The Best of the Bazaar: Colorful Gloves in Florence

Leather gloves from Florence against a colorful silk scarf from Syria.

Traveling in Italy has permanently shifted my style toward the colorful. American clothes can be so drab, at least if you're past the age where you're shopping in the junior's section. My inner Italian rebels at the color choices she's offered in American clothing stores: black, brown, camel, beige, cream, denim... at best, she may hope to find hunter green or mulberry or red (if it's around the holidays).

That's why I find myself gravitating toward bright accessories when I travel - a khaki trench coat is just more fun if you dress it up with an orange silk scarf and blue gloves. But where can you find nice blue gloves? In one of my all-time favorite shopping destinations: Florence.

From designer stores to chalk artists, charming fountains to gorgeous architecture, it's easy to stumble onto beauty in Florence. The markets are no exception. There are several around the city and they're full of gorgeous scarves, jewelry, clothes, and a Florentine specialty: colorful and sumptuous leather.

Leather handbags in the Market of San Lorenzo

Any kind of leather you want is available in the markets of Florence: jackets, handbags, shoes, belts, leather-bound journals, and - of course - gloves. The gloves are my favorite. Not only are they an elegant accessory, the variety they come in is practically infinite. In the Market of San Lorenzo, the largest of Florence's markets, you can find gloves in every color from lime green to canary yellow to my selection, turquoise blue - and those are just the solid colors! Other common options are black with red piping, multi-colored pastel patchwork, and fingerless driving gloves with chestnut leather palms and crocheted cotton backs.

Not only are the gloves gorgeous, they're extremely affordable. My pair, which are unlined, cost 14 euros, which is pretty standard for outdoor market prices. A few euros extra will get you the silk-lined variety, and there are also fleece- and fur-lined options. Whether you love gloves for their bygone-era drama, are trying to find a match for an unusual scarf, or just appreciate fine leather, a pair of Florentine gloves is a fitting souvenir of this beautiful city.

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding

The Best of the Bazaar: Carthusia Perfumes

Traveling overseas has enriched my life in a lot of ways. It got me to finally learn a second language, taught me that I really do like seafood if it was pulled from the Mediterranean the same day I eat it, and gave me a sense of capability and independence that comes to my rescue on a daily basis. Shallow though it may be, however, one of my favorite benefits of traveling is what it's done for my style.

I grew up in a small town in the Midwest, which means for the first eighteen years of my life I was unaware of anything more fashionable than a GAP sweater. My first trip to Europe was like walking into a fine arts museum for the first time. All at once I realized that the world contained more kinds of beauty than I had ever imagined, and just as immediately, I wanted to be a part of it.

Fortunately for me, the vastness of the global bazaar means that even a penniless writer can find great style on a modest budget. And to bring these great finds to light, I'm starting a new series of blog posts: "The Best of the Bazaar."

My first great find for The Best of the Bazaar is Carthusia perfumes. Carthusia is a tiny company that makes exquisite perfumes using flowers and herbs indigenous to the island of Capri. The medieval formulas for these perfumes were discovered in a Carthusian monastery in 1948, and the perfumes are still being made in limited batches that allow the preservation of the ancient production techniques. Women's perfumes contain essence of Capri wild carnation, while men's fragrances contain essence of rosemary from Monte Solarno.

In addition to being a unique expression of Capri's terroir, Carthusia perfumes are intoxicating. My favorite is Ligea La Sirena, a sensual, sweet, musky fragrance based around scents of mandarin and wild white rose. The fragrance wears beautifully and is long-lasting, so an application in the morning will keep you smelling lovely until the end of the work day. I wore my Ligea constantly while traveling - perhaps you can tell by the fact that I left a sweaty finger print on my bottle's label.

Carthusia perfumes are affordable as well as elegant. A 0.85 ounce bottle - which will last for ages due to the perfume's potency - is only 13 euros if you opt for the version without the built-in atomizer. Carthusia can be purchased online, but is more fun purchased while wandering down the sun-drenched streets of Capri (Via Federico Serena and Via Caremelle), Sorrento (Corso Italia), or Positano (Via della Tartana).

Copyright 2010 Sara Harding