Gucci

And not only that, if U.S. Customs realizes they're fakes, they could be confiscated.

Not sure, BUT it seems that in all the big tourist areas there are sidewalk vendors (who fold up their blankets and scurry away anytime the cops come near) selling "gucci" stuff. For some reason I suspect that these are somewhat cheaper. Next time, I'm thinking of buying rolex's for all my friends.

And be warned - you can get in trouble if you buy those counterfeit goods that the sidewalk vendors are selling. There is a special branch of law enforcement ("Guardia di Finanza") that sweep in periodically to crack down.

Don't even think of buying ANYTHING counterfeit. That is very bad advice. It may look as though the Police look the other way, but they don't. It is a 1,000 Euro fine for purchasing counterfeit goods. Yes, that's one thousand. They gave up trying to prosecute the sellers, so they go after the buyers instead. You will see Africans selling their fake goods on the streets of Florence and Rome. The Italian law takes it very seriously. Afterall, this is fashion country.

However, there are outlet stores, usually on the outskirts of the city where the average person goes to purchase their designer clothes. I know that Florence has them and so does Milan and Rome. They sell designer clothes and accessories, but from last season. If you purchase from a regular retail shop for Gucci, it will cost you the same wherever you go. For shopping tips, I recommend this book:

"Suzy Gershman's Born to Shop Italy: The Ultimate Guide for Traveler's Who Love to Shop".

It can be found at major book retailers in the travel section and at Amazon.com.