Can one country be so different that you feel like you’re in a foreign land after a 2 hour flight? That was my first thought upon arriving in New Orleans in late December. It reminded me of San Juan, something other friends have pointed out before. Must be the palm trees and the weather and the joie de vivre the locals possess. I went to New Orleans for the first time for New Year’s Eve. I was expecting the crazy partying, jazz, Creole/Cajun cuisine and French-influenced culture but what most struck me about was the local fashion, the abundance of local boutiques.
My friend Karina lives off Magazine Street, a long street filled with bars, shops and tons of boutiques and jewelry stores. That is where ‘the locals hang out’. Our first night out we went to a couple of local bars, heard some live music, I took in the city in a very non-Bourbon Street kind of way. Which I saved till my friend from DC arrived so we could be tourists together. Having lived in DC for two years I am taking in this great local fashion and vigor. Not to say that every city needs it – it is just not a priority here in the capital. Aside from the occasional U Street hipster one does not see a lot of original fashion and creativity. In the words of a New Yorker living in DC, “Why is there so much Ann Taylor here!?”
Both my friend and I (who is a native Washingtonian) kept looking at the trendy clothes, great boots and shoes, and that great Southern hair on all the women down in NoLa. They all had personalities to match and Southern Hospitality is a definite presence. Having moved to DC from New York I used to call DC the South; I will not be doing that again! Washington is definitely mid-Atlantic: the center point of the North and South. NoLa is most definitely in the South but with a lot of clothes and trends that you would ordinarily see in the East Village in New York or in London. Self-image is valued immensely there (or that is what I thought and observed) while in DC …not so much.
Aside from the hustle and bustle of Bourbon Street, the crazy costumes, Mardi Gras, and colonial architecture, there is a very creative and stylish populace – mostly young people who are looking good and having a great time doing it. I recommend everyone visiting NoLa check out the Magazine Street vintage stores and boutiques. We need a Magazine Street in DC too! The biggest reason people here dress so standard and uniform – there are not many places to shop, plain and simple.
Citizens of DC, post your ideas for fun and individual places to shop in DC proper in the Comments. Why do you think DC dresses quite uniformly?
You’ve seen the recent commercials calling for “Maxxonistas?” I’m not one to take things to the maxx. Especially because it ends with two ‘xx’ and the store lacks a coherent internal organization system (and my left brain craves these kinds of things). Rather, I am a frugalista. I wear the sweater my grandmother made for my grandfather, the same one that I pilfered from my mother’s closet. I wear a 35.5” inseam – and my favorite pair of ‘cropped pants’ were a clearance pair made for a petite teen. I’m often complimented on my ensembles, and I pride myself on not paying much for them.
If these sound like you …
“I don’t look like any of you. Fantastic!”
“Yes, I did choose this piece for today. I want to look this fabulous.” [and, rather importantly]
“My goodness, that’s delightful!” [immediately followed by] “My pocketbook shan’t be a plaything. Hrrmph!”
… indulge for a moment. Spend some time reading, save some dollars looking great.
Now, it’s possible you’ve tried this before. You used what my professors call “the Google” to investigate places in and around DC that accommodate your spendthrift nature. You were overwhelmed with designer labels “marked down” to just hundreds of dollars. You lamented that too many items seemed ripe for a Lacoste-clad look-alike of you in 15 years. Things like this have turned you off. Me, too.
Convinced, however, like Alice in Wonderland or Dorothy on her way to Oz, that forging ahead would yield good results, I’ve managed to find some enclaves. Like me, they reminisce of eras I did not live through; they price items to sell, rather than amaze; they offer me creative solutions to the dilemma of “looking decent” (well, I go for more than that) while spending as little as possible.
I’ll begin with the unlikelies – those places where, with patience and fortitude, you might happen upon a delicious addition to your life.
Craigslist. I moved last May to an apartment with at least twice the square footage of the last one. We looked around and it became quickly clear we’d need more than a futon, folding table and ironing board to fill the space. I was, as ever, short on funds. So I braved the list. There, among hoards of nonsense, popped up an ad for designer leather furniture (the kind where you change the cushions, not the leather) – a sofa and chair – for $100 + pick-up. Duh.
My apartment hosted a ‘garage sale’ where any resident might put out her priced wares for the world to peruse. What of it? A leather handbag designed for military personnel circa the 1960s, replete with red corduroy lining and a lunch partition at the bottom – for a whopping $10. Another table boasted a 5.5 foot wool suit (think blazer to your ankles + pleated pants) and a crocodile Stuart Weitzman flat – I got both for a cool $5.
Random streetside sales. On our way home from a nephew’s birthday party, we picked up a $15 black framed mirror measuring 4×3.5 feet from two women under a large tent outside their homes, about to close a day-long two-person sale.
