Looking for a leather jacket on Calle Florida this morning we first stumbled upon a shop that had, on the face of it, just what Ants was looking for, and  for the unbelievable price of A$140 – ‘hand-made’ in their leather workshop (back of the shop, which we were hustled into and given a guided tour of – which took 2 minutes). Had we struck the mother-lode? Perhaps the clue was in the shop name ‘Maybe’, also in the jacket label. A contender? With that eagerness to convince, Maybe not. Another shop had a jacket Ants liked but for three times the amount, and this time to demonstrate that this was in fact ‘real leather’, the assistant produced a lit cigarette lighter and ran it over the jacket. Real? Definitely. Nice? Yes. Not sure about the lining. We walked on…

Having researched and visited almost every quality leather outlet in Palermo, next on our list of ‘go to’ leather stores was Silvia y Mario on Avenida Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear just off Plaza San Martin. Well, if ever there was a mother-lode, this is it. The most wonderfully designed, cut and stitched jackets – a beautiful selection of Argentinian leathers, mostly cow, but some unique to Argentina such as Capybara (world’s largest rodent / guinea pig) and then the super soft Patagonian Goat’s leather, Ants’ choice. A very nice leather jacket indeed, finely made and for a very reasonable price – probably half of something equivalent at home (that’s what I’m telling myself – Ant).

Gorgeous store, very lovely, informative and friendly assistants, led by the uber-glamorous Silvia. A delightful shopping experience if ever there was. If you’re in Buenos Aires and looking for a leather jacket, then don’t hesitate in going to Silvia y Mario.

Tell them that Anthony and Paul sent you 🙂

www.silviaymario.com

To celebrate the end of the hunt, we headed across town on the SUBTE to Palermo and to our favourite spot for lunch La Hormiga. It has, at its heart a huge horno (oven) and parrilla where enormous juicy steaks, chorizos, grilled whole pollos (pronounced something like ‘porjo’ here in BA), plus an extensive menu of salads, empanadas etc., all are served in substantial portions. A two-course meal here for 2 with a bottle of excellent Malbec costs under AR$700 (AUD$27), and this is one of the smarter joints around here – as I’ve said before, eating out in BA is incredibly affordable and the food absolutely delicious. The restaurant feels especially perfect because La Hormiga means ‘ant’ – and that is of course who I am travelling with.