Men's leather jacket in Florence?

We saw beautiful leather jackets in the San Lorenzo Market a couple of years ago. The stores are right on the square behind the booths at the market, so if you see ones you like at a booth they will take you back into the store. Butter-soft leather and looked well made. I tried to talk my husband into buying one, but since they were not exactly like his worn-out one he wouldn't.

Still wearing mine that I bought in Firenze back in 05 and it's in remarkably good shape. Only advice I can give you is what my Italian friend Fausto, who used to work in a leather factory told me; if it has a really strong leather smell, it's probably fake. He says some of the less honest places actually use a leather smelling spray to make their products seem authentic. Real leather should have only a faint leather smell to them.

The best leather goods I saw in Florence were in the shop associated with the Scuola del Cuoio at Santa Croce. Very expensive, though. Maybe go to look at the quality; then you would have a good baseline for judging what you see in the Mercato di San Lorenzo and elsewhere. In any case, aside from looking at leather goods, Santa Croce is wonderful!

Saw many leather sellers, didn't buy any. If it was on my must-have list, I'd start by visiting leather shops here and let them explain why their stuff is quality workmanship. That will help you spot good vs cheap goods so you buy something you can enjoy for a long time. The only technique I know is to rub the leather with a kleenex to see if any dye bleeds off. If it does, it's not a good dye job - and the rest of the jacket is likely made with similar cut corners. The other biggies for me would be feel of the leather (I'd want soft and supple over a biker jacket feel) and fit - make sure to leave room for a shirt and sweater underneath.

It wasn't a man's, but I bought a leather jacket in Florence last October. It was my one big splurge item. I really enjoyed talking to the tailor while watching him shorten the sleeves for me. He gave me some tips on my very rudimentary Italian.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am committed to buying the jacket.