Clothing swaps. A tall friend (who, ahem, maintains a blog on DC), invited me to a clothing swap. This was to be my first, because I used to believe that if you don’t want it, neither do I. I was drawn to her lengthy torso and its implications for swapping garments. I offered many work clothes, which were snatched up by one of her thrilled companions. I walked away with a gorgeous vintage leather and velvet purse from Mexico, a leather ankle boot that screams “Italy: 1974” and a headscarf for those moments when I remember to thoroughly clean the apartment. Oh, yes, and a dress that I’m wearing now.
Lesson learned: if A = {acquiring something you adore}, B = {taking a chance} and C = {applying budgeting skills}, then your P(AC|B) = just do it. FYI: I’m new to statistics.
Perhaps you’re not interested in extensive adventure. You don’t like to ‘hunt’ for good finds. You want to find good finds. Maybe you’re the type to have a go-to bar, a go-to bowling lane, a go-to brunch booth. And you just want a reliable, welcoming environment. Look no further than Frugalista.
Located conveniently just steps from the Columbia Heights Metro at 3069 Mt Pleasant St, NW, this is my go-to. I also confidently share: I have never taken someone to Frugalista who did not have a positive experience. Read that carefully. I’m not just saying no one has ever disliked it. I’m going beyond that neutral ‘meh’ to assert that no one has ever not liked it – in my company, anyway.
For the ladies, you can anticipate an eclectic collection focused more on bottoms than tops (though for blazers under $5, I have found no rivals). You might see a Dianne von Furstenberg wrap dress for $42, or a J. Crew corduroy cropped pant for $17. You could spy a pair of leather boots for $30 (I’ve worn them for three winters and they’re still kickin’), a complete Anne Klein ensemble for $29 or an H&M vest for $7. The store organizes by brand or type of item (jeans get grouped, outerwear gets grouped, Banana Republic gets grouped). They also keep seasonal details in mind. Just after Labor Day, everything white was half off. And yes (!), they respect the fact that people exist in myriad sizes, shapes and ages. Don’t look for kids’ clothes, but otherwise, you’ll probably find something you like.
For the men, it’s hit-or-miss with work pants, jeans, slacks and button-downs, because you all have more nuanced sizing than most women’s brands. But I’ve heard good things about cardigans, swim trunks and winter outerwear. I’ve also heard a general impression that the recent expansion has meant higher quality and larger variety for the growing men’s section. Count on sweaters, sweaters, sweaters. My partner is all about their wool in the winter, and his Frugalista sweaters replace blazers at least three times per week.
Finally, some spots where I’ve had occasional successes – and intend to have more:
Rockville Pike Goodwill. Great finds include: red leather jacket with shoulder pads and gold buttons for $17 + orange silk blazer for under $5.
Langley Park Salvation Army. Great find: wooden side tables for the living room.
Eastern Market (market proper). Great finds include: black leather 11×17” frames at $2 each.
About a year ago, when I first began telling my friends and family that I was considering a move from my native New York City to Washington DC, the first argument against it–without fail–would be “but you have so much style.” I’ll admit, I didn’t disagree with their concern. I had been told by Washingtonians that I wore too much makeup, dressed up too much, and wore heels that were too high for DC. I was also informed that my style in general would never fit in with a more conservative city and that I would be sentenced to shop endlessly at Annie Sez or Dress Barn.
Fortunately, the path that life has taken me since my arrival in the District has been self-employed writer/editor. Since I frequently work from home (and in my–stylish–pajamas), I have been spared the consternation of appearing too fashionable in the workplace. This means that most of my sartorial stylings must be done for fun, when out with friends. However, I have noticed over the past few months in particular, that my style is changing. As a good little MPA, I don’t want to confuse causation with correlation, so further analysis indicates that a variety of factors have influenced my sartorial shift.
The longer I live in DC without the sexy and powerful job I had thought I’d acquire, the more I notice that my perspective on style has changed. I’m a lot less edgy than I used to be. I bought a floral sundress at a yard sale back in June (it wasn’t black and it wasn’t highly architectural–what?), which became one of my favorite summer pieces. In my former life, I would only have worn that with a blazer or a super-structured jacket, because I didn’t want to appear “soft.”
Likewise, when my favorite pair of wedges broke while walking down U Street back in July, I found myself choosing an adorable pair of light blue Chuck Taylors as a replacement. They were always on my list of shoes to buy when I lived in New York, but what with the farther distances between metro and bus stops and the sometimes crooked paving stones, I found that it might be sexier to not trip while walking. I have definitely fallen off my heels in front of Armand’s Chicago Pizza on Mass several time while hiking to the metro. And I always feel like an ass.
That’s not to say that I exclusively wear flats (I wore a comfortable pair of wedges while walking across the Mall to meet a friend for lunch today) or that I dress like Laura Ashley. I just choose not to define myself by my style anymore, just as I don’t define myself by my work. I wear what I like, when I feel like it.
