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Seattleites are sometimes scorned for their fashion sense (polar fleece, sport sandals, and socks—oh my!), but as the city has grown and enough money has percolated through the ranks of retail, the city's style barometer has made a steady creep upward. Bibliophiles, foodies, wine aficionados, and design-centrists will also find plenty of shopping opportunities—Seattle is a hotbed of unique, independent shops stocking one-of-a-kind treasures.
Shopping in Seattle is something best done gradually. Don't expect to find it all in one or two days worth of blitz shopping tours. Downtown is the only area that allows for easy daylong shopping excursions. Within a few blocks along 4th and 5th Avenues, you'll find the standard chains (The Gap, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Anthropologie, Sephora, Old Navy), along with Nike's flagship store, and a few more glamorous high-end stores, some featuring well-known designers like Gucci . Downtown is also where you'll find department stores like Nordstrom, Macy's, and Barneys New York. Belltown and Pioneer Square are also easy areas to patrol—most stores of note are within a few blocks.
To find many of the stores that are truly special to Seattle—such as boutiques featuring handmade frocks from local designers, independent record stores run by encyclopedic-minded music geeks, cozy used-book shops that smell of paper and worn wood shelves—you'll have to branch out to Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, and northern neighborhoods like Ballard. Shopping these areas will give you a better feel for the character of the city and its quirky inhabitants, all while you score that new dress or nab gifts for your friends.
And don’t forget about Seattle’s culinary bounty, which includes the stalls at Pike Place Market; the flagship Sur La Table, which stocks every kitchen gadget known to man; and the city’s various weekly farmers' markets, where you’ll find enough locally made, artisanal offerings to fill a suitcase or two.
Originally started by Nooksack artist and activist Louie Gong, Eighth Generation is now owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. A world away from the tourist shops around Pike Place, this small shop sells a carefully selected range of Native-designed and produced goods including journals, jewelry, mugs, and water bottles. The true attractions are the bold, eye-catching woolen blankets woven in Seattle. Gifts purchased here come with a story and support local Indigenous artists.
This lovely store sells artisan crafts from studios in Japan and the Northwest. You'll find tasteful home wares, cute but functional gifts, and quirky pieces of furniture.
Need a brass-plated medieval French duck press? You've come to the right place. Culinary artists and foodies have flocked to this popular Pike Place Market destination since 1972. The chain's flagship shop is packed to the rafters with thousands of kitchen items, including an exclusive line of copper cookware, endless shelves of baking equipment, tabletop accessories, cookbooks, and a formidable display of knives. There's also a small selection of specialty ingredients.
This small store in the courtyard of the Inn at the Market is worth a visit just for how heavenly it smells. With a lovely line of artisanal jewelry, luxurious bath products, and enticing—and often aromatic—gifts, it makes for a relaxing stop in the Pike Place tour. A standout favorite is Seattle-based fragrance brand Antica Farmacista—you'll want every scent of their luxury reed diffusers. Watson Kennedy's sister store ( 1022 1st Ave.) includes vintage furniture, tableware, gourmet foods, and its own line of beeswax candles.
Taking cues from the neighborhood's Nordic roots, this boutique embraces the minimalist mindset of modern Scandinavian design. High-quality and timeless home goods, art in mostly neutral tones, and useful gifts fill the shelves. And the staff also has a friendly (and nonaggressive) Scandinavian sensibility, making shopping a delightful and calming experience.
