3 stylish shopping tips for fashionistas who visit the Medina in Tunis

Tunis travel tips Medina Shopping tips Medina Babouches fashionistatravel travel in style

If there is only one thing you buy in the Tunis Medina, make it a pair of babouches.

The super soft leather slippers are comfy, stylish and super hip. There is a huge range of leather qualities, colours and soles and –  depending on your wallet – there is the right pair for everyone in the labyrinth of the Medina.
However, babouches are not the only souvenir fashionistas should be on the lookout for. Here are three shopping tips that are my personal favourites for everyone looking for a stylish gift or hip addition to their own wardrobe.

Tradition revisited – Hipster style: the Chechia

Tunis travel tips Fathi Blaich high quality Chechias in the Medina fashionistatravel travel in style
Fathi Blaich the best high-quality Chechias in the Medina of Tunis

Besides babouches, another typical accessory of the older generation has become a favourite of today
s hipsters. The traditional headwear called chechia has been rediscovered and can now be found on the heads of Tunisian fashionistas and fashionistos. The pillbox-like design of the hand-felted cap transforms me into what I think is a bit of a Jackie O. lookalike. Great with a pair of jeans, leather jackets of mini dresses.

The best quality can be found at Fathi Blaich, who inherited his shop from his father. Make sure you ask him to explain the really complex details of the production process to you, which he is more than happy to do. A picture of a fez (the slightly higher and harder Morrocan version of the hat) from his workshop can even be found in the picture library of the British Museum in London. 
There are chechias in all colours of the rainbow, the cost between 6 and 30 Euro depending on the quality of the felt. My personal choice of a chechia is off-white and made from a super soft wool. Fathi Blaich folds my cap and roles it into a paper strip with his logo. It’s waiting for its debut next autum. 
But the minute I leave the Medina I know I should have bought a lot more of them.

 Fathi Blaich 4 Grand Souk Chechias • Medina de Tunis • 1008 Tunis

Nokta – Design meets Kunsthandwerk

Tunis travel tips Nokta artisanal design in the Medina fashionistatravel travel in style
Nokta design handmade in Tunisia

A cool version of handcrafted Tunisian products can be found at Nokta. Leather slippers, bags and interior design goods in a hidden house a few streets away from the centre of the Medina. Limited editions with lovely details make every fashionista’s heart beat higher. 
I’m sure there is a something to find there for everyone. 

Fondouk El Attarine 9 bis • Souk el Attarine • Tunis Medina http://www.fondoukelattarine.com/

http://noktaproduction.com 42 bis rue du Pacha • la Médina • Tunis

 

More than Lunch – at the Fondouk el Attarine

Tunis travel tips Fondouk el Attarine Medina fashionistatravel travel in style

 

Fondouk el Attarine – an oasis of great food and great shops in the heart of the Medina

Lunch at the Fondouk el Attarine is about food, but it’s also about shopping. The restaurant is located in a gorgeous patio within the Medina with seating on two floors. While enjoying the excellent Arabian and Mediterranean dishes like grilled vegetables, humus and super fresh fish you are surrounded by exquisite shops that make it hard to concentrate on the food. And whether it’s before or afterwards, do make sure you find enough time to roam the shops on both floors. 
My personal recommendation are the lovely perfumes. 

Fondouk El Attarine 9 bis • Souk el Attarine • Tunis Medina http://www.fondoukelattarine.com/

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