Italian leather style was certainly furthered by Guccio Gucci<\/strong> when he opened The House of Gucci in 1921 in Florence to sell leather luggage and bags as well as by Salvatore Ferragamo who started producing his famous shoes in Florence<\/strong> in the 1930s. Both fashion houses now have museums (and shops) in the center of town that are worth a visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The origins of leather production were far from glamorous. Tanning leather in medieval and Renaissance times was a seriously stinky business<\/strong> so it was relegated to the fringes of town along the Arno river in what is now the Santa Croce district. Tanning is the process of turning rawhide into leather and therefore a stabilized material that won\u2019t decay.<\/strong> In the middle ages, this process used alum (aluminum salts) and Florence was lucky enough to control many alum mines, something that was also essential for their processing of the whole cloth that would be made into garments across Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They also cultivated forests of oak in order to use the bark in the tanning vats. Other far less savory ingredients of the leather production process involved soaking the hides in vats of dog and bird feces. Yes, you read that right \u2013 you definitely didn\u2019t want to live downwind of a tanning operation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today these methods are no longer used (whew)<\/strong> and the ancient roots of this tradition can still be seen in a more picturesque fashion in the naming of the streets around Santa Croce like Via delle Conce and Via dei Conciatori (Street of the Tanners) as well as Corso dei Tintori (street of the dyers).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nowadays the process of leather production is so long and varied that when it comes to buying something \u201cauthentic\u201d it can be hard to define what that even means. Are you really looking for something that is 100% made in Italy from cow in the field to jacket in a shop? Or is it enough that something was finished and designed in Italy? This cheat sheet to terms and labels is meant to help you along the path of finding the leather item in Florence that is best for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tanning is the most important part of the leather making process. It transforms the raw hide into what is known as leather.<\/strong> This process stabilizes the leather so it can\u2019t decompose, soak up water or shrink. There are two main ways to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the ICEC (Institute of Quality Certification of the Leather Sector) to be labeled \u201cItalian\u201d the leather must be at least tanned in Italy.<\/strong> This means the rawhide and treatment and splitting process can be done outside of the country. If you want the whole process to be done in Italy it would be categorized as \u201cleather from Italy: full cycle\u201d or to get even more specific, you\u2019ll want to look for references to \u201cItalian hides.\u201d Again, this is something that\u2019s completely up to the shopper. Just because a hide comes from outside of Italy doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s of lesser quality and these days this is really quite common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If it\u2019s eco then it\u2019s not going to be real leather, meaning this could be the perfect choice for those who want the look of leather without harming animals.<\/strong> If this is you, you\u2019re in good company \u2013 Leonardo da Vinci himself might be known as the first outspoken animal lover of the Renaissance and famously would not wear leather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a lot of little tricks out there but I\u2019m going to be straight with you. There is really no sure way of telling you have real leather on your hands or not. You\u2019ll most likely find out with time as a fake leather product won\u2019t hold up for years and years like a real one will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many sources will tell you to check the grain or texture of the leather but this can be simulated even on suede or bonded leather to give it the right look (in and of itself that isn\u2019t necessarily a problem, but if the price is spiked and it\u2019s sold as something it isn\u2019t, that\u2019s unacceptable). The smell of leather is said to be a giveaway but that \u201cleather smell\u201d is actually from the treatment process not from the animal skin itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My favorite trick to see if you have at least got real leather in your hands was taught to me by Daniel, the owner and designer of Katian Boutique, located in the center of Florence. \u201cIt\u2019s the inside of a leather garment, that will give you a hint,\u201d he says. Real leather isn\u2019t shiny and smooth on both sides of course – the inside should be suede.<\/strong> \u201cSeparate the outer leather from the inner lining of a jacket or bag and rub the leather between your fingers,\u201d instructs Daniel. \u201cReal leather should stick a bit like suede does.\u201d If it doesn\u2019t you probably have some kind of bonded or regenerated leather (at best).<\/p>\n\n\n\n One rule to follow for leather as in most shopping: if it\u2019s too good to be true, it probably is. If they let you haggle the price down by a huge chunk or offer extravagant discounts, then you can be pretty sure it\u2019s not the real deal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to be assured you are getting a high-quality piece, the small boutique shops would be the best place to start, not the large markets where you can\u2019t guarantee quality.<\/strong> Talk to the shop owners and ask them about their products. Florence is just full of beautiful artisan boutiques with designers and craftsmen waiting to tailer their work to you or even create custom pieces. Leather shopping is all about what matters to you. remember, like a good glass of wine, the leather item that you love is the best one for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nYour leather buying cheat sheet to Florence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Your-leather-buying-cheat-sheet\"](\"https:\/\/www.romeing.it\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Your-leather-buying-cheat-sheet.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhich part of the hide does the leather come from?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\nWhat tanning process did the leather go through?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\nWhat does \u201cItalian leather\u201d mean?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat is Eco-Leather?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow can you tell the difference between real and fake leather?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n