My July 4th holiday weekend was spent at the Nation’s Capital. I had not been to Washington DC in a few years and was excited to be back and check out the fashion scene. What trends would be going on, who would be wearing what, what independent designer would Michelle Obama be wearing? At least I would be able to answer the first two questions quite easily. I was expecting a flash of fashion forwardness that had been written about in countless fashion magazines lately, again thanks to the lovely Michelle Obama. What I was not ready for was the extreme lack of fashion I found.
As I roamed the streets of DC, I could not help but notice the absence of American Apparel. This was the first blatant fashion difference from NYC. No one was wearing any faux black leather leggings or even a gray tri blend tank. There was one American Apparel in Georgetown that sat sans any customers. I would love to know besides on Halloween, if anyone dare enter the store. Spandex, cut offs and fly sneakers were replaced with khakis, popped collared polos and top siders.
Popped collars. I guess in some areas of the world this “trend” will not die. One popped collar is a laugh, two popped collars and I was about to jump in the Potomac and swim back to NYC. I could not contain myself. In my moment between disbelief and vomiting, I came up the Rugby store. Rugby is a youthful line of clothing by Ralph Lauren aimed at college age kids. Not only was there a store in DC but it was attached to the Rugby Café! Yikes! Just like one cannot look away from a car crash, I had to take a look inside. It looked as though one was sitting in their campus crew house, but with kitschy ironic posters on the wall. Yes, there were boats hanging on the ceiling. The only store I could imagine more painful at having a Café would be Urban Outfitters. We will all know hell has frozen over when this happens. Georgetown is one of the notable places in DC to go shopping. The streets were lined with overflowing hanging pots fuchsia flowers and quaint shops. Like a mall outside (Crate and Barrel, J Crew, Banana Republic, Coach…) it is depressing how shopping has become the same everywhere due to the many of the one of a kind boutiques closing shop due high rents in high trafficked areas. However, there was one standout store I did find in Georgetown. Annie Creamcheese was a vintage store that boasted a extensive celebrity following. I met the owner Annie and she was absolutely fantastic. I could have eaten up the candy colored tutus and the lime printed silk Dolce and Gabbana cropped jackets. I began to feel at ease. The waspy-ness that surrounded me drained from my body. I think I found the fashion glimmer of hope for DC!
Dupont Circle was the most fashion forward area I visited, however this is not saying much. As I scrolled through Fashionista.com this past weekend, they even had posted a link to “Scene In,” a section in the Washington Post that will go from each of the different neighborhoods in DC to see how each section has a distinct style. Beware: spoiler alert after the jump, it is nothing fashion forward! I honestly do not how they are going to pull this off. Is it going to be only a 5 part series? I watched the first one and there were a few cute items (Oliver Peoples sunglasses and cobalt blue wing tips) but if they started at the most fashionable section in DC, where are they going to go from there?
I have never seen so many ill-fitting dresses, unmatched shoes. Who wears a chunky black leather bag fit for the coldest months of the winter with a cotton sundress? I did not see one outfit while I was there that I wished I owned. Kate Spade reigned for handbags and Coach was second in command. I could not fathom the allure of the popped collar. Fellow citizens of DC, if you want to dress outside the uptight boring box, check out the vintage and thrift stores, or take a much-needed shopping trip to NYC. The only edge in DC I saw was the crumbling sidewalks. And if your date brings you to the Rugby Café to eat, run as fast as your well-manicured toes can take you. I am glad I was able to visit our Nation’s Capital for the holiday. It made me appreciate what I have here in NYC. We all need reminders on what we have and this past weekend made me remember what an edge there is to NYC fashion and that there is no place like it anywhere else.
-Oriana DiNella
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