Ask Belle: DC-Area Boutiques
May 30, 2013
Hi Belle,
I stumbled upon your blog tonight and I can already tell it’s going to be such a good resource for me.
I do have a question – do you recommend any local boutiques in the DC area? I have browsed through some of the ones in Georgetown but I’m sure there are other great local boutiques that I have yet to discover.
Thanks so much! Cassie
I don’t do a lot of brick-and-mortar shopping. I find that I can almost alway find what I’m looking for online, and with Ebates and a free shipping code, I earn cash back and don’t pay for delivery. So if I’m shopping somewhere in person, it’s because I plan to splurge on something that I need to see in person before I sign away that much money.
For higher-end, modern fashions (3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, Balenciaga), I like to hit Muleh on 14th or Relish in Cady’s Alley (Muleh also has great sales). For nice work attire, I like Betsy Fisher. It’s not cheap, but I’ve found two nice dresses there that I’ve gotten a lot of wear out of, so I don’t feel like it was money wasted.
For less expensive items, Nana’s clothing is a little relaxed for me, but I like their jewelry pieces a lot. Redeem always has cool pieces. I’ve found some cute things at Rue14. And if I happen to be in Bethesda, I always stop into Ginger.
D.C. also has a great selection of consignment shops. For every day attire, I like Secondi. And Inga’s in Palisades has amazing designer clothing at deep discounts off retail.
I’m sure my readers have a lot of great suggestions for DC-Va.-Md. boutiques that they love. Hopefully, they’ll leave their thoughts in the comments.
There are some great boutiques in Old Town Alexandria! In fact, there’s a even a trade association – Old Town Boutique District – that runs promotions, events (like Black Friday sales!), and generally supports independent boutiques in the city.
https://oldtownboutiquedistrict.com/
Some particular favorites:
Hysteria
https://www.shophysteria.com/
The Shoe Hive
https://oldtownboutiquedistrict.com/
Bloomers
https://shopbloomers.com/
Periwinkle
https://www.periwinkleshop.com/
I’ll second the Old Town comment, and throw in one of my favorites – The Little Monogram Shop. So good for gifts!
Ella Rue in Georgetown has awesome secondhand designer finds as well. Got myself an amazing pair of white Paige jeans for $40! The girls who run the boutique are really sweet as well.
If you ever want to venture to Fairfax (or Gainesville, VA), I recommend “Chic Envy Consignments.” High end designer labels at a discounted rate. Scored a great Chanel tote recently.
https://www.chicenvy.com/
My Favorites:
Gossip on 23rd in Chrystal City — https://www.gossipon23rd.com/
Current Boutique on 14th in D.C. as well as in Old Town Alexandria, Clarendon in Arlington, and Bethesda https://www.currentboutique.com/
I used to go to Current but have gotten burned twice on buying dresses (one new and one used) that had tears in them that weren’t obvious til I wore them the first time. Prefer consignment like Mint in Alexandria instead. The tastes there are a bit more grown up/work wear, which is best for me.
Violet in Adams Morgan.
Violet is the best boutique in DC! They have great accessories for cheap too!
Pretty people is amazing for jewelry and good finds. Some stuff is TOO vintage for me, but I found an adorable dress that I wear constantly in their contemporary section. in old town, by Annie Lee.
MINT CONDITION in Old Town! Lots of J.Crew, great dresses, good selection for work clothes!
Lettie Gooch on 16th has cute, non-work stuff. I also have had good look at Tari (secondhand/consignment) in Georgetown. If you like a preppy look/brand, I love Sherman Pickey in Georgetown. Nearby is Sassanova, which is great too – all three of those are basically in a row up Wisconsin, and worth the walk. Proper Topper in Dupont has a fun selection of yoana baraschi, nanette lepore, etc.
I’ll second Secondi, Current, Muleh and Hysteria (if only I got out that direction more often)!
Lettie Gooch is a good one and some of their dresses work well for me for work. There’s a new consignment shop in Woodley Park called Via Gypset that I stopped into last week. Good mix of vintage, consignment and new. More weekend wear than work attire.