Amsterdam’s Street of Fashions

Much of the finery that the Dutch import winds up in Amsterdam on P-C Hooftstraat, within walking distance of the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. P-C Hooftstraat is Amsterdam’s finest shopping street. The three long blocks between Hobbemastraat and Van Bearlesstraat are lined with boutiques filled with exquisite wearables, home accessories and gift items.

All shops offer tourists from non-European Economic Community countries tax rebates of 20% on each item that costs 300 guilders ($150 U.S.) or more. Get tax rebate check refunds at various “cash points” at Schiphol Airport and border crossings on leaving Holland, or by mail.

Begin at Van Moppes (No. 30), one of Amsterdam’s biggest diamond dealers. Amsterdam is a leading diamond market, and so prices are lower than elsewhere because of the trade volume. This Van Moppes shop is small but offers much personal attention.

Canisters, Wooden Shoes

JK Gift Shop (No. 32) has inexpensive, typical blue and white ceramic salt and pepper shakers shaped like Dutch canal houses ($7.50 a pair) and blue and white canisters in a variety of shapes and sizes (from $6.50), plus the ubiquitous wooden shoes.

John en Vera Hartman (No. 38), a trendy boutique, sells British, French and Dutch designer clothes, from Betty Jackson’s red-and-black-striped miniskirt ($240) with a self-sash to be draped in decorative ways to silk square scarfs for neck or pocket ($12). Most unusual are silk jackets ($546) by two Dutch artists whose company is named People of the Labyrinth. These one-of-a-kind garments, lined with fake fur, may be worn with coordinated leggings ($97). The shop’s second floor has men’s fashions.

De Papeterie (No. 39-41) is a stationery store with attractive notebooks (75 cents and up), note paper in flower-covered folders ($4.50), Crayola-shaped pencil cases filled with school supplies ($5) and well-designed file card boxes ($9.75), as well as date books in Dutch ($7 and up).

Gold-Plated Scissors

J. A. Henckels (No. 43) sells fine cutlery, scissors and personal accessories. Gold-plated sewing scissors shaped like flying cranes (set of two plus thimble costs $52; single crane scissors are $7.50), personal cutlery sets with knife, fork and spoon in an attractive case ($12), and pocket flasks shaped like miniature gas tanks ($16) can be given as gifts. There are also modernistic letter opener/scissors sets ($8 to $15).

Mulberry Company (No. 46), an English outlet, makes quality leather goods and handsome country-club clothing. One specialty is the wide variety of leather accessories in which calfskin has been stamped to resemble ostrich, crocodile, alligator, snake and other exotic leathers. It’s almost impossible to distinguish these beautiful “fakes” from real exotic leathers, the sale of which is prohibited by Dutch law.

You’ll find ostrich day planners for $200 and crocodile agendas for $128. The belts, handmade from strips of leather ($116 for one-inch width; $124 for three-inch width) are beautiful. Hand-knit sweaters with tapestry-like floral patterns cost about $388, and men’s or women’s wool tweed jackets average $274.

Licht & Wonen (No. 47) has home accessories, including kitchen gadgets and dining-room finery. Iittala glassware and Arabia ceramics are featured, along with well-designed Danish spatulas, whisks, bottle openers (about $10 each) and silverware. The shop also has hand-carved wooden puzzles that are works of art. The most elaborate of these looks like an abstract “Jack and The Beanstalk” ($66). Less complex are three charming, hovering penguins ($18).

A Hunting Theme

Parallax (No. 48), an elegant French haberdasher, makes clothing with a hunting theme. Casual jackets cost about $340 and sweaters average $160. Socks, embroidered with deer, ducks and dogs, cost $20 a pair.

Gerlach & Buiter (No. 50) has beautifully designed and well-constructed men’s clothes made in Italy. Included are U-Boat’s rubber coat with leather trim ($352) and Simultaneous’ brushed-wool knit sweaters embroidered with black on black ($364). There are Comedia’s handmade shoes, including dressy oxfords ($214) in black or green, casual oxfords ($214) in black with silver lace hooks and black or brown mid-calf boots ($234).

Cool Cat (No. 60), a Dutch company, makes and sells its own lines of casual men’s clothes, with army, navy and pilot themes, complete with badges. Pure cotton shirts are made in a multitude of stripes and solid colors and cost $25 to $40. Sweatshirts with attractive drawings or catchy slogans are $13 to $48. Baggy pants ($40), code-named “Buddy” and gathered at the waist, have matching jackets ($59) in gray, beige and more exotic colors. Sporty rainproof Windbreakers with leather trim and hoods cost $132. Several women’s styles include waist-length black leather jackets ($97) that zip up the front, and zip-front miniskirts ($15) and leggings ($10).

