Intern Edition Summer 2008

When you experience the excessive price points at boutiques like Cusp on M Street, Georgetown shopping can seem like it’s limited to getting fingerprints on the storefront glass.

With a little help from the District of Columbia’s Sales Tax Holiday, though, your window shopping dreams could finally come true.

Washington, D.C., is offering the city’s second Sales Tax Holiday of 2008 from Aug. 2 through midnight on Sunday, Aug. 10.  D.C.’s sales tax may not be as obscene as Chicago’s — a painful 10.25 percent — but shopping tax-free is definitely a plus.

With that said, as my 10 weeks in D.C. come to a close, I’d like to offer my two cents on some of the best deals, hot spots and most interesting boutiques I’ve encountered in the D.C. area:

Annie Creamcheese – Vintage for the Future
Located on 32 and M street, in the heart of Georgetown’s shopping district, this boutique offers a variety of new and vintage women’s clothing and accessories. When I heard the 80s music bumping from outside the door, I knew I had to check it out. I picked up a yellow leather bracelet with a peace-sign charm for only $15. On top of a glass case filled with funky bangles, clip-on earrings, and strands of pearls is a framed picture of none other than Nicole Richie and her beau Joel Madden in the store!

An American in Paris – 1225 King Street, Alexandria,VA
Never in my life have I encountered a more interesting woman running a more interesting boutique.  Chic dresses displayed in the window caught my eye, along with the store’s catchy name.  I walked up to the door, hoping to walk right in and was startled — the door was locked.  I looked up, confused since Saturday afternoon is typically prime shopping time.  A sign read:  “The door remains locked for security purposes, please knock and we will let you in!”  Intrigued, I knocked and was let in by a petite Frenchwoman with a vibrant personality.  “Welcome!” she said. “We have the most beautiful clothing you will find in the city … but I have very strict rules,” she said.  She continued to talk my ear off for the next 10 minutes, explaining to me that I was not allowed to touch her “fine clothing.”  She showed me the appropriate way to view the garments, and specifically told me not to grab the clothes, “like most shoppers in this area do.”   She said she’s been open nearly 10 years in Old Town Alexandria, and she appeals to a different kind of customer.  But with the same brands as any high-end department store or boutique, I am still wondering why she thinks she is so special.  How she stays open with a locked door and such strict rules remains a mystery — I was out the door as soon as I could escape her lecture.

Treat – “the sample sale boutique” – 114 S. Royal Street, Alexandria, VA
This is one of the most quaint and fun places I’ve shopped in D.C. – with some of the best prices I’ve ever seen.  Treat offers sample sale prices on apparel that was hand-picked from overstock inventory, end of season merch, and discontinued items from DC-based designers and stores.  Acting as a permanent sample sale, the store has women’s clothing, handbags, and other accessories at discounted prices ranging from 30 to 80 percent off!  The boutique is only open on the weekends, but you can’t miss the amazing deals.

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