I think most of us know of H&M, but not many from the states know of Monki. It's own by the same…read morecompany as H&M, but the style and quality of the clothes here are definitely a step up. I'd say Monki is a bit like Urban Outfitters. The clothes are trendy and it caters to people who want to be fashionable without spending a heap of money. This particular location was literally the size of a shoe box, so the selection was lacking compared to larger shops, but I was able to pick up a shirt and a bag. Both of which costs under $200 HKD!

I don't go to Mong Kok very often, but when I do, I try to squeeze in a trip to Monki at Langham…read morePlace. Monki is right next to H&M - and also, in my opinion, the worst H&M there is because it's permanently crowded and they never seem to turn up the air conditioning. So whenever I'm at Langham, I always give the H&M a miss and head straight for Monki. The clothes at Monki range from girly to things you can sort of create a goth look out of, making it a place where everyone can find something that they like. It's one of the few places I know with sizes XXS, so it's great for people who are a little on the smaller size. I've bought everything from nice dresses to basics here and I find that the quality of clothes here is not bad at all. The accessories section at Monki is worth checking out - they have some really cool jewelry like statement necklaces that go great when paired with solid tops. Their stuff doesn't look cheap either. Last year, they were doing a sale on their tote bags, and I was out shopping with a friend from Singapore and she bought 2 back. They were only around $50 each, if I'm not wrong, the designs were cute and the cloth seemed pretty solid and durable. The changing rooms at Monki are really cool - they're filled with mirrors on each side, so looking straight into any one is nothing short of a real life optical illusion! I do wish Monki would have more sales though - usually, they just have one section of stuff on sale and some accessories too. I've never been to Monki and seen that they're having a huge sale. Hopefully, that will change the next time that I am there!

Books. Books. And more books…read more Sometimes when I want to buy books, I would just go online (like the BookDepos*tory, etc) as that is very convenient and often at cheaper price. Yet, when there are books that I cannot wait to put my hands on, I simply have to go to a bookstore and get that right away. Commercial... Popular... Page One... Metro... there are quite a few chained bookstores in Hong Kong. Therefore I was rather surprised to see a new one opening in Hong Kong. At the heart of Mong Kok, { prologue } bookstore is located on the fourth floor inside the renovated The Grand Century Place. { Prologue } Bookstore first started in Singapore in 2009 and it has gained quite a positive reputation. Finally last year it has decided to come to Hong Kong. Its walls are filled with interesting totems and definitely "scream" bookstore right away. The variety of books is rather impressive with the latest English books, graphic novels and magazines. Also they sell nice stationery and gadgets. And the best part is when you are hungry after reading for hours, they have Epilogue Café inside where you can sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee while continuing on turning the pages. I especially love that it is located inside this mall as it is currently undergoing renovation and the number of people here is quite scarce, which provides a perfect environment for everyone to read at a tranquil and relaxing state of mind.

Great vintage shop that's a stone's throw away from PMQ, making it a great stop if you're looking…read morefor a shop that's a little less pretentious! The center of the shop focuses on handmade jewelry that is new, but vintage in style. The prices are very affordable, too! It appears most of the jewelry is supplied by Hermoso, a local brand here that does a lot of handmade jewelry using gold tones and inspired by vintage elements. Other vintage finds include sun glasses, hats, and purses. They also have a decent vinyl collection. I walked away with a pair of handmade earrings and a simple, gold ring. Would gladly come back to buy more!

Love love love love love this store…read more Great little vintage knick knacks and jewelry. All for great prices. I walked out with an amazing metal feather bangle and crystal earrings for $200 HKD (roughly $25 USD). Can't get that back in the States. P.S. The non-Chinese owner speaks fluent Cantonese. Better than me!

We saw that there was an art installation of Grand So at this store, so we wandered to OVO and…read morecheck it out. This review is based on our experience at OVO Studio. Although it took us asking some questions of the nice staff person, we figured out the OVO brand in Hong Kong. So under the OVO umbrella, there is 1) OVO Home (modern, high end, custom made, oriental based furniture - located at 16 Queen's Road) 2) OVO Garden (floral design - located at 1 Wanchai Road) 3) OVO Cafe (vegetarian cuisine and coffee cafe - located at 1 Wanchai Road and also at 173 Des Voeux Road Central) 4) OVO W Hotels (OVO has a partnership with and operates the gift shop at the W Hotel in Hong Kong) 5) OVO Studio (some furniture, lighting, art, jewelry, pillows, gift ideas, etc. - located at 1 Wanchai Road OVO Studio carries a variety of simple chic and cutting edge contemporary collections designed for home or gifts. We thought this store was amazing, current, up to date and was up our alley on all things home decor, contemporary and cool. From hand made throw pillows of the animals of the zodiac to unique jewelry to funky cake plates and urban lighting and fun furniture....they have two floors of all sorts of fun things for the home. They also had an exhibition of the local artist Grand So, which we thought was a cool use of the space to add to their product line. The building where OVO is located was once a local market, so we enjoyed showing patronage to any company that embraced urban renewal and reuse of an old building.