“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” – Lewis Carroll
I’ve found that a lot of my time spent abroad has been wandering by myself. I put my headphones in, shoulder my bag, and start weaving my way through the people and streets. Most of the time I have no idea where I’m going, and I think that’s the best mode of self-discovery. You learn the places you prefer to be and the thoughts you always find yourself thinking. Your mind seems to follow your body with its wandering. On one of these drifting adventures I uncovered my gem. I stepped through a green doorway and felt transported. Inside, the colors seemed brighter and I had the urge to take out my headphones to see if the sounds were different too. The sign above the door told me I had arrived at Melrose, but the clothing on display made me feel like I had stepped outside of time. Apparently, I needed an escape from reality because my feet had led me to a time warp.
Where is Melrose?
If you follow a brick lined street that winds away from the famous Florentine Duomo you’ll be there in minutes. I slowed down in front of Melrose a lot before I happened to actually go in. It seemed to always pop up on my walk home after class, growing with each pass until I could no longer ignore it. I thought it was destiny, but really I just take the same route home every day. Something I’ve been told many times to stop doing. If you’re more adventurous than me and wander more, or if you just don’t believe in being guided solely by fate, you can spot the store easily by its mannequins standing guard outside. The four plastic people are missing noses and wearing wigs and you can’t miss them. Each one stands proud in bright colors, like neon arrows flashing in between the crowds of passerby in neutrals. If you, like me, are tired of forcing yourself to fit into the morbid parade, dive in towards the wild polka dots. This rabbit hole is as comforting as it is strange.
What is this Place?
A Vintage Store
Melrose is a jumbled collection of vintage clothing and accessories that are yours for the taking. Online it’s style has been described as edgy-western. I think it’s more. The clothing here has personality, and I wade through decades as I wander. I took two steps in and a rack of sequined sleeves brushed my left hand, the sunlight off their reflective circles winking at me. In the back by the dressing rooms I spun around in a fringed leather jacket. The strips of black swung across my back and wrapped around my arms like it was alive on top of me. When I left my bag held a coiled up rainbow dirndl. So take your expectations of shopping and raise them.
How much money am I dropping here?
…a bit
It’s hard to say what you are going to be spending here. I found that the clothes were whispering to me when I drifted past them, it was their choice how many euros were going to be leaving my wallet, and I had no choice in the matter. The coats called out to me like that one wand in the hands of Harry Potter. He probably didn’t want a twin wand to the evilest man in the world, and yet the moment he held it in his fingers music sang, wind blew, and light shined upon his forehead.
That’s exactly what happened to me when I tried on one fur coat. I didn’t want to need a three hundred euro coat, but I did. Did I buy it? Absolutely not, I’m not rich. I was sad, but more so because I felt like I’d been deceived. You’d think that money wouldn’t exist here. I mean if time stands still, money should lose its meaning too, right? Sadly, each item is tagged with prices typed out in calligraphy. The curling edges of the numbers are pretty, but they don’t make up for the fact that this vintage store is pretty expensive. For reference, I spent 140 euros on a velvet 60’s blazer that physically refused to let go of my shoulders. The designer ties that keep telling me they’d be a great gift for my brother vary from 35 to 70 euros.The never ending shelves of leather dress shoes are tagged from 70 to 150. If you want a more substantial answer concerning cash, which you probably do, I would say that Melrose is pricey but worth it.
Whenever I make my walk by out of the green archway my steps are hesitant. I want to stay to hear the secrets from every single piece in the store. The gauzy shirts are telling me about the time they were sprawled under the sun on grassy fields in the seventies. The felted fedoras smell like history, and told me they sat on the head of a journalist who wrote for a newspaper. I know there’s more people to learn about. More people I can pretend to be when I try on them on. This place is where you would go if you want to be a new person. Or finally become the person you’ve always meant to be. Since self-discovery is something that’s always talked about with time abroad, I think this is a good spot to visit on your journey. Find out which clothes are calling to you. Put them on, look in the mirror and see who you become. You might be surprised by the reflection.
Via dei Ginori, 18r, Italy