So let’s say you’re ballin’ on a budget in Florence, but you need your fashion fix.
Maybe you can’t afford to cash out at the Gucci Garden, you’re not down for a train ride to Milan and you’re rightfully suspicious of the “leather” purses in Santa Croce.
If your style is way before your time and you’re in the market for some unique pieces, Florence is the vintage-store Mecca you’ve been praying for.
I’m not one to pay full-price for anything, and I was originally on the hunt for thrift stores to check out. Instead, my Google results were flooded with vintage, vintage and more vintage.
Florentines take pride in everything they do. They put their heart and soul into their work, which is why a gelateria takes offense when you ask to sample their flavors. Fashion works the same way — well, second-hand fashion.
Florence values quality over everything else. Leave the Forever 21 and H&M at home and take advantage of the high-quality and authentic vintage pieces that you can’t find at your local Goodwill in the United States.
To avoid confusion, remember thrift stores are stores that sell used clothing and other items for heavily discounted prices. Some thrift stores accept donations, while others buy the items off the original owner for a small price.
The word “vintage” is specific to anything produced 20 years before the present. So clothing from the 90s is considered vintage. Feel old yet?
Before checking out three vintage shops in Florence, here’s a word to the wise. When you’re thrifting, antiquing or vintage shopping anywhere, look at the details and inspect the quality to make sure you’re getting the real deal.
If your “Versace” purse has a crooked emblem, a plastic finish and the words “made in China” written in large font inside, it’s not Versace. And yes, I’m speaking from experience.
Now let’s get into some fashion.
Melrose is part vintage shop, part American theme park. The store has two locations: Via dei Ginori, 18r, and Via Largo Alinari, 8, which is close to the train station. If you decide to swing by one of the Melrose stores, I would suggest the Via dei Ginori location, mainly because the train station is a relatively far walk away from the city center.
Melrose is not the typical hole-in-the-wall vintage place you might be used to at home.
Everything about Melrose is a little shocking. First of all, before you even walk in, you're greeted by four funky-fresh mannequins staring at who-knows-what.
When you step inside, the first thing you see is a super fly, cherry-red motorbike in the middle of the store. Does it serve a purpose? Absolutely not. Does it look cool? Heck yea it does.
It’s worth mentioning off the bat that Melrose is not a very college-student-budget-friendly place. Many of its pieces are very high quality and authentic, which always comes with a price. A pair of military pants runs for 30 euros, and a stunning fur coat is 270 euros. If you deal with harsh winters back home, it might be worth it.
According to Sandra, a Melrose employee, the stores get their pieces from around the world, especially from Germany and the United States.
Frankly, exploring Melrose is as fun as actually buying something. The store is neatly organized like a museum: ‘60s dresses and blouses are on one side, men’s denim jackets are on the other.
Like many of Florence’s vintage shops, Melrose is just plain fun. Although the pieces are expensive, the price might be worth it for a vintage aficionado who is serious about authentic pieces.
Melrose is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Storytime: I had no idea Blink existed until I just so happened to walk by. Blink, a vintage and “remake” store located on Via Ghibellina 37/A, is ridiculously easy to overlook. No pun intended… but if you blink, you’ll miss it.
Blink is right down the street from a well-known Florentine vintage store, A Ritroso. But A Ritroso was closed before it was supposed to be, and Blink looked exponentially cooler.
Blink is the new kid on the block. The store is only 8 months old, according to the owner Paolo Ciampi.
Blink's fun and colorful interior design.
Besides selling vintage clothing, Blink also remakes boring denim jackets and vests into embellished works of arts. Ciampi and his business partner stock up on clothes at markets in Florence. Sometimes customers bring in old clothing for custom designs.
Prices generally range from 20 euros to over 200 euros, specifically for custom pieces.
The name of the store is an homage to ‘90s fashion, Ciampi said.
“In the 90s, all of the designers made everything bigger. Gucci, Versace, everyone did extravagant styles,” he said. “We’re called Blink because we make uncommon things.”
From its hot pink walls to its in-house designs, Blink is unconventional in every way. Not
even its store hours are normal.
If you want to check it out, but the store is closed, feel free to call one of the cell phone numbers listed on the sign in the door. Ciampi said he lives in the neighborhood and comes to open shop for whoever gives him a call.
Blink accepts cash or card.
Located on Via San Gallo 23r, Rewind is the teeny-tiny, affordable vintage store every city needs. It’s a literal hole-in-the-wall that could probably fit about 30 millennials at a time. Trust me, you’ll love it.
Despite its size, Rewind has an impressive selection of denim jackets, shorts, skirts and fun patterned shirts. Matteo Ruggiero, the store’s owner, said prices range from 15 to a maximum of 50 euros. He typically sells denim jackets for 25 euros.
Ruggiero returns to his hometown of Naples three times a month to restock on vintage clothing. He keeps his prices low because many of his customers tend to be students.
He opened Rewind four years ago and has been growing his business ever since.
“In my family, it was vintage all of my life,” he said. “My dad, my sister, my mom. They work in vintage.”
Ruggiero also paints custom designs on the backs of denim jackets for about 60 euros. In the past, he’s painted one-of-a-kind portraits of Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali and Marilyn Monroe.
Vintage clothing is popular in Florence, and a Florentine street style is hard to define.
“There are so many people from around the world there is no one style. Rock, punk, hippie style,” Ruggiero said. “Every style.”
Rewind is open from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and accepts cash or card.
A customer tries on a denim jacket at Rewind.