This is another stop I had to make every time I am in HK. This place used to be caulk full of…read morevendors and little stores fill with anything video games. Since my last visit here 4 years ago, much of the stores have been closed. Many of the stores now have been taken over by phone, computers or even food stalls. I even saw one of stores were now an adult toy store, which is a very weird place to be. There are still plenty of choices to chose from, there were many businesses that have switch over to toys as well. I am both a toy and video game geek, so I was very happy. Unlike some of the other specialize areas of shopping in HK, like the computer shopping area has buildings and blocks having the same stuff. The Oriental 188 is very isolated, they do have one building fill with games and stuff, but nothing surrounding it. So if you are looking for a game hunting adventure that would last ALL day, you may be slightly disappointed. If not, fantastic place to go to.

BEWARE OF SCAM PHONE REPAIR HERE: IMPRESSION DIGITAL…read more They stole my phone! I dropped off a $1,000 Note 8 phone and they kept it! I went to get it the next day as they were to fix the glass and they were closed. They stayed closed for 2 days until they knew I was leaving Hong Kong. They STILL have my phone TWO months later and refuse to mail it to me, they laughed and said I should fly back to Hong Kong to get it as they were not spending money to ship phones. I even gave them my credit card number so I would pay for it -- and they have every excuse not to send it. Lamp Pui is the owner and she is impossible to deal with. She plays games, like blocking me from WhatsApp, not answering her phone or playing games on email. I just got the police involved and hope she gets arrested. DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING TO IMPRESSION DIGITAL AND LAMP PUI. (BTW: They didn't even fix the glass as the owner LAMP PUI claimed she "didn't know how to fix it.") BEWARE!

Located on Leighton Road, this huge Jack Wills is well away from the hustle and bustle of Causeway…read moreBay. Its exterior, with the large shop windows and signature gold lettering, is recognizable from about a mile away. This outlet is the first and the biggest outlet in HK. Because of its size, it's really well stocked - you'll be able to find a good range of summer dresses, formal wear and accessories here. I love how spacious the store is - there's plenty of walking space and unlike many stores in HK where everything is so packed you just feel claustrophobic, this particular Jack Wills has the luxury of space and is very nicely laid out. Upon stepping into Jack Wills from its main entrance (there's another entrance that is closer to Times Square), you will notice that there are two floors and from there you can either walk up or down. The female section and accessories used to be on the higher floor, but a couple of months back they flipped it and now it's on the lower floor. I guess because there's slightly more floor space downstairs? I'm not sure. The style at Jack Wills needs no introduction - it's more geared at the younger (and richer - the stuff here isn't cheap!) population. It's really collegiate-y and very preppy. If you're into more Asian fashion and are inspired by Japanese and Korean look books, this probably is not what you're looking for. I kind of regard Jack Wills as a British Abercrombie & Fitch, and as with A&F, the prices here can run quite high. The plainest of t-shirts are at least $180 and you can expect to pay upwards of $600 for one of their iconic summer dresses. To be fair, the cutting of their dresses is extremely flattering and they come in all sorts of prints and colors, but I honestly don't think they're worth the price. Jack Wills has one of the coolest changing rooms I've ever seen - it didn't use to be this way when females' was still on the floor above, but ever since its relocation, the changing rooms are actual bedrooms, complete with Jack Will's signature pink and navy wallpaper and a bed! The last time I used their changing rooms was back in I think April, so I don't know if that's still how it is, but I was certainly shocked when I was led into a bedroom when I asked to try something on! Overall, Jack Wills is a nice place to do some window shopping. It's spacious, the staff are polite but not pushy and it never gets crowded. The prices run pretty high so other than a pair of shorts I've never actually bought anything here, but I'll still come by if I'm in the area just to take a quick look.

This shop can't go unnoticed if you get to the 7th floor of Hysan Place. Even if you're tired of…read moreseeing shoes, some of their pairs on the window will definitely catch your attention. Whether you like their style or not, it's fun to have a look inside. For me, I have mixed feelings: I did love some models and thought some other were a little ridiculous, so much that I wouldn't wear them, I thought. Their collections include high heels, flats, sandals and sports shoes. Two pairs made me start thinking of an excuse to get them...a pair of colorful sandals with a bit of a platform and blue leather strips up to the ankle (that were on sale), and some sneakers with details in pink, green and purple of the lift-up type (heel embedded in sole). These were more expensive than the sandals though. I didn't find prices very high considering that they use high quality materials (leather and suede) and they claim to have their shoes handcrafted. I wasn't so keen on their flats, however I cannot deny their personality; in fact some of them are really original, with some messages on the front part of the shoe. They seemed to be quite random though: "seat belt", "stop", "go". Definitely I wouldn't find those same ones anywhere else. They probably are best fit for casual wear, even their high heels, given their colors and patterns. I could also find a few very plain designed flats, but it's definitely not their symbol of identity of the brand.

