| Fancy some Retail Therapy? Follow My Lead for Florida's Top Luxury Shopping Tips |
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| October 07, 2009 |
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With the beautiful weather and the feeling of fall finally in the air here in Florida, my mind has turned to a wardrobe update for our temperate and refreshing version of autumn. So I thought I'd share with you my favorite tips for luxury shopping excursions around the state. From luxury outlets with all the couture brands to upscale malls and unique boutiques in hidden neighborhoods, Florida's shopping obsession runs deep and diverse. Here are my picks for the most enticing places to part with your cash:
- In Orlando, my favorite upscale mall , hands down, is the Mall at Millenia, where you'll find overseas visitors and Floridians alike going berserk over brands like Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo and many, many more. The mall is an architectural wonder -- sleek and modern -- and a most appealing place to spend an afternoon. For alfresco shopping nearby, hit Winter Park (check out my video about this town just east of downtown Orlando), where upscale chains as well as independent boutiques line beautiful Park Avenue. The downtown Orlando neighborhood of Thornton Park is also home to some rewarding luxury finds, including my personal fave for femme fashion, Zou Zou Boutique.
- In Palm Beach, Worth Avenue is legendary for being the Rodeo Drive of Florida, with every couture shop imaginable lining a sophisticated street indented with Italian-esque courtyards called Vias. Once you've browsed the Avenue, set your sights on the fabulous consignment shops along nearby Sunset Avenue, too, where Palm Beach's moneyed denizens offload their barely worn couture. I once nabbed a gorgeous Diane Von Furstenberg dress here for around $80.
- Miami makes the term "shopper's paradise" seem like a wild understatement, with an international outlook on fashion and designs hailing from Milan, Paris, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and beyond. My favorite spots to spend my money on fashion finds are Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, the gorgeous Bal Harbour Shops and the edgy, international and funky boutiques along Lincoln Road. And when it comes to home furnishings and sourcing that absolutely one of a kind couch or chair, you've got to peruse the downtown Design District, with more than 130 shops in an 18-block radius.
- Naples is another hotbed of upscale retail therapy, with world-class shopping along Fifth Avenue, Third Avenue South and the Bayfront. Look for custom goldsmiths, designer swimsuit shops and every big-name brand bastion, too -- all in the palm-fringed prettiness of one of Florida's wealthiest enclaves.
- Florida is home to some incredible luxury outlet malls, too. And you won't believe the deals you can find on brands like Burberry, Chloe, Saks Fifth Avenue and more. My picks for the state's best luxury outlets include the Orlando Premium Outlets (where I recently got a great deal on a buttery Coach leather purse and some Samsonite luggage), the Miromar Outlets in Fort Myers, the St. Augustine Premium Outlets and Miami's Dolphin Mall.
HAPPY SHOPPING! |
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| The Mall at Millenia in Orlando is my top pick for upscale malls in Florida. |
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