The Georgetown Crawl

Oh Jo, why are you always making me jealous of your high-flying (i.e. sample sale shopping) NY life? But I can't complain--DC has proved itself a great shopping city for me. (Well, I guess one could argue that every city is a great shopping city for me...)

But yes, I'll see your Castor, Pollux, GenArt, and raise you The Best of Georgetown Shopping--I'm even gonna follow your format! DC, ftw! Tee.


Cusp-
Overall- 3/5. This is a great store to start an M-Street shop-crawl, since it's all the way towards the edge of Foggy Bottom, where there is often good street parking, and you can work your way back towards the main drag. It's also a great browsing store that's got a nice warehousey vibe—it’s bigger than a boutique, but manageable enough that you could be in and out pretty quickly (provided you’re like me and stick to the sale racks).
People- Decent: since this a Neiman Marcus spin-off (it's a concept store that they created to cater to the younger crowd), of course the service is attentive and has a bit of that Neiman-pampering style, but because this isn’t your mother’s department store, you won't get the judgmental/snooty service you sometimes get for being young/dressing badly (though on the other hand, the staff isn't as knowledgeable or professional.)
Prices- Variable: the designer labels they carry have standard retail prices, so I don't even bother looking at the non-sale items, but if you stumble upon a good sale (a good summer sale is going on now), you can find things 60+% off. I got a pair of J-brand skinny jeans for $60 which is something like $100 off retail. Don't ask me what that percent comes out to, since I think I stopped doing arithmetic sometime in the 6th grade.
Selection- Not large, but quite good: you get all the young, fun stuff like Alice&Olivia, Vince, Nanette Lepore, Development, plus an entire upstairs section devoted to jeans and t-shirts.

Barney's Co-op
Overall: 4.5/5. They pretty much carry all the young, up-and-coming brands you find next door at Cusp, plus the less affordable ones like Philip Lim 3.1, Prada, Helmut Lang, Marc Jacobs, which is, if nothing else, fun to look at.
People- The sales people can be a bit snobby—which means they'll ignore you for bigger fish if you're like me and exclusively (and blatantly) scour the sale racks. But I guess I don't mind, since I prefer to be left alone until I need a dressing room.
Prices: Again, I rarely pay retail because I consider that ridiculous, BUT, given a good sale (like the one going on now), Barney’s Coop can have better deals than next door. Sample sale prices: Velvet lacey black shift dress (see photo), $89, James Perse jersey dress, $69!
Selection: Described in the Overall section.







BOUTIQUES
Wink
Overall: 2/5. Tiny little store with a great selection. Good for browsing, trying on stuff for fun, but it gets low score cuz none of their sale items are ever deeply discounted enough for me.
People: The trendy, hipster-type sales girls are super well-dressed, tending to give off bit of that too-cool-for school vibe.
Prices: Too high for cheapos like me.
Selection: Most of the usual suspects, but for a small store, really excellent stuff.

Sugar
Overall: 3.5/5: Even smaller than Wink, and you have to hike all the way up to Wisconsin and P, but I like that they put their one sale rack at the very front of the store (you can literally walk right into it upon entry), which saves me time. It’s hit or miss, but it will honestly only take you 2 minutes, max, to step in and find out.
People: Fine—there is usually one girl at the register who also helps you out if you need. Very no-nonsense shopping, which I like.
Prices: They carry some pretty high-end labels, but again, stick to the sale rack at front. Up to 2/3 off, e.g. Tibi tuxedo skirt for $85.
Selection: Tibi, Mason, Nanette Lepore—and a lot of the same stuff as the other stores, but tending towards more girly things than jeans and shirts.

Urban Chic
Overall 4/5. Across the street from Wink, this store may take more time, since the selection is quite extensive. Sale rack is at the back, and can contain some gems.
People: Friendly and helpful staff—I somehow get an almost Southern vibe from this crowd.
Prices: The sales stuff is usually half off, e.g. Trina Turk shirtdress (see photo) for $106.
Selection: Fantastic. They have everything from older designers like Trina Turk and Catherine Malandrino to cuter young ones like Milly, Ella Moss, to (relatively) cheaper labels like Splendid. Maybe it’s because I like the layout, but I even enjoy raking through the non-sale racks here.




Edit-- I just realized I didn't give any 5/5 scores! And these are my faves! Not sure what that means... I guess I'm still holding out for the perfect shopping experience?