Bến Thành Night Market Style

One of the most popular places to visit for shopping and experiencing Vietnamese culture through its food and goods is Chợ Bến Thành (Ben Thanh Market), a large marketplace located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. I explored the night market before getting to experience Chợ Bến Thành during the day. In both the regular day and night market, you can find all things souvenirs, clothing, accessories, handbags, shoes, food & beverages, produce; need I say more? The day market however will offer much more textiles and fabrics galore for the crafty people out there, or if you're looking for materials for custom clothing which you can have made in the city.
Shoppers and visitors beware that nearly the moment you step into Chợ Bến Thành, you will be bombarded by hawkers to try to aggressively sell you something, whether it's a drink or a t-shirt. Don't feel overwhelmed, just say 'no thanks!'; and move on, unless of course, you want to check out what they have to offer; this goes the same for the night market and any tourist area where locals will come up to you and sometimes follow you to try to get you to cave in and purchase something! I knew that I wanted a coconut when I visited the night market, and the man was selling coconuts for 20,000 VND each (≈$1 USD), but there are locals on the street selling for 8,000 VND, therefore always negotiate; I ended up getting the coconut for 10,000 VND. Here's what I wore to the night market:

Turquoise Triangle Earrings, Serene Sky
Aqua Button Down, Old Navy
Sheila Crossbody in Totally Rad, LeSportsac
Gold Braided Circle Bracelet, Serene Sky
Maxi Skirt, Michael Stars
Palma Sandal, MIA

Chợ Bến Thành
Lê Lợi, Bến Thành, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
+84 8 3829 2096

I leave you with my top 5 tips on navigating Chợ Bến Thành and their night market:
1. No Valuables
Don't wear anything fancy/flashy like fine jewelry or watches, and don't get distracted on cool gadgets like smart phones and cameras, you don't want to attract the wrong people to you and possibly get robbed (which was my family's biggest concern for me)
2. Bags to Front & Close to Body
Keep handbags, backpacks, & bags to the front of your body to keep from being snatched or pick-pocketed (so don't put valuables in your pockets). I stay away from bringing a backpack to crowded places like the market; it's just too much of a hassle to hold my backpack to the front; hence my favorite Sheila Crossbody from LeSportsac that I wore everywhere.
3. Negotiate Prices
Always negotiate. The rule of thumb at these marketplaces is negotiate to 70% lower than their initial asking price. No, you're not low-balling them; walk away if you're unhappy with the price and they'll find some way to give you a better price. Don't ask for a discount; just give them a number.
4. Come Hungry
This is a great place to try Vietnamese food, there's a wide variety. Like the other vendors, the food vendors will also holler at you to try their food. Don't forget to bring tissues/napkins and hand sanitizer. Almost every restaurant or food stop I ate at did not have napkins (especially in the restrooms...NO toilet paper); however some food stands offer wet napkins which they charge you a small fee to use.
5.Take Your Time
There's a plethora of vendors to shop throughout a myriad of little pathways and big hallways filled with goodies and things. Just don't purchase the first thing you see, you'll most likely find more while perusing the market, so shop around. Personally, I like to shop at the stalls that don't have clerks hawking at you.