Are We What We Shop?

One day, not too long ago, fashion woke up to the great demographics in the District. You, dear reader, and your DC brethren spend more per capita on clothes than residents of any other city in the country (a wink and a nod to Arlington sitting in second place). And so we were awarded with bigger, better, more diverse brands. But a funny thing happened as more national brands opened up shop here - they brought their most conservative offerings with them.

Don't believe us? Check out the difference between the clothes for sale at the Zara Metro Center and the Zara on 57th Street in New York. Same brand, but they are pushing dramatically different merchandise. Sadly, word got around that we were a conservative fashion city, so brands market their more conservative clothes to us. And repeat: a circle of fashion blah.

Now maybe - just maybe - we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Full credit goes to local boutiques, like Redeem, that saw a gap and filled it with much edgier, more fashionnable pieces. Then, in a meeting last week, a major NY-based retailer casually mentioned that their DC customers were some of their more adventurous buyers. Us, adventurous?

We've still got a ways to go before we see a Marc Jacobs opening on 14th Street, but we' making some progress (whispers abound). Customers and consumers (you) are going to play a big role in who comes to the District and what clothes they bring with them.

So what about you - what do you wish you could find here, but never do? At what favorite shop from home would you blow every paycheck if it were right around the corner? Let us know in the comments... you never know who's reading.