Please sign in to post.

Leather Shopping in Florence: My Advice

Here's my not-so-brief but (hopefully) useful leather shopping advice for those of you who are Florence bound! I found an out-of-the way, good quality, and very affordable leather shop that isn't on any of the lists but has solid reviews on Google and good products. I intend to post this review in Google, as well, so don't be surprised if you see it there.

I was determined to get a quality leather handbag and jacket in Florence because, of course, it's Florence :) Everyone suggested to go to the leather school (Scuola dei Cuoio) in Santa Croce. I did, and yes, it was very atmospheric, with artisans onsite making leather products using the same tools masters used 500 years ago. Anyway, I bought a small bag and a belt, got both stamped with initials (free!) and while the bag was moderately priced (around 150 euros), I knew I couldn't afford the jackets.

I had already checked the stores in Florence that are recommended for the best leather jackets: the school, of course, but also Ben Heart, David Cesari, and a few other fancy leather shops. I looked at their products, and yes, the quality was gorgeous, but... if I could afford 700 euros for a jacket, I'd simply buy it in the States. So, I started searching off the grid, so to speak, stopping in many of the 'ordinary' leather shops of which there are hundreds in Florence. In my experience, the salesmen in these 'cheaper' stores are aggressive, pushy, insist that you 'touch, touch!' while repeating that they have the best leather in Florence. Also, in every single shop, a miracle happened: the prices are 'normally' 350 euros, but because I am special and it's a special day I get a special price... and other similar drivel. Many of the jackets seemed stiff and uncomfortable, but the truth is, I couldn't even examine them properly because the salesman (and it was always a man, in my experience) was so busy shoving jackets at me and shouting for me to touch everything.

Exhausted by all this, I went to the fanciest shop near me (David Cesari) where there was zero pressure from the professional and helpful woman who worked there. I took advantage of her chilly aloofness to examine the 600-1200 euro jackets: the stitching, the material, the fit, the 'feel', and so on. I noticed that the pockets shouldn't be shallow, but should fit your hands comfortably without the zippers scratching your wrists. The leather should be 'bouncy' and not too thin. Armed with this knowledge, I ventured back out into the world of affordable leather.

I ended up at a little unassuming spot called [redacted], a leather goods shop in the Santa Croce piazza, to the right of the Santa Croce basilica if you're looking directly at it. I'm certainly no expert, but the jackets there seemed quite similar in terms of texture, stitching, etc to the expensive jackets, but they were all around 200 euros and less. The gentleman on duty was patient and helpful, didn't push me to buy anything, simply answered questions and waited for me to try on a thousand things. In the end, I purchased a soft, comfortable, well-fitted leather jacket for what seems to me to be a 'good deal' and that doesn't feel or fit any differently from the 800-euro jacket a few streets away.

Posted by
3124 posts

Good job, and thanks for sharing your shopping savvy with us. As leather goods last a lo-o-ong time, sounds like you'll have three treasured keepsakes from your trip to Florence!

Posted by
247 posts

Loved this! This understanding is not only useful for us but you are an excellent writer as well. So many takeaways

Posted by
1025 posts

Please don't take offense, and understand that I enjoyed your article, but since you didn't buy at places like David Cesari (chilly aloofness) or Ben Heart (presumably too expensive), why did you redact the name of the place where you bought the jacket? It would seem to me that mentioning their sales techniques and quality would confer a benefit on them and a realtime endorsement of a shop that treated you well.

Posted by
140 posts

Also puzzled why you chose to not name the shop. We will be in Florence in May, and I would certainly enjoy visiting a shop with pricing that I can afford with good quality and no intense sales pitch ( massive turn off imo). I will note your location description, but hope you decide to share the shop name :-)

Posted by
71 posts

You might want to stop by at Infinity Firenze. I have been shopping at Infinity Firenze for years. They create beautiful handmade leather pieces (handbags, messenger bags, wallets, belts, etc.). They are a family owned business. Aaron and Sonia are wonderful - very knowledgeable, and creative. The shop was close to closing during Covid, but they continued to sell products online via Instagram and Facebook. Check out their shop at : Borgo Santi Apostoli, 18 R, 50123, close to Ponte Vecchio. One of a kind pieces made on site and very affordable.

https://www.infinityfirenze.com/

Happy Travels and Happy Shopping

Posted by
6 posts

Many thanks for your replies! It seems that the forum itself redacts the title! I posted it quite willingly, but either there's a rule against directly naming certain businesses due to issues with advertising (unlikely) or something else is going on, maybe a tech issue. I'll try again here: the name is Poker Leather Goods, and the address is 28/R Piazza Santa Croce. Fingers crossed that it doesn't get redacted!

I also want to add that I didn't shop at D Cesare not because of the aloofness (which I was rather grateful for, preferring to browse undisturbed) but simply because, for me, 700 euros (which, as you all know, is more than 800 USD) is rather a lot for a jacket. If the prices are fine with you, by all means, Ben Heart and D Cesare and ESPECIALLY the leather school has incredible, elite leather products, don't miss them! This was more advice for those who prefer something with decent quality but at a lower cost. Good luck!

Posted by
1658 posts

Thank you.

I heard that there are lots of leather goods that are falsely labeled as made in Italy. I have purchased in Greece, Spain, and Hungary, leather bags that were custom made for me (for less than 250euros). In this way, I was assured that it's genuinely made locally.