Fashion/shopping report from Florence
Evie
I just returned yesterday from a 2-week trip to Tuscany. We stayed in
Florence for 6 days (!) because the weather was not good enough for hiking
and mountain bike riding in the Tuscan countryside. We also visited Arezzo,
Lucca, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, Montepulciano and did a tour of the
Chianti area (Brolio, Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti). I cannot
describe here just how beautiful this part of the world is - from the gentle
rolling hills of the Chianti countryside to the forests and mountains near
Arezzo.
Natural beauty and art
But it isn't just the natural beauty that impressed me. The man-made
elements (castles, hill towns, paintings, frescoes and sculptures in museums
and churches) were as overwhelming. After you see Michelangelo's painting of
the Madonna and Child with Joseph in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, you
will never look at another Madonna and Child again! Michelangelo did not
paint the same old boring scene: Child on Madonna's lap, both looking rather
flat and insipid - instead, the Madonna is handing over the Child over her
back to Joseph. They look like a real, happy family and the colors
(especially the blue of the Madonna's dress) are breath-taking. After seeing
that painting, I walked through the other rooms of the Uffizi, filled with
(yes) more Madonna and Child paintings, and became really exhausted and
irritated. My feeling was: WHY did you guys all paint this same old boring
stuff? Basta! I don't want to see this anymore! So I went on to the
Botticelli and Raphael works.
Shopping and Fashion
Now, for the stuff you all are waiting for: shopping! This area is very bad
for the pocketbook and the budget. The shoes and bags are so beautiful and
well-made, and that's not just Prada and Gucci. Even average leather goods
shops carry shoes and bags that are far, far better made and designed than
anywhere else in the world I have seen. The quality/price relationship is
very favorable to the customer. In smaller towns such as Lucca and Pisa, I
did not expect to find good clothing and shoe stores, but there they were!
Although the shops are tiny, the selection is exquisite - you want to buy
everything! Stylish, classic, well-tailored, never boring... all the good
stuff.
Prada and Gucci outlet stores: yes, we actually went to them because they
were on the road from Arezzo to Florence. The Prada outlet store was a big
disappointment because the prices were still very high (not a bargain at
all) and the selection was poor - shoes and bags from many seasons ago, ugly
colors and styles, and the clothes were unimpressive. They carry Miu Miu and
Granello, but the selections there were also poor. The menswear and men's
shoes were much better. The crowd consisted of fashion victims of various
nationalities, mostly American and Japanese, and when I counted the number
of persons with their natural hair color, it came down to two: myself and my
husband, although in Florence, we both got our hair cut and I got mine
highlighted. **Tip: haircuts and coloring are VERY cheap in Florence!
Gucci outlet was terrific! Unbelievably low prices, lots of gorgeous bags
(not so much for the shoes), wonderful scarves and belts, but the clothes
were not impressive. I got a scarf and my husband bought a pair of dark
burgundy shoes. Not only that, they had a cafe in the outlet which was
gorgeous - light wood, minimalist and Asian influences everywhere. The crowd
was not so fashion victim-ish, although again lots and lots of Japanese
tourists. But the Yanks did their best as well to shore up the Italian
economy.
One thing I noticed: most of the Americans buying the very expensive shoes,
bags and clothes at the outlet stores and regular shops were young girls
(high school and college-age), but the Italians and foreigners who were
buying tended to be older. American kids have more money? I did not see high
school or college-age Italian, French, British girls buying this stuff.
What's in
If you don't like gray, you won't be spending any money this season in
Florence. Every store carried gray, with a smattering of black and burgundy
items. It's just as well for me because I have too many gray things already,
so I stuck to the leather goods and burgundy clothes. Max Mara in particular
had gorgeous coats and evening wear, lovely burgundy bags and shoes. Prada's
clothes were blah at least in the Florence shop, but the shoes were great.
Bags are so-so this year. The one shoe store that made a huge impression on
me was Sergio Rossi: totally amazing designs this year - I wanted to buy at
least 6 of the new styles, but because they're quite expensive, I stuck to
two pairs. One is a loafer-style shoe, low-heeled and casual, but so
gorgeous and comfortable. I walked around in that shoe all over Florence
from the first day I bought it - did not feel a thing! No such thing as
"breaking it in".
Cosmetics, treatments and perfumes
I have never seen so many pharmacies and "erboristerias" in my life. The
erboristeria is a traditional place to get herbal treatments, perfumes, body
lotions, etc. My favorite is one of the oldest in Italy - the pharmacy of
Santa Maria Novella - which was established in the 1500s by the Dominican
monks of the church of Santa Maria Novella. The shop is still located in the
cloister and it is like entering into another world - frescoes on the high
ceilings, smells from another age, really incredible experience. They still
use the traditional "recipes" created by the Dominicans. I bought the eau de
cologne created for Catherine de Medici in the early 1500s, a sweet liquer
(after dinner) which was been around since the 1500s and was created for the
Medici family, and wonderful potpourri that makes your house smell like the
cloister and a lot of old palaces that we visited. If you are pressed for
time or are on a strict budget, I would say the one shop in Florence to
visit is the Santa Maria Novella pharmacy.
On Food
We stayed for three days in a farmhouse near Siena where we were fed, among
other things, hand made pasta. This must be what heaven is like.
So there folks, this is getting too long already. If you have questions
about my trip, need suggestions for places to stay or shop, please email me.
Evie
MLanca8176
What a wonderful post! I went to Tuscany the last two weeks of August. I
heartily recommend the Santa Maria Novella shop as well. I got a facial soap
that smells so clean and heavenly I can hardly stand it!!!
Maurey
___________________________________________________________
"If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one,
go ahead, get married."
Katherine Hepburn
MElizabeth
what to look for when I visit them. When the time comes to head to Italy, I
will be sure to e-mail you. Thanks again for such a wonderfully informative
post about Italy.
M~Elizabeth
joel weber
> I walked through the other rooms of the Uffizi, filled with
> (yes) more Madonna and Child paintings, and became really exhausted and
> irritated. My feeling was: WHY did you guys all paint this same old boring
> stuff? Basta! I don't want to see this anymore! So I went on to the
> Botticelli and Raphael works.
>
The answer is really quite simple. During this period the Catholic
Church was the richest, most important and often the only patron in
the neighborhood.
You wanna de little extras in life--food, shelter, etc. You say:
Sure signor monsignor, I painta you beautiful modanna and child for
the church and throw in a couple of nude chick drawing for your
personal collection.
joel
--
Navy chic. Dress bells & Seafarer Jeans http://www.designervintage.com