Shopping Reflections: Bologna Edition

What I bought and didn't buy.

Greetings from my last day in Bologna, where it’s been raining all day, perfect for staying in and slowly packing up for my next and final stop in Italy: Rome.

Before packing, I’d gone back to a thrift shop to look for a handbag that I left behind last week, but it wasn’t there. I was disappointed, but I was hardly going home empty-handed, so I’ll survive.

It hurt to leave this one behind. That said, I didn't buy it because I don't like using handbags, much as I like looking at them. It felt right to leave it behind for someone else to find.

I should feel more sheepish about shopping with gusto in Bologna, given I’d pledged myself to a low-buy for 2024, but I don’t. In fact, I feel like the Rule of Five has primed me to shop in the right headspace—while shopping, I’ve felt relaxed, and clear-headed about what spoke to me and why.

One shopping intention I set for myself was to buy secondhand where possible. Before coming to Bologna, I had some Googling and realised there were a lot of secondhand stores in the city—branches of Humana Vintage, several used goods “markets” (search “mercatini dell'usato”), and so many vintage boutiques I had to stop saving them to my Google maps because it was too many dots for my brain to process. Knowing this made me feel like shopping secondhand only would not only be achievable, it might even be more interesting—looking past the new and the trendy to see what people used to buy.

But shopping secondhand also engenders its own type of “fast fashion” momentum, and in my case I was well aware that it could be made worse by the “shopping while on holiday” FOMO. So I tried to shop cautiously, and take advantage of my long stay in Bologna to think things through.

One thing that really helps me when shopping secondhand in physical stores, is to use my online wishlists (eBay, Etsy and TRR) as a guide. In a way, these wishlists have become a kind of shopping moodboard—they reflect the non-essential curiosities I’m drawn to, and stalking them obsessively has honed my eye for spotting them in real life. It also helps to me keep me focused.

For example, I’d been saving leather skirts on my eBay and TRR wishlists for a while, and when I saw a whole rack of them in Humana, I pounced. Only one of the three I grabbed fit me, but it was perfect. Done, for 17 euros.

Wearing the leather skirt whilst shopping. I like that it was a very low-key, almost demure shape, but the texture adds surprise.

I also found myself often drawn to velvet, which made sense as I’ve been saving velvet jackets and trousers to my wishlists for ages. I was fairly tempted by this beaded vest that I found in Humana, but lovely as it was, it was just a little too delicate for me.

This was a beautiful piece and only 17 euros. I hope it finds a good home.

Later, while browsing a flea market, I found this velvet jacket for 5 euros. The velvet was embossed with a subtle paisley pattern, and trimmed in black braid. The lightly-padded shoulders gave the jacket an elegant, regal feel. I’ve worn it out couple of times for dinner, and each time I felt incredibly glamorous; when I’m home it’ll remind of the elegant Italia scuira I encountered here, an archetype that actually lived up to the hype.

You'll have to believe me when I say this jacket is amazing. It hangs beautifully; it has no closure but the front folds roll naturally into soft lapels [right], revealing matching velvet on the underside.

Another item I often bookmark on eBay and Etsy are antique men’s dress shirts, which I always hesitate to buy online because it feels like something I want to find in person. Which I did, in a vintage boutique here in Bologna.

Bad photos I snapped in the store; the shirt reminds of the secondhand Céline shirt I bought in July. The owner thinks the shirt is from the 1920s or 30s, or as recent as the 1950s. I'm no expert but the shirt is a beautiful heavy cotton that feels vintage, softened with wear. I love the signs of wear that have been carefully mended.

The shirt was 20 euros, which is a pretty decent price compared to what they’re often listed for on Etsy. The main drawback is that I now need to buy some shirt studs, but I also see myself wearing it open over the tank top— it fits oversized on me and reminds me a bit of an artist’s smock.

I’ve already talked about this Iceberg jacket in my previous post, so I won’t go on about it, but the fact that it’s an Italian brand is a nice detail—it’s a beautiful garment that’s also a souvenir.

Another souvenir is this Murano glass ring in Venice, the only new thing I bought. I was buying a present for my sisters (a vase, a ring) and couldn’t resist a ring for myself; I’ve loved Murano glass since the first time I came to Venice 18 years ago.

Murano glass ring [right], from Designs 188 in Venice.

I don’t wear jewellery much but I make an exception for jewellery with sentimental value, so this was the perfect thing to buy in a city I adore.

Where I shopped

After arriving in Bologna, I looked around on Google Maps for ideas of where to shop. I used terms like “charity shops”, “vintage shops” and “mercatino dell'usato”, and it yielded lots of results and reviews, so it didn’t really take much effort on my part. It also really helps that many of the shops were in the city centre, and I could walk to all of them.

Mercatino di Beneficenza di San Francesco
This was where I bought my velvet jacket. The market happened to be near a cafe I frequented for coffee, so I decided to check it out. It’s small but mighty: a good mix of furniture, homewares, apparel, and odds and ends. During the time I was there (November and December), it was open every day, which made it very convenient to visit. Coats and jackets were priced at 5 euros, going up to 25 euros if they were a bit fancier; I saw a beautiful navy Crombie coat made of Scottish cashmere priced at 20 euros, and the fabric made me swoon, but the sleeves were much too short for me. A beautiful sport coat of plaid Irish wool (with a tag that read “Made in Bologna”) was incredibly tempting at 5 euros, but I’m not big on blazers, so I passed. Note that it’s cash only.