Reflections (No. 66) and Reflections Casuals (No. 77) are multi-label boutiques representing Yohji Yamamoto, Alaia, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Comme des Garcons, Thierry Mugler, Christian Lacroix, Montana, Lolita Lapicka, Romeo Gigli and other top designers. For women’s suits or similar outfits, prices begin at about $584, and men’s suits cost about $470 and up.

Range of Porcelain

Focke & Meltzer (No. 65-67) is a fine retailer of famous-maker Dutch porcelain, including Delft and Makkum. This shop sells expensive porcelain pitchers, sets of dishes and serving bowls to gift items, including lovely hand-painted tiles ($15) with pictures of Dutch landscapes or country life, and attractive blue and white Delft pendants ($20).

Blau’s (No. 68) features its own line of shirts and blouses for men and women in an assortment of floral prints and polka dots or solid colors or stripes. Men’s shirts cost $53 to $68, women’s blouses with puffed sleeves are $68 to $77. Also coordinated scarfs and shawls for women and ties for men.

Paula’s (No. 73) belongs to Armin Heinemann, a German designer who lives and works in Ibiza. Flowing clothes are made of vividly colored, flowery silk fabrics designed by Heinemann. Use full ($154) or straight ($134) skirts, pants ($130), blouses ($90), jackets ($528 and dresses ($388) to create individualized outfits. Top them off with spectacular hats ($176).

Dr. Adam’s (No. 90) shoe salon sells its own label. Women’s high-heel suede pumps ($97) are flattering, offer firm support and sell in fashionable colors. One-inch-high leather pumps ($97) have attractive and modish high arches. Patent flats have elastic or lace trim ($34) and leather flats have saw-tooth edges ($78). Men’s oxfords cost $88 and thick-soled casual shoes are $78. The shop also carries French and Italian designer shoes at higher prices.

Belgian Designer

Vivalei (No. 94) has women’s suits (about $572 and up) by Ann Demeulemeester, a Belgian designer. Blouses include one with eyes around the buttonholes ($168) and one with white-on-black alphabet graphics ($136). There are mix-and-match cotton and wool jersey skirts; tops, slacks and cummerbunds ($19 to $111) in coral, black, brown and chartreuse; coral nubbly turtleneck sweaters ($136) and long gray tubular skirts gathered at the hem ($131). The shop’s shoes are $65 and up.

Speel Goed’s (No. 95) toys include fabric murals with trees and animals to be attached by Velcro ($79), plastic piggy banks in orange, yellow and other un-piglike colors ($1), handmade wooden pull trains with intricate details ($86), nontoxic wide-body Crayolas ($2.50) and colored pencil sets ($5), plus lots of illustrated children’s books in Dutch.

Jacques d’Ariege (No. 98 and No. 142), the street’s most exclusive men’s shop, has avant-garde and traditional styles, including silk tuxedo jackets shaped like bomber jackets ($388) and deep gray, three-button cashmere coats ($486) with silver zippers that decorate the edge of the collar and coat front. There are sweaters with gathered yokes ($175) and elegant business suits ($372 and up). Chain-mail belts cost $111.

Italian Leather Goods

Zumpolle (No. 103) has its own line of Italian-made leather goods, including handbags, portfolios, briefcases and luggage. Zumpolle specializes in making calf look like exotic leathers. A black crocodile handbag costs about $224. Pouch bags made of strips of woven leather are decorated with strips of snakeskin in squiggly shapes ($74). Genuine snakeskin (the only exotic leather that may be sold in Holland) bags cost $130. The shop’s briefcases are fabulous to look at and functional. One model folds out in three parts so that it can be spread over a table and used as a desk set ($292).

AB Donkers (No. 108) makes and sells shoes styled for the young or young at heart. The hand-woven leather oxford ($90) comes in black and brown, while suede oxfords ($78) are offered in many colors. Leather oxfords with rubber soles ($65) are in yellow, pink, green, blue and other colors. There are multicolored suede ankle boots ($83) and suede pumps ($77) in 10 colors, including bright red and maroon. Suede flats ($77) are made with multicolored suede flowers or bows at the toes. Men’s styles, mostly oxfords and loafers, cost $90 and up.

Prices quoted in this article reflect tax rebates and currency exchange rates at the time of writing .