If you've got a passion for fine clothes, luxury goods and a stylish buy, Florence is a fashionista's paradise

This picturesque Tuscan city is, on the one hand, filled with tourist trinkets and tacky souvenirs, but on the other it's a fabulous destination for shoppers with a keen eye for a stylish buy. Home to a number of world renowned fashion houses, it also offers a proliferation of artisanal workshops and independent boutiques selling exquisite wares that make wonderful gifts.

It would be hard to visit Italy and not take advantage of the wonderful fashions, but the secret is to shop smart. Don't head for the glossy boutiques selling this season's must-haves, but invest in luxurious pieces at the out of-town outlet stores.

If you base yourself in the city centre - for example at Rocco Forte's exquisitely refurbished Hotel Savoy or the appropriately named Grand Hotel - there are a number of outlet centres within a short half-hour drive, including The Mall, a purpose-built mini village selling predominantly Italian labels, including Bottega Veneta, Ermenegildo Zegna, Fendi and Gucci. Individual outlet stores, such as Space, sell Prada, Mui Mui, Helmut Lang and Jil Sander

Your hotel concierge will be able to give directions or information on public transport and the Hotel Savoy offers tailor-made shopping days for guests, with a chauffeur-driven limousine and English-speaking guide.

In the city itself, look for hand-marbled and block-printed Florentine papers used to make elegant desk accessories, lined envelopes and bound albums to seduce you back to the lost art of letter-writing. Beware some of the cheaper, lower-quality products, and make a beeline for Cartoleria Parione or a branch of Il Papiro.

If you're a fan of sophisticated stationery, then head for Pineider, the Italian equivalent of Smythson. Here, you can follow in the footsteps of European royalty, Hollywood starlets and Italian fashionistas by stocking up on ice-cream coloured writing papers and notecards - all of which make wonderful gifts.

Also worth a visit for delectable stocking-fillers is Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, one of the world's oldest pharmacies. Here, Dominican monks use traditional methods - often up to 700 years old - using flowers and herbs as their main ingredients to create a plethora of beautifully packaged, delicious-smelling toiletries, candles and perfumes that are hard to resist.

Madova, a tiny boutique that nestles on the end of the junk-filled Ponte Vecchio, is well worth a visit for those looking for the perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for female friend. This is an Aladdin's cave bursting with gloves in every style and colour, handmade for this family-run business since 1919. It's hard not to be tempted by the butter-soft leathers and strokeable suedes in sorbet shades, often lined in super-soft cashmere or sensual silk. These gloves are excellent value for money compared to many of the designer labels they also manufacture for. Madova also offers a straightforward exchange service by mail for visitors who buy gifts in the wrong size.

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