Leather, Florence

Visit the San Lorenzo piazza for amazing shopping! Practice your negotiating skills, and be prepared to visit multiple shops for the best deal.

What to buy: Leather - Bought two beautiful jackets.
Candy - Our family loved the dolci di Firenze!
Gold - Always a classic - Visit the shops on the Ponte Vecchio.

What to pay: Prices vary, but you may be able to negotiate.

Florence is a great place for leather. Shoes, purses, jackets...basically anything you could want. The outdoor markets definately have some great deals. Just don't go for the original price on the tag. Always try to bargain down. And definately shop around. Most vendors have the exact same item as the vendor three stalls down. And hey you can always come back right? Most places will offer lower prices for cash.

Roberta's has a glove shop adjacent to their leather bag shop. They leather gloves in all varieties. They have a range of sizes, designs and colours. You can also choose the type of lining you want e.g. unlined, silk or cashmere. (silk is good for most weather conditions, although cashmere is nice for really cold climates.) The staff are very helpful.

the shop is south of the Arno, so there are less crowds, although this shop seems to be gaining popularity.

What to pay: 20-50 euros

I bought a gorgeous hand made belt from a stall off one of the Piazza's.

What to buy: Leather is one of Florence's trademarks. I did not need any other leather goods, but one can never have too many belts. There were 2 American tourists buying the same belt that I wanted, and I paid half of what they paid. He even cut the belt to the length that I needed. I love haggeling over prices! The trick is to be nice at the same time. They are there to make a living, don't forget. But that does not mean that you should give all of your money away!

I wasn't intending buying anything (budget wise and because I was flying Ryanair Hand Luggage only, with their tight restrictions).
However, my hotel was next to the San Lorenzo markets, so I passed through on Christmas Eve and Monday 26th.

Although I wasn't intending to buy, a particular style of coat caught my eye, and a stall holder quoted me 150 Euros-I said I'd think about it.
Another Stall holder 'enticed' me to his shop -(I went because I was curious to find out how much he would charge and what his Sales tactics would be ("50% discount- only because it's Christmas"/ How much money Have You got? (20 Euros was my honest reply) Have you got a Credit Card? (No-well it was in my Hotel Room)/We can do shipping (I'd rather take it back myself/wear it) Back in my hotel though, I decided that This was THE Coat for me! I was planning on offering 95-100 Euros or less and was ready for some haggling practice!

The Market was closed next day, but on the 26th, I had a wander into some of the leather shops that were open.

One was Remo2 on Via Ponte alle Mosse (next to the Central Market)

Here I was met by Marco. I spotted the coat that I'd seen and asked to try it on. Straight away he said that this wasn't the coat for me - it was wrong for my height and body shape. I tried it on, and yes he was right- far too bulky and made me look a few sizes larger. He then proceeded to offer other styles that he thought were better suited to me - pointing out how they made my body look in them - ie taller/slimmer (Blimey, I'd found a Macho Italian Gok Wan!). He also explained that he could shorten the sleeves etc on his machine.
Also I got an explanation of the different skins used- the soft lamb skin, tougher buffalo, antelope etc, plus the obligatory cigarette lighter test- to prove that it's leather which doesn't burn or mark unlike pvc etc. He also pointed out one piece of poor quality, where the pieces of skin didn't match.

I'd explained that I wasn't intending buying, but would return to Florence later to purchase at least one coat/jacket. I was expecting this to be ignored and for 'The Hard Sell' to kick in, but it didn't.

On my last day in Florence, I returned to this shop to remind myself of the coats/jackets I'd tried on, expecting to see Marco, but was met by a shifty young chap who tried the 'Hard Sell' Straight away offering me 'the Magic 50% discount'.
I decided to 'test him out' by asking to try on the coat that I'd initially liked the look of- Oh yes, he said it suited me and mentioned the 50% discount again-I'd already seen this ploy in action in other shops where coats labelled 300 Euros were 'instantly'reduced to 150 Euros (Though most coats /jackets aren't labelled with a price).

I mentioned that I'd been in previously and had dealt with Marco who had shown me some other styles and also mentioned that I wasn't buying and that I was returning home later that day- He tried the Credit Card/Shipping ploy-but I think he realised that he'd 'lost me'
Shortly after Marco appeared and we went through the jackets I'd tried on previously. Again I explained that I wasn't buying, but would return later, which didn't seem to be a problem

So, I'd recommend looking around the market stalls/shops of San Lorenzo etc, keeping your eyes and ears open and keep going back to a shop/ store holder that You're happy with, before making your final decision.

What to buy: Leather coats or jackets
Butter soft leather gloves - cashmere lined for warmth.
Handbags/purses/wallets/ holdalls

Leather bound note books
key rings etc

What to pay: From a few Euros for a key fob to as much as your bank manager will allow!

When we were wandering between Duomo and Piazza della Signoria we saw a small shop which has many leather gloves on its window. I like gloves but I didn’t find the model I wanted in Istanbul. So when I saw the variety of models in Italy I was really impressed. I bought my first pair of gloves in Venice. It was pink. So, I wanted another classic pair when my friends started to look the models.
The gentleman who owns the shop was very kind and helpful. He is a professional; he told our sizes just by looking once. And he told us that he produce the gloves himself. Also there were some hats in the shop.

What to buy: Many many gloves

What to pay: Between 20-40 euros

What to buy: Florence is known for their leather and there are shops all over. Look for bargains and compare prices as there are many shops. You can find virtually anything, from belts and jackets to handpags and luggage.

all kinds of leather shops - shoes, bags, pants...

What to buy: FIRENZE this is the best place to shop for quality leather jackets - lambskin can cost at 450 euro at discounted price... but the price in the jacket will say 1500 euro which will give you room to haggle - get it at 1/3 - of course that is their last price - dont forget your VAT form