Shopping at the Siena Maket

I was going to share about our day trip to Siena all in one post, but as I was uploading the photos, I realized the post would be ridiculously long with a million photos!  So, I decided to break it up into a few shorter, more easily-digestable posts.  Our group was going to Siena to shop at the weekly market, tour the city, and meet in the afternoon for tea at the home of one of our Italian hosts and Carolyn’s dear friend.

You can find just about anything at the Mercato di La Lizza in Siena, every Wednesday morning – produce, clothing, coats, shoes, bags, crafts…  The thing our group was most excited about, though, was the “Linen Man”.  Orsa, our Italian host, has a direct line to him, so she let him know a group of American women was coming to shop and he should bring a good assortment of linen clothes.  Since it was in early October, he was starting to transition his offerings to wool, courderoy, and other fall/winter-friendly materials.  Giving him a heads-up about our group meant we would be happy shoppers, and he was likely to have a very good sales day.

On the bus ride to Siena, Carolyn shared some tips about where to find bathrooms and how to navigate the market.  Since most of us were interested in linen clothes, she let us know it was normal for a vendor to offer to let us use the back of their van as a changing room.

We were dropped off in a parking lot and followed Carolyn around an ancient wall to the vendor-lined streets.  After passing a few food vendors, we arrived at the “linen man’s” tent.  Our group swarmed the racks!

At first, it was a little overwhelming to navigate.  While there was some size variation in the garments, nothing was labeled.  Most pieces were sort of a one-size-fits-all.  As strange as it is, pieces fit some of the most petite women in our group, as well as ladies who probably average sizes US 14-18.  I would pick a piece I liked and hold it up to see if it might work on me.  I gathered several pieces I liked from the rack and went to a corner behind the van to slip a few pieces over the linen dress I was already wearing.  It wasn’t perfect, but it would at least give me a rough idea of how the clothes fit me overall.

There was a wide variety of available garments – pants, dresses, coats, shirts, blouses, tunics, but I honed in on shirts and coats.  I combed through the dresses and tops primarily.  I didn’t even look at the pants, but after seeing how cute they looked on several women in our group who bought them, I wish I had!

Mom helped me gather up and edit the clothes that looked best on me.  I ended up buying eight pieces and was the big spender of the group.  I hadn’t bought very many souvenirs, and linen is my favorite, so I felt like it was worth the splurge.  In addition, most pieces were $35-45, which is dramatically lower than what I pay on Etsy or from a US store.

At the checkout, I introduced myself and learned that the “linen man” is Gaetano, who also sells in Cortano in addition to the weekly market in Siena.  He gave me permission to photograph him and share his booth on Instagram and here on the blog.  I wish there were an online shop I could link to, but I’m sure the prices wouldn’t be as good if someone started selling these pieces in the US.

Mom and I rolled up my purchases as tight as possible, and filled her backpack as well as mine.  It was pretty impressive packing, I must say!  She ended up carrying several of my linen purchases home in her suitcase, but we made it work within both the suitcase weight limit and the customs purchase allotment.

If you’re in Siena and interested in shopping for linen, wool, and courderoy clothes from Gaetano, here is a map of where we parked and where he was set up.

As another point of reference, here is the bridge he is set up next to…

So, what did I buy?  I was considering doing a fashion show, but it was easier just to grab the pieces from my closet and hang them on the tall cabinet in my studio!  Maybe one day I’ll pull them all out and show how I wear them. These linen clothes are all simple, unlined, and great pieces for layering, which is my thing.  I can put a tunic over a button-up shirt or long-sleeve cotton t-shirt.

The dark blue tunic is definitely my favorite thing I bought.  I wore it to church on Sunday, which is why the sleeves are wrinkled.

I like these button-up tunics because they are both classic and comfortable.  I just pair them with some jeans and usually layer them over a white t-shirt.

This dress looks simple, but the cut and length are very flattering.  I also loved that it had pockets.

I primarily wear blue, white, and green (just like my decorating), but I add some mustard and burnt sienna, which, to me, read as warm woods that balance out my cool palette.  I was a little iffy about this dress, but it looks really cute on, and again, it’s great for layering.

I don’t usually wear sleeveless dresses, but I do like them for layering under a jacket or sweater or over a button-up shirt (like a jumper).

See how cute it looks under this burnt sienna Courderoy coat?  I love this coat.  It is such a fun piece.  The silhouette reminds me of Regency-era coats.

I =

And I got a light blue linen coat as well…

As you can see, I got some amazing pieces.  I couldn’t wait to get home to launder them and have them ready to wear in my closet.  I do usually give my linen clothes a quick touch-up with the iron, just to smooth collars, cuffs, and hems, but I’m not too fastidious about it.  It is linen, and I’m okay with letting it be linen.  I have learned that wrinkles relax with washing and wear, so my older pieces are lower-maintenance than my newer ones.

With our backpacks full of my purchases, mom and I were done with the market and ready to walk into the interior-walled section of the Siena.  We did have to fight our way through some thick market crowds to get there, though!  We were warned to hold tightly to our valuables and bags at this market, as it is frequented by pickpockets. Once we were free of the crowds, we had our first view of the ancient city.

When it comes to historic Tuscan cities, Siena does not disappoint…