Stores along Gstaad's main shopping street, Hauptstrasse, seem more upscale, more lavish, and more aggressively tuned to the big-city affluence of Paris, London, and Munich than in virtually any other ski resort in Switzerland. Most of the shops that sell sporting goods in Gstaad inventory other sorts of casual and formal clothing as well, allowing buyers one-stop shopping for the layered look that keeps you warmer on the slopes. Two worthy outlets are Brand, Palace Strasse (tel. 033/744-17-75; www.brandsport.ch); and HermenJat, Hauptstrasse (tel. 033/744-15-47; www.hermenjat-gstaad.com). If you want to check out the kinds of jewelry bought by the resort's most glamorous clients, consider a visit to Villiger, Promenade (tel. 033/744-11-22). Barring that, you can always visit any of the aggressively upscale, relentlessly chic luxury boutiques in the Palace Hotel.
Von Siebenthal, Promenade (tel. 033/744-12-81), is a three-story housewares emporium filled with high-performance Swiss-made gadgets, ranging from wooden molds for making anise cookies to fondue sets.
Pernet, Promenade (tel. 033/748-70-68), is to Gstaad what Fauchon is to Paris. Even the designer Valentino, when not in Rome, might be seen shopping here among truffle pâté, smoked salmon, grappa, and more than two dozen different cooking oils. The best bookstore for reading on a cold alpine night is Buchhandlung, Lauenenstrasse (tel. 033/744-39-90).
