on the map: marissa and lucy on dc style
complicating the capitol's style—it's more than (or can be more than) just j.crew!
A couple years back, I started a new job at a nonprofit whose US headquarters is in DC, which meant that twice a year, I’d be obligated to travel to the Capitol to put in some face time. I vividly remember commuting from my hotel to my office—which is right near Union Station—for the first time, and having the though: Wow, peplum is alive and well in this city. More than any other city in the U.S. that I’ve visited, DC seems to adhere to—maybe even revere—a uniform. Men wear suits; women swap their tennis shoes for uncomfortable-looking-yet-practical pumps. Work, and what variety of it you do, governs the city. I once overheard someone joking that if cities were social networking platforms, DC would be LinkedIn, and I don’t think they’re wrong!
And yet—there is so much more to DC than most people see, and than I was willing to give it credit for on my first trip out for work. The neighborhoods are phenomenal, the buildings are beautiful. The parks are luscious, and the city is filled with people, in their own way, trying to work toward mostly noble causes. Even under Republican administrations (like…sigh…this one) the city remains overwhelmingly Democratic, and people are not shy about voicing their opinions. While my husband was hanging out with his friend at a coffee shop in DC during Trump 1.0, Kellyanne Conway walked in and everyone hissed at her. I admire that energy!
Style, though, feels harder to pin down. I’ve seen glimmers of interest—massive shoutout to the students of Howard University for consistently crushing it (I mean, look at these homecoming outfits!!!), but a lot of it, at least to me, has felt quite safe, and prescribed by forces I don’t fully understand. So to make sense of it, I chatted with two friends of mine with their toes in different parts of DC life—Lucy, who now works for herself but has put in her time on the Hill, and Marissa, who’s in consulting. We chatted J.Crew, dress codes, the weird state of DC consignment stores and, yes, Butterworth’s, and may have hatched a plan to jumpstart a new style venture in the city. Read on!
DC is such a fascinating place to think about style. Everybody in the country has some thoughts about DC, even if they haven’t been there, because it’s the Capitol! And there’s a way in which it lends itself well to stereotypes externally—there’s the trope of the stressed-out hill staffer and then there’s the TV version, where everyone’s some power-hungry political player in a suit. But I wanted to talk to both of you because it often feels that people forget there’s an entire city around the stereotype, and I’m interested in your perspective on it.
MARISSA
I think a lot of what's really interesting about DC is that for a long time, what was available here—restaurants, shops—catered to a very, very narrow audience of who lived here, who were essentially the in-and-out waves of people who come in with every political administration. Restaurants here used to be so boring! We had steakhouses, but that was about it. But the reality is so much more complex and diverse. DC is a really Black city—Howard University is here, and there is so much incredible culture. And then you leave DC proper and go out to Eden Center in Falls Church, and it’s super Vietnamese. There are so many immigrant communities here—Ethiopian, Nigerian, Chinese—and it feels like the food scene at least is really evolving to reflect that. When it comes to style, though, and what’s available here—it feels like it still has a long way to go.
LUCY
DC is so much more than the politics. But it does feel like the presence of politics shapes how people dress. When I first moved here in 2017, I worked as a Digital Director in Senator Ron Wyden’s office. On the Hill, the dress code is pretty strict and people do tend to stick with it, but it’s not something that’s necessarily overtly communicated—you kind of have to observe what people are wearing and try to fit in. I remember when I came down for interviews, I’d been working in the field on the Clinton campaign the whole summer before and had nothing to wear for the winter. So I mad dashed to J.Crew and got some slim work pants and a fitted blazer and that was essentially my uniform. There have been some changes—like there was a big moment around the time I got to DC around whether it was ok for women to wear sleeveless dresses and open-toed shoes (eventually, the powers that be decided yes). And you’ll see some jeans on Fridays and there are people who observe “Seersucker Thursday” in the summer. I tried to find ways to push the boundaries—my hair was pink at one point—but it’s pretty hard to step out of line.
MARISSA
So I’ve never worked on the Hill—I’m in education consulting—but I actually live on Capitol Hill so I have a front-row view. You can always tell someone is a Hill staffer. The vibe is very much J.Crew from 10 years ago. For men in particular! And look, no shade to J.Crew—they make some lovely things—but there are a specific few plaid and flannel-type shirts that we jokingly call the Hill staffer shirt, plus khakis. It’s pretty bland. And with women, you see a lot of work dresses, and people holding their heels while wearing flats and sneakers.
