Hip Guide to Amsterdam

You'll find everything you can think of in Amsterdam. Besides all the porno shops, most of which sell some clothing and accessories, there are specialized fetish shops for those who love leather, spikes, restraints and whatever else you fancy. If this is your thing they also have clubs and special event nights around Amsterdam where you can dress for the scene.

Visit the Real Kinky Forum!

Dutch fashions are pretty wild. These mannekins give you some sort of idea. The one on the right's dress says the word "fuck" over and over and over. Dutch fashions run the gamut from 50s style plaid sport jackets to gothic black to punk to hip hop to orange everything! And of course, the Dutch are fond of American clothes, but a wave of young, talented designers is creating a new fashion scene in Amsterdam.

The Nieuwendijk and Kalverstraat together form a pedestrian shopping mall nearly a mile long. This area has everything, but clothing dominates. Paralleling these streets one block east is another set of shopping streets, the Damrak and Rokin. The Damrak which starts at Centraal Station caters mainly to tourists with travel agencies, banks, restaurants, and American Express. The Rokin has Vroom and Dreesman, a large department store, and some very tony shops including Sotheby's Auction house. Another area for upscale shopping is the Museumplein area around the Concertgebouw where trendy boutiques carry the latest fashions.

Thanks to the tolerant attitude of the Dutch, soft drugs (marijuana and hashish) are everywhere and can be purchased at any one of over 400 coffeeshops. See our Dutch Coffeeshop Scene for more info. In addition all over town are smart shops that sell magic mushrooms, and herbal ecstacy type products. If you're looking for these sorts of soft drugs we recommend a stroll down the Damstraat into the Red Light District. What ever you do, don't buy anything on the street. Not only will you get ripped off, you might get sick! There is no need to buy soft drugs on the street! And lastly, don't bring any drugs back home, it ain't worth the risk!