Top 6 Shopping Heavens In Korea Every Fashion-Forward Hijabster Needs To Visit

Here's a little perk to start you off on your Korean shopping adventure: AirAsia's got some pretty sweet deals on offer right now! Cheap flights can only mean one thing: more money for shopping! Check out the section at the end of this story for more info on the flight promo.

Location: Myeongdong, Seoul

If you swear by beauty brands like Etude House, TheFaceShop, and Skinfood, welcome to the motherland! No other place celebrates cosmetics better than Myeongdong, and an innocent stroll along the street is likely to end with giant bags of BB creams, green tea pore powders, and ginseng face masks.

You can get most of the cosmetics here up to 50% cheaper price than at their Malaysian branches. Buy-1-free-1 promotions and major discounts are a common thing at the stores as well, and at some places you'll get a free facial mask just for walking through the doors!

If you need to fuel up after the sprees, let the heavenly scents from Myeongdong Street Market food stalls guide you through a simple yet satisfying culinary adventure. While not certified halal, there are a lot of vegetable, fruit, and seafood-based treats to try! Look out for the famous Steamed Egg Muffin and Milky Bee's almost too-pretty-too-eat rose ice creams. Almost.

Location: 21 Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Prep your bargaining skills because you're about to land some incredible deals on gorgeous scarves and shawls! Your decision-making skills are about to be put to the ultimate test too, as the prettily-printed scarves are reasonably-priced from about 5,000 to 10,000 won (approximately RM17 to RM35). Picking just one (or 20) is not gonna be easy.

If you think the hijab heaven ends there, think again. There are also numerous shops selling all kinds of scarf accessories! Take a deep breath and brave the glittering stores to find the brooches you're looking for.

Location: 88, Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

For an authentically traditional take on fashion, getting to know the demure hanbok is a must! Gwangjang Market is just the place for it, famed for its never-ending rows of hanbok fabric stores on the first and second floor.

Get to know the friendly tailors, look through their dizzying array of fabrics and custom-make a hanbok according to your taste. A full set generally starts from 150,000 won (approximately RM517), depending on the fabric and elaborateness of the embroidery selected.

Conveniently enough, there's a prayer room provided nearby the market too! Head to the Korean Tourism Organization building, a short 200-metre walk away from Exit 5 of the Jonggak station.

Location: Yeon-dong Shopping District, Jeju-si, Jeju-do

If you're looking for unique, one-off pieces, then head to Yeon-dong Shopping District. Spend the day traipsing from one kitschy indie boutique to another, and trying out the latest in Korean fashion.

It's a great place to pick up some quirky souvenirs too, thanks to the artsy-fartsy craft shops in the area.

When the hunger pangs start to hit, head to Yeon-Dong's Hwanggane Restaurant for a comforting bowl of haemul ttukbaegi (rich and flavourful seafood soup served in its iconic earthernware bowl). The restaurant gets its Muslim-friendly tag by being pork-free and serving only seafood. For something a little extra special, treat yourself to their specialty dish: multi-coloured abalone served on a piping hot bed of rice.

Location: Euljiro 6(yuk)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul

Imagine an alley that goes on and on... and is filled to the brim with shoes, shoes, and more shoes! You can never have too many shoes, after all ;) Here's a little tour of what you can expect at Dongdaemun Shoe Market:

If you're looking for a prayer pit-stop, the Seoul Central Mosque is a convenient 10-minute subway ride away from the market. Get on Line 4 at Dongdaemun Station and alight at Sookmyung Women's University Station.

Location: 74, Cheongpa-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Whichever type of electronic you're looking for, chances are you'll find it at the Yongsan Electronics Market.

You’ll be served with an assortment of cameras and MP3 players on the third floor, laptops and computers on the fifth, and everything to do with mobile phones are on the eighth floor. Yongsan Electronics Market is a hit amongst tourists and locals as its prices are generally up to 30% lower than general retail stores.

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