the ultimate guide to Amsterdam shopping (part 1)

So here it is – my first shopping guide! Hopefully this is not my last city trip in which I get to cover the shopping side so extensively. The two-day visit to Amsterdam resulted in an endless (or almost) list of ‘must visit’ shops. This list will be delivered to you in several parts (to keep things more exciting), photos and addresses included.

Well, some general thoughts on the city…it does feel terribly hectic over there, and I’m not used to such hustle and bustle, you can imagine the ‘dead town’ of Kortrijk is a great contrast to the narrow streets and incredibly tall people (the latter did not bother me actually, on the contrary I did not feel like a giant anymore, and finding shoe-size 44 for women turned me into the little quiet mouse once again). I was happy to be out of there, but I will be just as happy to come back to Amsterdam to say hello to all the friendly and creative folk I have met in those two days.

Monday AM:
Actually, if you are clever, you will stay within the comfort of your hotel room on the rainy Monday morning, because all the shops on the high street are open at 11, and the ones that are more creative at 12 or 1 o’clock in the afternoon. So the desperate shoppers will have to spend their time rummaging in the vintage-princess paradise – Laura Dolls in the Wolvenstraat. This is probably the most famous vintage shop in town (after Episode, but we do have a local version in Antwerp, so why bother), I often see references to it in the Dutch fashion magazines, as they sell not your average vintage, but all glitzy, sparkly, shiny stuff, there’s even a section with figure-skating outfits (um, someone tell Susie)

This is obviously not the shop where me personally would cash out…an obsession with Nordic aesthetics keeps me away from becoming a magpie, but I did put on a pair of the brightest bright heels to keep my feet happy (the head is obsessed, not the feet, right?)