However, I have had run-ins with a judgmental style-element here in DC. Back in May, while wearing an outfit of denim-ish shorts, yellow kitten heels and a black v-neck t-shirt I stopped into the Whole Foods on P Street to pick up some almond butter. Some guy called me a whore and I assume it must have been my outfit, since I typically refrain from prostitution. That was a tough blow, DC. I spent the rest of the summer concerned that my shorts were too short or my heels were too high. It shook me a bit. I used to wear that outfit all the time in New York and no one thought I was a whore. But then again, I didn’t really shop at Whole Foods much… .
Anyway, maybe I hang out with the wrong people, but where are the hordes of style-challenged Washingtonians roving the streets in fugly cardigans and flats? Sure, I see a few of them each day, but that is probably due in part to living on the Hill. I think there may be some DC code that states no staffers can wear heels that would make them taller than the Capitol? And anyway, I don’t know if I want to see Congressional employees focusing too much on their footwear when budgets need to get passed (just saying).
Having gone through “winter” (it hit 75 degrees on February 1, the day I moved here), spring and summer in the District, I’m excited to see what fall will be like. What will people wear? I’m even more excited about tomorrow’s Fashion’s Night Out in Georgetown. I’m planning on wearing my heels, my LBD, and live-tweeting from the event for this humble blog! Join us at Hela Spa for their party and to prove that DC Style is definitely Real.
This Thursday, Georgetown will play host to a bevy of stylish (and thirsty) fashionistas ready to shop, snack, and dance til they drop. Fashion’s Night Out is an annual and international event in which stores band together to stay open later, offer better deals, and provide all manner of ways for customers to spend their hard-earned cash.
In a city like DC, having an extra reason to dress up can be fun. Of course, “dress up” in this case has nothing to do with appropriate office wear, it’s all about what will look impressive and make the wearer feel foxy on Thursday night. When else does DC feel foxy?
Take a look at the sponsors and partners for Thursday night. We will have Capitol Pedicabs to take our high-heeled selves from venue to venue. Or if a young person with stupendous calves isn’t available, Uber will be there to ferry you around in luxe black town cars. Brightest Young Things and vitaminwater will promote separate events as sponsors. Fatback DJs will spin at the Dean and Deluca patio, where Heineken and Tanqueray will be freely poured (yes, free, though the sips are apt to be tiny). Mike Isabella’s Bandolero will serve signature cocktails with fashion-y names. All in the name of American buying power.
Georgetown is the hub for the night, with event going on farther afield in Tyson’s Corner and Alexandria. Though lots of excitement will be piped in for Thursday evening, the stores themselves will also be performing at peak. Kiehl’s will be giving free facials and Alchemie Forever will be available for free makeovers. A hundred plus other events are going on, so do yourselves and DC a favor: go out and shop.
See the sights, talk to some new people. And don’t forget your camera. DC Style Is Real will be on site on Thursday evening to take notes and participate in the fun. Beginning and ending the night at Hela Spa, we will be chatting, observing and tweeting our response to this stylish affair. Stay tuned!
The forecast is in: your life is about to change forever this Sunday at Eastern Market. DC Style is Real contributor Joel Church—designer, artist, writer and muse—will offer you a unique opportunity to transform your every weakness and turn it into churning, raging, hyper masculine/feminine endowment.
Joel’s design label, Monumental Threads, will be selling his line of premier DC-inspired apparel at the flea market. The sharp designs and soft cotton will soothe away your hangover and the magic* in each thread will help you find your true love on the cobblestones of 8th Street SE.
You’ll wonder how you managed to clothe your suddenly firm and youthful frame in anything other than one of these exceptionally cool cotton confections.
“After I put on one of Joel’s shirts, my bald spot filled in and I got that promotion I was hoping for. This sweet cotton also cured my psoriasis.” – Joe McKribbs, Capitol Hill
“My Monumental Threads shirt makes it look like I had a breast lift. It’s better than Spanx topped with a Wonderbra!” – Veronica Marz, Dupont
A Monumental Threads shirt will change your life. **
Go to Eastern Market this Sunday or regret it forever.
Today from noon to 1pm, the first fifteen Chinatown Coffee Co.Black Card holders (that sign of a true DC coffee fiend/snob) will receive a brand…new…free shirt!
Normally sold with the hefty tag of $40, these babies will be handed out in a range of sizes.
If you work in the area of H and 5th, NW, hop on over and wear your love for those sweet beans of life on your sleeve.
Can one country be so different that you feel like you’re in a foreign land after a 2 hour flight? That was my first thought upon arriving in New Orleans in late December. It reminded me of San Juan, something other friends have pointed out before. Must be the palm trees and the weather and the joie de vivre the locals possess. I went to New Orleans for the first time for New Year’s Eve. I was expecting the crazy partying, jazz, Creole/Cajun cuisine and French-influenced culture but what most struck me about was the local fashion, the abundance of local boutiques.
