Last night I arrived home in New York after a whirlwind week of exhausting but totally fun (funxhausting?) Italian travels.
The jet lag’s not actually too bad, though I have a feeling I’ll be absentmindedly responding “Grazia mille!” to the barista at my local coffee shop for a few days. While unpacking, I got to revisit the cities I saw through the shopping on vacation I did there.
Personally, I love buying clothes to serve as mementos from a trip.
A shot glass you’ll lose or break. And also, c’mon, we’re not fifteen years old here.
A commemorative key ring will wind up storing your spare set of house keys. But a dress shirt from High Street in London? Or a shetland wool sweater from Dublin? Luxe loafers from some tiny leather shop in Milan?
Those you’ll have forever.
You’ll get fuzzy warm feelings when you pull that piece on and remember what fun you had on the trip when you bought it.
Not to mention, you’ll have a good story on hand anytime someone compliments you on that particular item (“Oh this old thing? I picked it up while on safari in Kenya..”).
5 tips for shopping on vacation:
1. Prepare accordingly
I like Paravel’s packing cubes for organizing and consolidating when I pack.
Whatever your system, just be sure that you’re not stuffing your suitcase at the beginning of your trip. The time to be struggling with your zipper is on the last day of your vacation, not the night before it even starts.
2. Make time to shop!
Duh, right? But the last thing you want to do is buy a brand-new suit in Shanghai and then have to carry it to lunch and afternoon sightseeing.
Carve out time in your itinerary to shop when you’ll be able to return to your hotel or airBnB shortly after in order to drop off your purchases.
3. Budget for souvenirs.
Maybe you know ahead of time that you want to return home with a new leather bag, or embroidered espadrilles. Or even a brand-new, made-to-measure suit. Whatever it is, consider how much you want to spend so you have a number in mind when shopping.
This should ease at least some guilt over spending money on yourself on top of what you’ve already paid for the trip.
4. Buy local.
This should go without saying, but don’t buy anything you can get at home (or easily order online). This isn’t to say you have to find only local artisans crafting handmade shoes since 1805 or whatever, but at least stick to high street stores only available in the country you’re headed.
At a small shop I stopped into in Florence, I scooped a linen shirt, which came in several prints and some subtle shades, but I had to go bright. Hi-vis yellow has been catching my eye lately – sure, mostly in my running attire, but it’s still a fun, unexpected hue that works well anytime.
Do some research ahead of your trip to find cool brands or small boutiques you want to check out IRL.
5. Ask for advice.
I’m not saying hit up the concierge for tips, but consider asking a particularly well-dressed waiter or bartender where they got the hat/shoes/bracelet they’re wearing. You never know what they might turn you onto.
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