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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.
Seattle's 6,000-square-foot flagship Filson store is a shrine to meticulously well-made outdoor wear for men and women. The hunting-lodge decor of the space, paired with interesting memorabilia and pricey, made-on-site clothing, makes the drive south of Pioneer Square worth it (we recommend catching a cab, not hoofing it). The attention to detail paid to the plaid vests, oil-treated rain slickers, and fishing outfits borders on the fetishistic.
For outdoor gear with an edgy vibe, locals head to evo, which specializes in snow-sports and also carries a solid selection of seasonal street clothes for men and women. You'll find everything you need to shred Washington's big mountains in style, from fat powder skis and snowboards with wild graphics to flashy ski jackets and thick woolen beanies. evo shares its industrial-modern "campus" with the restaurant Joule and Seattle's only indoor skatepark, All Together Skatepark, is right next door.
The enormous flagship for Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) has a vast selection of outdoor gear from polar-fleece jackets, wool socks, down vests, hiking boots, to rain gear, and much more. The staff is knowledgeable and eager to help. REI also rents gear such as tents, sleeping bags, skis, snowshoes, and backpacks.
Wonderland Gear Exchange is like REI meets that cool used records store. The outdoor clothing and equipment consignment shop aims to make it easier and more affordable to get out into the amazing nature that surrounds Seattle. They keep high standards, so everything is relatively recent, in good (and, importantly, safe) shape, and it ranges from kids' fleece booties to e-bikes and so much more. A must-stop for anyone with an outdoor adventure in their future, but also for a good deal on some snazzy rain boots when the weather turns.
