6 Best Places to Shop in Hongdae, Seoul

While this lifestyle concept store has branches all over South Korea, the Hongdae location is by far the best known. The five-story building sells accessories as well as both menswear and womenswear. In addition to A-Land brand items, the store features brands from other local designers. The overall style is best described as trendy and edgy. The items are a step up from stores at the nearby Hongdae Shopping Street and as a bonus, the store allows you to try on the items in its many fitting rooms.

Head to the second floor of the warehouse to find this shop of curated knick-knacks, which sells everything from hand-crafted wooden spoons to vintage china and illustrated postcards. Visitors looking for medium-priced souvenirs can find local ceramics for reasonable prices and have a cup of coffee by the window, as the older couple who run the establishment also sell beverages.

One of the best stores in the city for art supplies, Homi Art Shop is a favorite among students at Hongik University. The store has a wide range of products from spray paint to calligraphy brushes and needles for knitting. The prices are reasonable, and there is always a sale bin in the back corner with products up to 80 percent off. Also check out the collection of hanji (traditional Korean paper) on the second floor.

Thirty or forty clothing boutiques line two parallel streets approximately a quarter of a mile from Hongik University Station to KT&G Sangsang Madang. While most of the shops focus on trending women’s apparel, there is the occasional secondhand shop and pet goods boutique. It’s easy to tell which stores sell what as many of the shops display half their items out front. You'll find a range of similar items along the street at varying price points, and most items are not available to try on. Evergreen items like T-shirts and jeans can be a good deal, but beware that these fast fashion items often come apart after a few washes.

Located near Ewha Women’s University, Princess Diary is a bridal-themed cafe where visitors can drink coffee, try on bridal wear, and take photos. The cafe portion and dress-up sections of the cafe are strictly divided as the staff can be quite strict about keeping the dresses clean. You can choose to pay per dress or buy a package that allows you to try on as many dresses as you like for an hour. Once in the dressing room, the staff helps you pick from dozens of wedding dresses, groomsmen suits, and accessories like tiaras and hats, and aids you in putting them on. Both white gowns typical of Western culture and hanboks, traditional Korean outfits, are available in a range of sizes. The cafe is a favorite among couples celebrating an anniversary or groups of friends having a silly afternoon.

Located on the first floor of Some Institute of Picture Books, a school dedicated to the crafting of picture books, Somebooks is a gallery and bookstore featuring a compelling collection of works by local artists. The books available for purchase include Korean works in English and Korean as well as foreign titles translated into Korean. Note that the books target adult readers and are not necessarily kid-friendly.