Vintage shopping in Florence . . . what can I say? This is a city filled to the brim with incredible vintage shops, markets and dealers. The best places to get a bargain are the amazing weekly market stalls. My nearest piazza Santa Spirito is especially abundant with stalls, piled high with vintage goods all at very good prices. One of my favourite activities is rummaging through the €5 piles and discovering a hidden gem.
Traditionally the first and second Sundays of the month are both notorious for their abundance of vintage and antique markets throughout the city. Think the weekly markets but amped up a notch. So make sure to remember and head out on those days to the piazzas near you. In the meantime I thought I'd give you a few tips on some of the Vintage shops I've been haunting around the city, just in case you miss the markets this time around.
The photos above are from Vera's Vintage, a rather chaotic but incredible collection on Via Maggio. For a slightly more 'high-end' sell in Oltrano head to 'Celeste's Vintage' on the corner of Palazzo Pitti which has some great bargains (a friend picked up a Moschino jumper for under €60).
I'd also heard a lot about CERI vintage on Via dei Serragli (pictured above) and although it's fairly pricey it's still worth a look for some beautiful unique pieces.
The photos below are from a beautiful courtyard of vintage shops called Cortile Fossombroni on Via dei Fossi just past Santa Maria Novella, one shop in particular La Corte, (7R) run by a very jolly Italian woman called Franca Montesi even houses gowns donated by Italian nobility. There's vintage Pucci, Prada, Gucci, Chloe, everything you could want, it manages to house both high end brands and affordable knock-offs along with unique pieces. She's also – like most vintage and stall owners here – very open to a haggle. Owners are almost always open to doing discounts for two or more items being bought together too – take note when shopping with friends! The courtyard itself is wonderful, filled with 'bargain baskets' of china and odd bits and bob for as little as €1. I picked up a little wrap-around dotted silk skirt with buttons from La Corte that I intend to wear as often as I can now that the weather has woken up and Summer is in full bloom. But enough tips from me, after all what's the best part of vintage shopping? The hunt. So get out and there and explore for yourself.
I'd also heard a lot about CERI vintage on Via dei Serragli (pictured above) and although it's fairly pricey it's still worth a look for some beautiful unique pieces.
The photos below are from a beautiful courtyard of vintage shops called Cortile Fossombroni on Via dei Fossi just past Santa Maria Novella, one shop in particular La Corte, (7R) run by a very jolly Italian woman called Franca Montesi even houses gowns donated by Italian nobility. There's vintage Pucci, Prada, Gucci, Chloe, everything you could want, it manages to house both high end brands and affordable knock-offs along with unique pieces. She's also – like most vintage and stall owners here – very open to a haggle. Owners are almost always open to doing discounts for two or more items being bought together too – take note when shopping with friends! The courtyard itself is wonderful, filled with 'bargain baskets' of china and odd bits and bob for as little as €1. I picked up a little wrap-around dotted silk skirt with buttons from La Corte that I intend to wear as often as I can now that the weather has woken up and Summer is in full bloom. But enough tips from me, after all what's the best part of vintage shopping? The hunt. So get out and there and explore for yourself.
