Travel

Amsterdam Shops

Establishment neighborhood
Marie-Stella-Maris
Keizersgracht 357, De 9 Straatjes
As gorgeous as the line of paraben-free skin care and bath product is, the true beauty of Marie-Stella-Maris is in its mission: Every purchase of an MSM product—be it a gentle body scrub or the deeply cleansing shampoo—provides 1 euro toward clean drinking water projects all over the world. The flagship boutique is an excellent place to get familiar with the offering and stock up (the line isn't widely available in the U.S. just yet). And if the name sounds familiar, it's because the Marie-Stella-Maris brand of natural mineral water is served at most local restaurants.
Love Stories
Herengracht 298, De 9 Straatjes
A Dutch brand through and through, Love Stories chose a well-loved, bi-level canal house as its first stand-alone location; inside, the setup is equal parts punk and French boudoir. You can easily cobble together matching bra-and-pantie sets, but the real fun lies in playing with different combinations of gauzy bralettes, cheeky panties, and silk pajama shorts. As of late, designer Marloes Hoedeman has been trying her hand at loungewear to great results.
Comme des Garçons Pocket
Prinsenstraat 26, Jordaan
The name “pocket” couldn’t suit the tiny sliver of a space better. The neat little shelves are stocked with a tight edit of the requisite striped tees, candy-colored wallets, and heart-adorned PLAY sweaters. And while there are dozens of Pocket shops around the world, each one with its own personality, this one stands out for its fragrance selection. In addition to the cult classic Wonderwood and Play Green, there are many hard-to-find scents and limited editions.
Gerda’s Flowers
Runstraat 16, De 9 Straatjes
It’s likely you’ll get a whiff of Gerda’s freshly picked blooms while bumming around 9 Streets before you actually see it. Whether you’re looking to pick up a quick hostess bouquet or elaborate centerpiece (these guys provide florals for tons of fashion events all over the city), beautiful results are guaranteed—high praise considering flowers are serious business in Amsterdam. While they make really great use of wildflowers, the selection of orchids and other exotics is excellent, too.
The Otherist
Leliegracht 6, De 9 Straatjes
Although the shop itself is rather small, it’s easy to burn an entire afternoon here. The walls are decked out from floor to ceiling with framed curiosities of all kinds, from brilliant blue butterflies to delicate beetles and stick bugs. And while we won’t pretend to know anything about bringing taxidermied goods through customs, there are plenty of other items worthy of suitcase space, like antique globes, unique cutlery, and stationery.
Wildernis
Bilderdijkstraat 165 F, Oud West
While the location is slightly out of the way, this modern, dizzyingly beautiful interpretation of a gardening store is well worth the walk, whether you’re a green thumb or not. The goal here is to encourage city dwellers to try their hand at gardening by providing everything they need—from tools, to planters, to actual plants. While you’re here, grab a coffee and a slice of homemade cake and enjoy it under a canopy of hanging houseplants before perusing the selection of plant-inspired jewelry, art, and books.
Rika Studios
Oude Spiegelstraat 12, De 9 Straatjes
Rika Studios is actually an adorable single-apartment guesthouse masquerading as an achingly chic boutique-slash-gallery. Former stylist Ulrika Lundgren applied the same edgy-yet-approachable aesthetic that makes her namesake line of accessories and separates so great to the two-bedroom, canal-facing space—if it’s authenticity you’re after, this is the way to go. The ground-floor shop is where you’ll find Ulrika’s famed leather bags and star-print tees, as well as jewelry from local designers and a selection of niche fragrances.
Eduard Van Dishoeck
Citywide, Amsterdam
Dishoeck's teeny shop was a treasure trove of antique books, prints, and maps. Now, he has transitioned to visiting clients on location and working by appointment. Eduard van Dishoeck is a fifth generation antiques expert, so you know that whether you walk away with a fun one-of-a-kind souvenir or a valuable collector’s item, it’s the real deal. Stock is sourced from all over the world and tends to turn around frequently, so no two visits to his site are the same.