Hong Kong is rightly famous for its street markets. It's a crowded marketplace (in more ways than…read moreone, and whatever pun you can think of is probably applicable), so each distinct market area seems to have a theme which sets it apart. Pottinger street for costumes and wigs, Wan Chai for toys, Lie Yeuen street for kids shoes and clothing, Stanley for touristy gifts, Ladies market for handbags, and the Night Market for phone cases and gadgets. This is not to say that there is no cross over, you can find bits of everything at all of them, but for me at least, these are the products that 'define' each market. Jardine's Crescent on the other hand is the place to go for clothes. T-shirts, bras, dresses and work out gear. The place is stocked with enough day glo and florescent colours to light a small city. Then there's the ribbon, lace and hair accessories. There's the odd handbag and shoe store, but you have to get all the way to the end of the street before you see a single phone cover! There are a number of permanent store fronts lining the street(behind the vendor stalls), and many of these are worth a look. My favourite is about half way down the street. Full of umbrellas, sunglasses, trinkets and small cheap toys that are perfect rewards for good little girls who have had a busy day and who mummy wants to keep entertained on the MTR ride home.

Jardine's Bazaar is often said to be the Ladies' Street of Causeway Bay. That's actually a pretty…read moreapt name, in my opinion. Just like Ladies' Street, Jardine's Bazaar sells things like souvenirs, socks, accessories etc. It is much smaller though, and the variety of things you can buy isn't as big. That being said, I do find Jardine's Bazaar to be a more pleasant place to shop in than Ladies' Street because it's sheltered, so you're shielded from the relentless heat from the sun! It's still a little stuffy though because the lanes are tiny. But along the way, there are little shops that you can go into as well (that are air-conditioned!) too, so being here on a hot summer day isn't too bad, I would say! Jardine's Bazaar is also pretty convenient to get to - just get out of exit F (Hysan Place) at the Causeway Bay MTR station and go across. If you're not a tourist, there's still reason to come here. This is a great place to buy inexpensive socks or tights, in my opinion, because there's a pretty decent variety and at much more affordable prices than you would find in a department store. There are two entrances to the Bazaar - one opposite exit F/Hysan Place and one at the Wanchai market. When you walk in from the entrance opposite Hysan, you'll see a small counter selling socks and leggings and the like, but walk further down ahead and you'll see more with lower prices! So a word of advice - don't buy everything at first sight. Lots of sellers have the same or similar things for different prices, so if you have the time and the patience, compare them before buying! Jardine Bazaar is extremely narrow though so it's kind of hard to move around when it's crowded. Avoid coming on a weekend because it'll be impossible to browse around properly!

I'm in the US, and I searched hard to find a jeweler in Hong Kong that could design a men's gold…read morering that matched one that had been purchased in HK several years ago but had been lost. The store where it had been purchased was not really helpful, as they were not providing pictures of what I was seeking. Plus there were communication difficulties as well. However, Ellis was terrific in every way!!! They took the few pictures I was able to provide and designed a ring that looked almost exactly like the one that had been lost. They provided a reasonable price estimate, and then, after the ring was finished, actually charged me less than the full estimate, as it weighed a little less than they had expected--i.e., they went above and beyond to be completely honest. They waited to ship, per my instructions, and then the ring was shipped promptly and arrived quickly, after some customs paperwork. The ring is gorgeous, exactly what was wanted! This company was helpful, talented, and honest--should be at the top of everyone's list!!! I wouldn't hesitate to buy there again, and I hope to get to the store sometime too as I'm sure it would be a great place to shop in person.

Hong Kong has a lot of jewellery stores. Like Jessie J, we love the bling bling over here. However,…read moreif you want to get away from the chain store monstrosities selling solid gold sculptures of winged horses riding waves, but don't want to go as contemporary cool as platinum "art" stones the size of tennis balls, you can get your jewellery custom made. And for that, I can recommend only one place - Ellis in Wan Chai. Ellis Jewellery, named after the owner Ellis - quite possibly the nicest man in HK, sells a great number of standard pieces, from engagement rings, chains and necklaces, charms, cufflinks, you get the idea! However, Ellis' real talent comes in custom crafting jewellery from your ideas. What I mean by this is, you can take Ellis a sketch for a piece of jewellery, and he will translate your cigarette packet doodle into a practical, long lasting pice of art. He will also do all of this for a very reasonable cost compared to the big boys. Where on Earth can one get a one off custom piece for less than the production models that come in 20,000 piece runs? Ellis, that's where! I find buying from Ellis very refreshing, especially his very honest and trustworthy approach. A lot of businesses will try to up-sell, but not Ellis. I wanted to buy an item in platinum, but was actually told to have the piece made in silver as the more malleable metal would have given the item a longer life. The silver was about one tenth of the cost of the platinum, and though he lost out on a huge payday, Ellis' advice was completely right. He is also completely upfront with timescales. If your design takes four days to make, it will take four days to make. Not two days then "so sorry, come back in two more days". This makes him a hit with the tourists who are passing through, as well as those of us who leave shopping for an anniversary just that little bit too late! So if you are thinking of getting down on one knee, or wanting to to get something for a loved one, I thoroughly recommend Ellis. Committing your design ideas to reality is hard enough, but with Ellis guiding you, you will not be disappointed. And nor will that special someone!

This is the larger of the two Line stores in HK. There's the main characters from Line on one side…read moreand the other is a section just for BT21. For BT21 there's a decent selection of merchandise to go through when considering what you'd like to buy. They've got plushies, cushions, phone holders, clothing like hoodies, winter hats, gloves, hand warmers (I had gone in February), backpacks, stationary, keychains to name a few things. Everything is on the pricey side but that's to be expected. The Line characters side of the store has an even greater selection of merchandise and goods available. There's also the huge character (Brown) that lots of people like to take photos with.

Cute shop! It's on the second floor of Hysan Place. Take pictures with some Line characters if…read moreyou're here. They're super cute!