The Turkish word for “pocket” is cep. Maxi dress in turkish is “maxi dress”. I learned these things during May 2022, when I spent a month in Istanbul, Turkey, with my husband.
Istanbul is an amazing city. Huge and diverse.
Part of the city is located in Europe and the other part in Asia. It is Muslim and traditional but secular with more than 15,000,000 people living there. This city’s unique DNA is shown by its approach to fashion. You can find all types and sorts of clothes there: from long, black abayas to crop tops.
What is hard to come by, as usual, are maxi dresses with pockets. During my month there, I’ve collected a few first-hand recommendations on where to find maxi dresses with pockets, along with other unique fashion items.
Since the city is so big, my recommendations are focused on the Beyoğlu district, in the European part of the city. It has both tourists and locals with locations like Galata tower, Taksim square, and a port.
Some places ship worldwide, so if you are not traveling to Istanbul yet but want a taste of the unique local fashion – you can get it.
The places are sorted by price range: cheap, medium, and expensive.
Cheap is when you can find good things under $50, medium is $100-$150, and expensive – is above that.
Nakishe
The first place I came by was Nakishe. This unique fashion boutique is located between the apartment we stayed in, to the cafe we worked from. I passed by their beautiful window every day, and boy was it a sight.
First, there is style. The dresses are not regular western dresses. They are more like robes, kaftans, or kimono dresses. All dresses are made by hand. Some of the dresses have paintings, others have embroideries on them. They are made from soft materials I enjoyed touching: either cotton, bled of cotton and viscose, or silk.
The prices are high. When I visited I saw pieces in 2,400-2,600 Turkish Lira, but I didn’t go over all the prices, but it may change due to inflation.
Not all dresses are maxi and not all of them have pockets, but it’s super easy to find maxi dresses with pockets in this store.
another thing worth mentioning is that they don’t have only dresses. They also sell carpets and ceramics made by hand.
Price rate: Medium-expensice
Worldwide Shipping: Yes
Address: Hacımimi mah, Boğazkesen Cd. no:27/2, 34425 Beyoğlu/İstanbul
Markastore
Markastore is great for people who want unique Turkish dresses at more affordable prices. The place is not cheap but certainly doesn’t cost like the boutiques.
In Markastore you can find loose dresses and kimonos. About half of them have pockets. The clothes are made in Turkey. When I spoke with the owner he mentioned Bursa and Izmirthose dresses are being made. The fabrics are light and Breathable, the patterns are colorful and the pockets are deep.
Other than maxi dresses, they also sell scarves and ponchos.
Price rate: Medium. A few hundred Turkish Liras a dress.
Address: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Mumhane Cd. No:9, 34425 Beyoğlu/İstanbul
Mehtap Elaidi
Mehtap Elaidi is a Turkish designer. If the previous dresses shown here were too colorful, hers are calmer. Their color tones are more relaxed, some have only one color. The fabrics she uses are breathable, with many cotton pieces.
Her store is located in the most beautiful location I’ve seen for a store: in a place that used to be a passengers’ station, and it has a wide sea view.
And yes, this dress I embedded from Instagram does have pockets. I personally checked.
Price rate: Expensive. Some thousand Turkish Lira a piece.
Worldwide Shipping: Yes
Address: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Mumhane Cd. No:47 D:G, 34425 Beyoğlu/İstanbul
Koton
In the previous listings, I recommended boutiques and unique stores. Koton is a fashion brand quite commonly found in Istanbul.
This store is more inclusive regarding what can be found there, and pricing. The new arrivals cost a few hundred Turkish Liras. When translating it to dollars, you can easily find a newly arrived dress at under $50.
You can also find =thereclothing for children and men, and accessories.
Despite its name, you won’t find only cotton cloths on Koton, but also polyester.
Unfortunately, maxi dresses with pockets are hard to come by there, and I found mainly midi dresses without pockets, but when you are short like me, a tall gir’s midi dress can totally be your maxi dress.
Still, I write about them due to two main reasons:
- I wanted to bring more affordable options.
- I was told they sometimes have maxi dresses with pockets.
Price rate: Cheap.
Address: there are dozens of Koton stores in Istanbul. Just google “Koton near me”
Gizia
Another fashion brand you can find quite easily is Gizia. They have a store in Istiklal street, but they also have an online store!
I didn’t make it to the store though recommended, instead I checked their online store. The number of pieces available there is stunning. Most certainly it’s impressive for a brand that has physical stores and not only online ones. The cloths are stunning and would suite multiple styles. They have more calm pieces and more funky, classy and creative.
Price rate: Medium-expensive
Worldwide Shipping: Yes
Address: İstiklal Cad. No:56-58/23 Grandpera AVM,Hüseyin Ağa Mah. / Beyoğlu
Or go online (this is not an affiliate link)
Where can I find cheap maxi dresses with pockets in Istanbul?
Most of my recommendations here are priced at medium or expensive. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go over all the stores in Beyoğlu in search for my desired maxi dresses with pockets. I want to recommend some places where you should look for cheap maxi dresses with pockets:
Istiklata Street
Istiklal (literally means independence) is a very touristic street, and the things to do, eat, shop and see there are accordingly.
It is a very touristic area, and if you visit there, you may see the Gizia and Koton stores. But of course, there are plenty more stores. on the street, you will find plenty of stores and even a shopping mall.
The streets near Galata tower
Galata tower was built by the Genoese(!) in 1348, and has been there eversince. There are plenty of stores, including clothing stores, around that tower.
The area also has one of the most Instgrammable streets in the world: Büyük Hendek Cd., a narrow street with stone floor that ends at the tower.
Final thoughts
Istanbul is one of the cheapest places in the world to find good, quality, and beautiful clothes. This is due to the combination of a shaky economy along with great fashion tradition, and a developed fabrics industry.
Even the brands I marked as expensive – are not very expensive in global terms. All these things make Istanbul a great destination for shopping lovers. Enjoy!
