florence food fun shopping and more!!!
i just got back from a long weekend in florence for a wedding and had the absolute best time - here is everything i did, ate and loved and ofc my favorite things i wore!!
Hi everyone!!
Reporting to you live from my gorgeous little desk in my gorgeous little Parisian apartment. Ugh, I seriously am obsessed with my life here - so much has changed since our last Substack and I can’t wait to share everything!! My week 2 +3 will be combined (because of this Florence trip in the middle) and posted on Sunday!
But anyway’s I just got back from a beautiful weekend in Italy - so many memories made and so many recs to share, so let’s get into it.
I’ll start with what you all are probably here for - SHOPPPPING!!!!! I got so many good recs from you guys on IG for vintage store recs - I created this map guide if anyone is interested :) I didn’t have a chance to hit many of the spots because the weekend was so busy, but here were my faves that I did!
Recollection By Albrici - this was honestly my NUMBER 1 pick. The most beautiful store ever, but even more than that, the ladies who worked here were such gems (how cute is the pic of me w the owner hahah). I really love meeting vintage and fashion lovers all over the world, it is so special to connect with humans over shared passions! They had the most insane selection of every designer - Pucci, Dolce, La Perla, Cavalli, literally anything you want, they have it. All different prices, and the customer service and energy was top notch. 10 of us girls went in there and had the best time. I snagged a gorg navy vintage La Perla dress!!
Momo Vintage - right nextdoor to Albrici, INSANE curation. I didn’t have time to fully dig, but you will absolutely want to hit this one.
Franca Lacorte Vintage - this one wasn’t even on my list but I stumbled upon it when walking to a different one. Also had a great selection and near a lot of other stores.
Angela Caputi - really funky jewelry store with amazing, special pieces at a great price point. My friends and I all left with something - I am once again obsessed with colored bangles, and I felt like these thin ones were a great addition to my stack.
Ballerette - this was the CUTEST ballet flat store. They had so many great styles for great prices. Think Repetto, but half the price. We all loved!!!
The Mall Luxury Outlets - these are about a 40 min bus outside of the city, but 100% worth the trip. You guys know how I LOVE an outlet. I will say the deals weren’t as good as I thought they were going to be, but you just never what you can find at these types of places.
The leather market - hot take, I really was not vibing with the Florence leather market this trip. Maybe because it was literally 100 degrees and I could not deal with every vendor in my ear LOL. I got my Falenciaga here years ago and I was actually heartbroken because all of the city bags just did not look the same as they used to. But - if you are looking for a great, cheap leather bag, belt, etc, you can def find something good.
And of course one of my favorite stops was the Pucci store :)))) Literally my personal heaven, but we’re gonna get to my cutie little purchase later in this post.
Ok there are few things I love as much as shopping, but a bowl is pasta is pretty high up there. I could eat pasta for breakfast lunch and dinner every day of my life tbh. And the pasta in Italy is just something special. Here is everywhere I ate and loved!! I also was so lucky this trip to just literally follow the lead of all of my fabulous friends. I didn’t have a single reservation, I just rode everyone else’s wave LOL, so shoutout to my girls for finding these places!!
Osteria Delle Tres Panche - this truffle pasta may have been one of the best dishes I have ever had in my life. We loved it so much we ordered a second. Also, try and get a table on the roof - most gorgeous, rustic, dreamy Italian setting.
Osteria San Spirito - I went here on my last night with two of my friends and debriefed all of our funny stories and characters from the weekend over three fat bowls of pasta. Is there anything more perfect??? Absolutely loved the vibe and the garlic pasta was insanity. More casual and in a great location.
Alla Vecchia Bettola - a really homey spot, the penne a la vodka was DELISH. Felt super authentic too.
You can’t go to Florence without getting a FIRE panini. These were two places I tried and loved. Skip All’Antico Vinaio (the line was so long) and go to one of these - Panetteria e Stuzzicheria de Niri + I’girone de’ Ghiotti!!
Another Florence must is the cute little wine windows. We grabbed a delicious sandwich at Babae and then got a glass of wine at the window across the street, perfect mid vintage shopping day treat.
S. Forno Panificio - really cute bakery with a great vibe and delicious pastries, can also get a panini here :)
Last but not least, gelato is obviously a MUST ! Honestly walk in wherever, but one spot my friend Nina found that I loved was called Gelateria Perche!
Ok I have to give a special shoutout to my friends Georgie and Nina for planning the most epic day trip ever. We wanted to get out of the city for the day and see the water, so we got a car service to drive us to one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, Hotel il Pelicano. This was absolutely worth the trip - the drive was about 2.5 hours long but it was beyond stunning, all the gorgeous landscapes and greenery of Tuscany, dreamy. We had lunch there and it was DELICIOUS and oh so boujee. After that we had our driver take us to a local beach to go swimming - nothing like the first jump in the ocean of the summer. We finished off our day with a trip to Il Giardino Dei Tarocchi, an incredible outdoor sculpture/art gallery situation by Niki De Saint Phalle. It was so beyond inspiring, colorful, and cool. There are so many great places right outside of Florence to explore.
Ok last but certainly not least, let’s discuss outfits and where everything was from!! I have spoken about this before, but when it comes to weddings, I always get questions about where to get wedding guest dresses, etc. I made a tik tok about this LOL, but like girls I can’t help you with that one because I am always going to go the vintage route. This is the reason I collect unique vintage pieces - when those special occasions in your life come around, you have something special to wear. And that’s just how I’m always gonna do it. You just cannot do a Revolve order of these gorg vintage Cavalli and Valentino pieces (LOL) Also, I am so aware that this is not realistic for everyone, but you can always rent these types of pieces!!! I rented the Cavalli dress from a showroom in Paris, and the Valentino I got at the Refind, the store my mom used to own years ago. This is the second wedding I’ve worn it to.
Some other things I loved that I wore and that are actually practical and cute for Euro summer - I think I’m going to do a whole other substack on this because now that I’ve been here for a few weeks…but here are a few specifics from this trip!
White solid and striped dress - SO EASY AND LIGHT - it was 100 degrees and Florence and this kept me cool and collected all day. Also love how you can accessorize it with absolutely anything, also wear it as a beach cover up.
The orange jellies!!! They feel like air on your feet and seriously are the shoe of the summer - I’m obsessed!!
My new PUCCI BABY SCARF!!!! You guys it is actually so rare that I would ever buy a designer item full price, but you know what I was just feeling it in Italy and I was like why not - this was $160 which I know is a lot for a piece of fabric, but honestly it’s probably the cheapest thing you can get at Pucci and I know I’ll literally wear her in so many ways. Headband, belt, scarf, bag charm, etc!!
These Antik Batik genie pants. I got at a sample sale in Paris and I am so obsessed with these I could wear them everyday. Such a funky, fun summer pant.
Ok I think that about sums it up!!! I am seriously so beyond grateful for all of these experiences. I am truly having such an incredible summer - more to recap in our next post, but I hope these recs are helpful for your next trip to Italia xoxox <3
Xoxo,
Soco <3