Ferruccio
This is where I bought my Iceberg jacket and the men’s dress shirt. It’s small but there was plenty to see, and it felt very to the owner’s taste—the outerwear was heavy on leather and heavy parkas with a military feel; there were many shirts in colourful printed rayon and silk. There’s no obvious period or theme, but everything felt personal, like things you would find in a real person’s home. I wished I had bought the tiny leather pin/jewellery boxes he had in the store—they would be a nice gift for people who travel with jewellery, but I couldn’t think of anyone to gift them to.

Diorama
This lovely boutique sells vintage and reworked secondhand items designed and made by the owner herself. The selection has a predominantly 1960s’ feel, but you’ll also find things from the 1970s-80s’. It’s mostly womenswear, with small selection of menswear, mostly shirts and outerwear. Most items (jackets, skirts, tops, skirts) were in the 50 to 80 euro range, with coats in the 100 to 150 euro range, depending on quality. Everything in the shop was immaculate.

I didn’t buy anything for myself here but I did buy a corduroy gilet (58 euros) which was reworked from a blazer for my sister—it was very to my sister’s taste. Honestly, I didn’t need to buy it; I’d already bought her a gift at this point, but I felt like it because I liked the owner. A little silly perhaps, but supporting a small business doesn’t hurt anyone.

Reclectic
I loved this store even though I didn’t buy anything—the quality of everything here was beautiful and like the other two stores, it felt really true and personal to the owner’s taste and style. It was slightly more expensive than Diorama but most items were extremely well made, especially the outerwear, and the selection was a lot bigger as well. It’s womenswear only, with a strong 1960s and 70s feel.

SPLIT
This was the most “designer” boutique I visited, and I found later that it’s by appointment only. I happened to be in the area when I decided to pop by, and by coincidence, the owner was there with another customer. It carries both men’s and womenswear, but more skewed to the former; I was incredibly drawn to a stunning satin Jean Paul Gaultier skirt but it clearly a size too small for me so I didn’t try it on. I would recommend it for anyone who’s into designer vintage, and it’s worth telling the owner ahead of time if you have a particular designer in mind; he knows his stuff really well and will be able to pull things out for you.

Humana Vintage
Humana is technically a charity store, but it’s a lot fancier and more curated than your average charity shop in Australia (Savers, Salvos etc ). You’ll find some mall brands in there, but for the most part, it was actual vintage. Prices are more expensive than at mercatini, but more affordable¹ than at vintage boutiques, and the selection is huge—there were two Humana boutiques within 15 minutes’ walking distance of each other, and both had racks bursting with clothes.

Prices for tops, trousers and skirts ranged from 12 to 25 euros, jackets from 18 to 45 euros, coats from 20 to 50 euros, knitwear from 15 euros. Generally, with a budget of 50 euros, you could go home with some really fun things here. This is where I bought my vintage leather skirt.

A selection of what caught my eye at Humana. I love the colourful ski vests and jackets; they’re much too heavy for Melbourne but they would made such a fun addition to a winter wardrobe. The varsity style jumper on the right (22 euros) was another item I regretted (slightly) leaving behind. It was 80% Irish wool, 10% silk and 10% polyester, and it felt so great. It’s from Replay, a brand I have great 90s’ nostalgia for.

At one of the Humana branches, I found a treasure trove of vintage linens, and I truly nearly lost my head and wanted to buy it all.

I’m no expert in vintage linens and maybe this isn’t the truly “good” stuff, but it was certainly good enough for me. After hemming and hawing for 30 minutes, I bought a small table runner (9 euros) and a bed sheet (17 euros). I can already see the sheet adding much-needed character and warmth to the guest bed in my study, and the table runner will add a festive touch to my dining table when I have gatherings.

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And that concludes my shopping adventures in Bologna. I truly loved the vintage scene here; it was diverse, rife with good quality, and it never felt trendy or precious, the way secondhand shopping in Melbourne sometimes feels. Overall, I feel like the items I bought here evoke that feeling of Italian glamour and heritage that I’ve found very inspiring here, but in a way that still feels true to myself.

Five items in three weeks is a lot, making up a third of my clothing purchases this year, but if there was ever an occasion to make an exception for, this was it—travelling, seeing new things, and bringing home with me a slice of that magic, in wearable form.

Rule of Five tally:

• January — 1 item: Babaà wool jumper (new, A$346)

• February — 1 item: Vintage wool jumper (secondhand, A$75)

• March — 1 item: Dries Van Noten dress (secondhand, A$400)

• April-July — 0 items

• August — 3 items: Céline shirt (secondhand, A$178), Champion sweatshirt (secondhand, used store credit), Polo Ralph Lauren rugby shirt (secondhand, $40)

• September — 0 items

• October — 3 items: Fletcher Jones pleated wool skirt (secondhand, A$30), army surplus shorts (secondhand, A$9), beige leather coat (secondhand, A$80)

• November — 5 items: Iceberg shearling jacket (secondhand, A$161), leather skirt (secondhand, A$27), antique cotton dress shirt (secondhand, A$28), velvet jacket (secondhand, A$8), Murano glass ring, (new, A$41).

Total: 14 items (2 new, 12 secondhand, total of A$1,495 spent)

1. Affordability is relative; secondhand shopping in Australia is more expensive than in Italy, but wage levels (and cost of living) are higher in Australia. I found it affordable to shop secondhand in Italy, but a person living and earning here might feel otherwise.