Online Shopping Guide

Though less famous than Milan for shopping, Rome also boasts excellent inexpensive stores, second hand shops and designer stores. The shops are typically open from 9h to 13h, after 16h to 19h30, and they generally close Sunday and Monday in the morning

1. The best district is located between the Via del Corso and the Via del Babuino, near the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Plaza).

2. Between the main station Termini and Piazza Vittorio, at 11 Via dello Statuo you will find Mas Allo Statuo. The equivalent to “Bon marché,” which is well-known in Rome for their competitive prices, especially for clothes and shoes, and they are open on Sunday.

3. If you are looking for shoes, take a stroll through the morning market in the Testaccio district, near the pyramid. It is an outdoor fruit and vegetable market in Piazza del l’ Emporio where several stands are reserved for inexpensive woman’s shoes.

4. Don’t miss the flea market of Porta Portese on Sunday mornings. This is a well-known market where you will find a bit of everything, even if the majority of items are displayed as bazaar objects. This place is not for people who dislike proximity, but rather for true shopping addicts who seek out all the best sales.

5. The districts with inexpensive boutiques of prêt-à-porter are numerous, especially near the Vatican on Via Cola di Rienzo or on Via Ottaviano. There are many multifaceted shops, ideal for the purchase of jeans, shoes, children’s clothes, as well as other small varied stores.

Sunglasses are not just a visual aid; they are also an important part of clothing. They affect the overall look of the person. No wonder that buying a pair of sunglasses is as much a decision-making process as buying any other fashion accessory.

Calvin Klein, Gucci, Nike, Adidas, Donna Karan, Marco Ricci, Dolce & Gabbana, Serengeti, Christian Dior, and Chanel are just few of the hundreds of the names that are involved in the manufacture of hip designer sunglasses. They retail their designer eyewear at exclusive outlets, shopping malls, and multiplexes at marginally higher costs than ordinary sunglasses. There is a lot of advertising and marketing for such sunglasses using all forms of media and celebrity brand ambassadors.

Several of the glitterati have been associated with designer eye-gear. Who doesn’t remember the Beatles and Elton John with their star-rimmed sunglasses? Britney Spears, Sophia Loren, Ivana Trump, and Linda Evans are a few of them who have their own lines of trendy eyewear. However, the pioneer of designer sunglasses can be no other than Jacqueline Kennedy, who made Onassis sunglasses as popular as hamburgers.

Fashion houses constantly come up with innovative ideas to evolve their products. There have already been hundreds of modifications with the lenses, the ear supports, and the nasal rims. The latest trend is designs on the temple of the frame. Most designer sunglasses do not give any more protection than ordinary sunglasses. They have normal features like polarized lenses, UV protection and are manufactured under license from a reputed eye wear manufacturer. But the main emphasis is on the design and brand name. The more exclusive the brand name, the more expensive the sunglasses.

Designer sunglasses are a blend of utility and fashion. As they are fashion accessories, they are not made for universal sizes. A buyer must select the frame properly according to the size of their face. One should be aware of current eye wear trends.

f you’re thinking of buying a laptop-related gift for the Dad in your life, you will be spoilt for choice. There are so many fancy laptop gadgets out there you might not know where to begin. Fret not, this article will show you 6 gift ideas that will knock the socks off any Dad and give him a beaming smile.

Gift 1: A New Laptop

What’s the first gift idea that comes to mind if you want to buy a gift for that laptop toting Dad of yours? Well, a new laptop, of course! There are many models out there in the market, but some of the best would incorporate at least the following features:

• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
• 2 GB of RAM
• 120 GB of hard drive space
• Pre-installed Windows Vista

Depending on your Dad’s preference, you might go for a lightweight ultraportable, or a gaming laptop if he’s a gaming kinda guy. Some models I’d recommend include the HP Pavilion dv6500t, the Lenovo ThinkPad X61, or the Apple MacBook 15-inch (based on Intel’s Penryn processor).

Gift 2: A Laptop Bag

The next gift idea that comes to mind is obviously a laptop bag. Now, you’d want to select a ‘manly’ kind of bag for Dad, so we’re looking at stuff like laptop roller bags or laptop backpacks. Usually, if Dad is the more professional sort, you should consider getting a high quality, professional looking laptop bag for him.

Gift 3: A Laptop Mouse

Another thing that comes to mind is an external laptop mouse. Now, dont’ get him one of those flimsy cheapo types. Get him the absolute best-grip, Bluetooth wireless mouse you can buy! Now, that’s the kind of gift suited for Dad, eh? External wireless laptop mice from Microsoft or LogicTech are usually considered the best in the market.

Gift 4: A Portable Hard Drive

This one is a good bet. By buying a portable hard drive, you allow Dad to use it with both the laptop and his desktop (if you owns 2 machines). A portable hard drive is also one of the most versatile pieces of computer equipment out there today. So it’s certainly a good choice to consider.

Gift 5: A Laptop Lock

By buying this item, you’re not really telling your Dad his laptop might get stolen. What you’re buying is extra peace of mind and some insurance. If you notice your Dad goes aronud Starbucks or hangs around outside without securing his laptop, buy him a laptop lock as a gentle reminder. It’ll save him lots of heartache if someone does try to pinch his machine. Laptop locks from Belkin and also Targus are usually good quality ones.

Gift 6: A Computer Game

Some may consider this to be a ‘boring’ gift, but I feel it has its merits. If Dad is on the road a lot, but loves to play games, try to find him a gaming title that is not too demanding on system resources, but intriguing enough to play and replay. Good contenders for this kind of game include adventure games like Myst, simpler strategy games like the Civilization series, or perhaps (for the role playing fan) something like Diablo II. Personally I have Diablo II on my laptop since it came out 5 or 6 years back and I STILL play it today