Whenever I see a perfumeria, I have a hard time staying away. Perhaps it’s the enticing fragrances or the tidy displays, but there is always something that draws me into a perfume and make-up shop. Douglas is an all in one beauty shop. Originally established as J.S. Douglas Söhne, a small perfume and soap factory in Hamburg Germany, the Douglas perfumeries are now retail boutiques all over world with top brands of perfume, soaps, cosmetics, body and hair products.

Brands such as Chanel, Dior, Lancôme, Shiseido, MAC, Too Faced, Becca, IT Cosmetics and Benefit are available all year round and the shop assistants are truly knowledgeable.

These are the shops I go to first, but they are not the only shops I love at Scalo Milano. I also love Pompea for comfort and sport lingerie, Alessi for original gifts and kitchenware and I always take the time to get a steak salad at Roadhouse or a cheesy pizza lunch at Spontini or one of the many other restaurants in the food court.

A shopping day at Scalo Milano is a great way to stay up with the latest fashions and spend less.

All these collections can be found with discounts at Scalo Milano Outlet & More usually set at 40% – 50% off with additional discounts up to 70% for card holders and at sales time. New items from new collections are also on display in selected stores.

New Openings

I have just read the news that they have opened 14 new stores of which Scotch & Soda, Ice Play, UYN – Unleash Your Nature, VR46 Racing, Semicouture, and Sandro Ferrone – this means I will have to go back to check it out again! I will keep you posted on what I find. Click here to sign up for the Milano Style newsletter.

How to get there

Getting to Scalo Milano Outlet is easy. There’s a free shuttle bus from P.zza Della Repubblica or the S13 train which stops in front of the outlet at the Locate di Triulzi station, or going by car, it’s just a 15-20 minute drive from the center of Milan. There is ample parking and a recharging station for electric cars. 

Article by Celia Abernethy, milanostyle.com

Disclosure: The photos have been provided courtesy the Scalo Milano Outlet & More press office but all opinions and reflections expressed in this article are my own.