De 9 Straatjes Shops

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.

A Dutch brand through and through, Love Stories chose a well-loved, bi-level canal house as its only 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.

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.

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.

With a focus predominantly on fashion, design, architecture, and photography books, Mendo’s cavernous, sexy space couldn’t be more fitting. All in all, it’s one of the most stunning bookshops we’ve ever visited.

Maison Rika 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.

It’s been said that Jason Denham makes the kind of jeans other denim designers want to wear. What makes Denham denim so special is that it's mostly selvedge and comes from boutique plants in Japan and Italy, in fact, so high is the quality, that according to Denham employees, you don’t have to launder the jeans very often...or ever. The Denham Concept Shop is located just a few doors down from the men’s and women’s denim bars (clients are encouraged to customize their jeans to perfection) and features shoes, some accessories, and a really neat little espresso bar. Their flagship store, which carries the brand’s complete collection, is located just a few blocks away at Hobbemastraat 8.