Outlet Shopping
The Washington area has been called an up and coming area in terms of fashion. If they say so. To me, Washington still has a very conservative vibe, but this vibe is somewhat necessary considering the type of work that goes on here like politics and government. We can't have our finest civil servants running around like they have been on the catwalk during New York Fashion Week. Rather, politicos seem to like to prepare for battle wearing Ann Taylor suits and other similarly situated fashion basics.
However, if you want to take a little drive, there are plenty of outlet malls in the area where you can grab a deal. Since I live in Virginina, I can best speak to what is out that way. I tend to like Potomac Mills, especially Nordstrom Rack. Nordstrom Rack has great deals on items that have been at regular Nordstrom stores. I like to check out the designer shoe section where I have scored some deals. I also like Off 5th at Potomac Mills as well. For a while, I never ventured into the store because it was in the opposite end of the mall and sometimes, I didn't feel like walking that way. However, they do have good prices on clothing found at Saks. I got an adorable handbag from Off 5th. Here's a tip--if you sign up to get their emails, usually once a week, they will send you a coupon worth at least 15 percent off on a single item. For more information, please visit, http://www.potomacmills.com/
If you want to drive a little further, you can go to Leesburg Premium Outlets in Leesburg, Virginia. Leesburg is a bit larger than Potomac Mills so you will want to allot more time for your visit. Leesburg has many of the same stores as Potomac Mills, but there are stores that aren't found at Potomac. Leesburg has a nice Puma outlet as well as a Colehaan outlet as well. For more information, please visit: http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=14.
These may particularly be good places to check out since the beginning of school is right around the corner.