Stockholm Shopping - SoFo

 

It all started with a few coffee shops around Nytorget (no – not the Dutch ones…) and Tjallamalla and then it started to grow to become one of the hottest shopping districts in northern Europe. Sofo stands for South of Folkungatan, which is one of the main streets at Södermalm.

 

With more and more coffeeshops, restaurants, interior design shops and independent clothes shops opening all the time Sofo has become one of the best districts for shopping in Stockholm. The atmosphere with some narrow streets makes it more continental then you normally feel elsewhere in Stockholm.

Most of the shops around Sofo have this very distinct feeling; they feel a bit like second hand shops; a bit bohemian and charming in a 50s retro kind of way. It is all very cosy though and with a very familiar and friendly atmosphere when you get into the shops. If you come as a foreigner you might be surprised by the way the shop assistants behave. They quite often own the shops and are very chummy with people coming in and that definitely seems more important then selling sometimes. This is not an area where you rush around to do your shopping – save that for the city.  

Tjallamalla was the start of what has now become Sofo. It is hard not to get overwhelmed by the magnitude of labels and clothes that you find when entering the shop. A lot of designers have the possibility of selling their clothes on commission here and that is why you find so many new and exciting designers here. These new designers are mixed with more well known labels though and you are sure to find something interesting here.  

Next to Tjallamalla you will find a shop with quite a different atmosphere and that is the one for Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair that opened here slightly more then a year ago. Like the clothes the shop is clean, modern and contemporary. Since the showroom and office is next door the possibility of bumping into one of the two designers is quite high and they are always up for a friendly chat. The shop is rather small but an enlargement is about to be done.

It is not an endless stream of shops in Sofo, but they are clustered in smaller groups in different places, though only two or three blocks away from each other. The part of Bondegatan where you find Tjallamalla, Lollapalooza, Repris and Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair is one of these clusters. Another one is found on Södermannagatan a few blocks away. Here you will find the excellent shop Grandpa (one of few shops selling Aussiebum in Sweden) with a great selection of clothes, shoes, accessories and quite a few other things. Next door to Grandpa you will find Guidelines where you not only find some great street wear but also a very kitschy Hello Kitty department in the back of this tiny little shop.  

Other great shops to find around the area are Le Shop, B Famous, Boutique Sportif (street wear), Beyond Retro (vintage), sneakersnstuff (sneakers/street wear), Twist & Tango, Påkläderiet (vintage) and Vintage & Denim. Except for all these great clothes shops you will also find a lot of shops filled with fun and kitschy stuff – how about a plastic flamingo for about €50.  

The shop owners and restaurateurs in Sofo are constantly working to improve the area and improve that specific cosy feeling. One of the recurring events is “Sofo nights” when all the shops are open until 9pm. These nights occur the last Thursday of every month.