Central Shops

In a city known for its dime-a-dozen custom tailors, the Armoury quickly made a name for itself back in 2010 when it started offering bespoke men’s clothing by top craftsman from Spain, Italy, and the UK. The high-ceilinged, dark wood-paneled space serves as a backdrop for an assortment of colorful Drake’s ties and suede Aldens for the modern gentleman. It’s the kind of place you can walk into and leave with a whole new wardrobe that’s tailor-made just for you. Bonus: the concierge-like shop staff is happy to tell you if your sportcoat is too big in the shoulders, or if you can really pull off that double-breasted jacket. The Armoury has a second location in HK on Queen’s Road Central and a US outpost in Tribeca in New York City.

If you have time to swing by just one store in Hong Kong to pick up gifts for friends back home, WOAW (stands for World of Amazing Wonders) should be it. Curated by local entrepreneur Kevin Poon, the store is an unexpected blend of industrial and rustic elements (exposed pipe ceilings and wood fixtures throughout), packed to the rafters with hard-to-find goods—everything from vintage band tees to feather-weight sunglasses from Mykita to out-there interpretations of everyday items like ashtrays, flip-flops, canvas totes, and more.

Shopping at minimally, yet thoughtfully, stocked EDIT is kind of like having an in-the-know fashion editor as a best friend. The team here hand-picks their favorite items—everything from familiar prints and classic A-line silhouettes from New York-based designer Tibi to colorful athletic-inspired separates from London label (and goop fave) Mother of Pearl—and presents it via simple, easy to shop displays. Look for special collaborations, including denim culottes from HK cult store WOAW.

If there’s one thing we—and the rest of the world—can’t get enough of, it’s tailored shirting. And in a city known for its renowned tailors, no one was up to the task of creating a store devoted entirely to the perfect button down more than up-and-coming entrepreneur Dee Poon. Located in Pacific Place mall in Hong Kong, this minimalist, wood-accented space features a dozen ready-made, predominantly white shirts in everything from classic poplin to twill. (See also: some great striped and checked options.) For those who are still craving a wholly bespoke shirt experience, Poon’s tailors can deliver one to you in ten days. There is also a location in Admiralty.

Kids go absolutely nuts in this place. And even if you're traveling sans kids, check out this toy stores for a little memento to bring back. The Toys Club is the local mega-store in Hong Kong—absolutely everything a child would ever wish for. It also has a huge book department.

The IFC, which is right on the water and also houses The Four Seasons (if you’re in for a luxury shopping trip), is the best place to go shopping in HK. It has all the basic, big name brands plus every single luxury brand you can think of. It can be dangerous if you’re a serious shopper—you could spend an entire weekend here without seeing the light of day.

Lane Crawford is a beautifully decorated, incredibly well-selected specialty store. It’s the only place in HK where you’ll find varied brands like Acne, Elizabeth and James, Moncler, Vanessa Bruno, etc. You can't miss it at the IFC with its beautiful displays of contemporary art and huge and equally well-edited homeware department. There are also outposts in Pacific Place, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Causeway Bay.

Dark and moodily-lit, the emphasis here is on industrial, old-world home goods, which might sound strange, but is actually quite cool: There are old-fashioned enamel hooks, simple mugs and plates, along with everyday-useful things, like the perfect broom. (It’s from the same team as Homeless, so expect a similarly extensive array.) There's also an outpost in Wan Chai.

While you might not typically gravitate to a Harvey Nichols in Asia, there’s a lot here that you can’t get back in London (or in the U.S. for that matter). While they’ve bought deep into labels like Victoria Beckham and 3.1 Phillip Lim, we were most enthralled with the labels from China, Japan, and Singapore, which we had never seen before. Ultimately, it’s an amazing store for discovering new talent. There's also a location in Pacific Place.

While there are many of these streetwear-inspired shops scattered across Hong Kong Island (Causeway Bay) and Kowloon (multiples in Tsim Sha Tsui), we like the multi-story outpost in Central best: There you’ll find an ever-so-slightly more out-there edit than you’ll ever see in the states, all carefully selected from labels like Stella McCartney, Preen, and Anne-Sofie Beck. (There’s a lot for guys, too.)