Renaissance arts,
Michelangelo and David,
Leather goods,
Golden jewelry...
What are the best keywords for Florence can you list?
Hummm... I'm thinking about boutique shops in Florence.
Florence short history
Florence, was once the capital city of Italy, the richest city in Europe, and the beginning of the Renaissance. Its influence is not only the fine art we know today, but the banking and finance industry development, high fashion and handcrafts. Walking around in the city center, you will not feel surprised when a boutique shop pops up at the corner.
Ponte Vecchio, is the “shining gold” above the river Arno. Because it is a famous location where you can find the finest and the most traditional goldsmiths and jewelry? Instead, it is because Ponte Vecchio is the historic symbol of Florence turning into an extremely elegant and rich city. In the 16th century, Ponte Vecchio was officially nominated for the exclusive place for fine handcraft business including goldsmiths, of course, for the reason to push away the butcher business which actually occupied the riverside area for 200 years. The situation is a bit similar to the famous Forum Boario in Rome, where once was occupied by the meat market and the lower-class.
"Florence, A Boutique Paradise"
I and my friend (who is definitely a “horrible” shopaholic) took our short Florence trip in late November. Yes, we’ve encountered pouring-style rain on our arrival day. However, as an ideal shopping destination, Florence offered us the perfect rain-escape with The Mall which is the ultimate high-fashion outlet. You can find Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo, Chloe, YSL, Givenchy and so many others I cannot recall now.
Street Doing Vintage Couture
"...all the tiny "gaps" are surely stuffed by something from 60s to 90s made-in-Italy, which probably came from grandma's personal collection!"
My favorite vintage shopping location in this trip is Street Doing Vintage Couture, where we probably spent more than one hour there.
As most of Italian boutiques, you would be surprised when discovering a spacious vintage “jungle” after entering from the “piccola” door. This “jungle” vertically expands from the finest and the most special collection of the leather goods and the winter clothes, to a space decorated by the cute Prada cat heels of 90s, the royal dresses of 80s. Then you look up, there is the owner’s favorite Louis Vuitton collection. Of course, all the tiny “gaps” are surely stuffed by something from 60s to 90s made-in-Italy, which probably came from grandma’s wardrobe! So, if you are a vintage lover or you want something special, this needs to be on your radar of the best boutique shops in Florence!
The girls in the shop were as lovely as the owner. The only tip I can give you is planning some time to search as a gold-hunter. Don’t forget to enjoy a bargain with the owner.
Street Doing Vintage Couture
Address: Via dei Servi, 88/r, 50122 Florence
Boutique Nadine
"Femininity and romantic nature is where I find..."
Femininity and romantic nature is where I find in Nadine.
The first time I discovered them was a few years ago, in a summer mid-day hour. When I walked along the Arno, the elegant shop attracted me immediately. This was the short moment how “we” encountered.
The biggest love of Nadine is their cute jewellery, from necklaces to rings. They also keep a good collection of fine cotton and silk based clothes. If you search “boutique shops in Florence” on Google, probably you will come across this one.
Boutique Nadine
Address: Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli, 22/red, 50123 Florence
Rive Gauche
"The owner is typical Italian man, and probably Tuscany man style, which means, don't get offended if he makes a bad joke with you..."
Crossing Ponte Vecchio, there is a small zone famous of leather goods before reaching Piazza Pitti. Among them, we found Rive Gauche, a leather shoe maker from 1976.
The whole shop is a showroom of red-brownish leather shoes which makes it stand out easily in the area. I definitely recommend this shop if you are searching for a pair of fine Italian leather shoes, which is classic but not old-fashion and with a long-lasting quality. It is for both ladies and gentlemen, so boutique shops in Florence slash shoes hunting? Check out this one!
The owner is a typical Italian man, and probably a classic Tuscany man too. It means, don’t get offended if he makes a bad joke with you. The only downside of this shop is they don’t offer any tax-refund service.
Rive Gauche
Address: Via de’ Guicciardini, 31/R, 50125 Florence
Signum
"Beautiful! Beautiful! Handcrafted boutique gave us an illusion of Wonderland!..."
Beautiful! Beautiful! Handcrafted boutique gave us an illusion of Wonderland!
Stationeries for kids and adults, leather-cover notebooks and crafted postcards, the most precious hand-painted ancient maps of Italian cities, and many more, were all what we find super attracting. Comparing to the gift and souvenir stands in the crowded city centre, I would prefer this one as my go-to option.
It is not a place where you can find one euro souvenir, however, as I mentioned from the beginning, quality and something pleasing would definitely weight more for me.
Signum Shops
L.no Archibusieri 14/R, Florence
B.go de Greci 40r
Via de Benci, 29/r-31/r
If you are interesting in the Florence landmarks and the must-see of Tuscany near Florence, check out my friend, Amy’s How To Make The Most Out Of Your Trip To Tuscany.
Happy shopping and hope you a happy New Year soon!
xoxo