LUCY
I know that dress very well. It’s like, knee-length, not quite a bodycon dress, not quite a pencil skirt—somewhere in the middle. A bit fitted, in all different colors. I have a few right now in my donation pile. I work for myself now, and I’m not sad to part with them.
So the Hill certainly has a look. That’s probably what most people think of when they think of DC style. What other style subcultures do you see in the city, and where do you see yourself among them?
LUCY
So I read that West Village girl article in The Cut, and I immediately thought: Is that the West Village or is that Georgetown? It’s the light-wash jeans and a white top, and the general energy of “daddy has money.” I also feel that the main events in DC are brunch and happy hour. Happy hour is like an extension of work style, and for brunch, you see a lot of more casual looks—athleisure, and a lot of people wearing their college sweatshirts. But if you go walking around Columbia Heights or Mount Pleasant, or around H Street or Howard, you see people dressing in a lot more interesting ways.
MARISSA
For me, having lived in New York and Philly before my husband and I arrived in DC four years ago for his job, I feel that I like to push the boundaries a bit—like if the base is a more traditional work outfit, what’s one way that I can add another element that’s more interesting? I’ll wear a lot of flowy dresses with fun prints—any dress that isn’t too short or low-cut is a work dress, as far as I’m concerned. I have a pair of pink pants that I love to wear when I go to the office. If I’m wearing flats, I might add a pop of color with my socks; if I’m wearing a button-down, I might add another layer for depth. My office is pretty young and I have a few coworkers whose style I love—one woman does a lot of Rent the Runway mixed with thrifted pieces, and she’ll come in wearing leather pants and boots sometimes, and looks great.
I really try to only shop secondhand, but our consignment and resale shops are a lot of J.Crew—sensing a theme here—and preppier things that don’t fit my style. I end up defaulting to a lot of Poshmark and Depop, but whenever I see someone dressed interestingly out and about, I always want to ask them where they shop!
LUCY
Now that I’m self-employed, I’ve really found more space to explore my personal style.I’m all about sustainability and finding things that look elevated and that I can mix together and wear over and over again; I also primarily buy secondhand. Actually, since moving back to DC, I’ve started my own small side business (Nine Lives Archive) where I source and sell designer clothes from the 90s and early 2000s. I’ve been adding a few finds to my own wardrobe and it’s helping my improve my own personal style, because the quality just adds to the whole look. I sourced a Prada trench coat from 2006 that whenever I put on, I just feel so put together.
This past year was difficult on a lot of fronts—I switched to working from home, then election happened, and the beginning of the year was a slog. Recently, I’ve been coming out of my funk and clothes have been a big part of that for me. I tend to want to save the nicer things that I have, but now I’ve decided they’re meant to be worn. So when I went to a park picnic recently I wore my 1996 Prada mini skirt that i scored online (I can find some serious deals online, it’s one of my trade secrets), and it felt so good, and wearing it made me feel more excited to be out and about.
But I feel you on the consignment stores, Marissa. It’s such a problem! When I first moved back to DC from Seattle, I brought a lot of things that would have all sold back on the West Coast—Jungmaven hemp tees, pants from Lacausa—into Current boutique, and they rejected everything. It does feel like there’s an appetite for some other options, though. The Disco Loft organizes these clothing swaps and the turnout is always insane. My friend told me about a vintage event they put on recently in Adams Morgan, and the line was out the door.
MARISSA
There definitely is a scene in Adams Morgan. I went to Porchfest and the outfits were so chaotic, in a way that I am not used to seeing in DC It was delightful. There was someone wearing a ruffle skirt with a crochet bra top and cowboy boots—a bit of a GenZ look where nothing makes sense but it’s fun, and it was so energizing to see.
LUCY
I do think it’s true that seeing something different out and about in DC is refreshing. I have this pink blazer, which is now my go-to, and whenever I wear it I get compliments. At first I was hesitant to wear it to work events because I’m in PR, and I thought I should try to stay more in the background, but people responded so positively to it. You see so few people wearing bright colors! It’s memorable, and it can actually start conversations.
So have to ask—we’re now half a year (unbelievably) into the new administration. Do you feel like the style in DC has shifted at all?
MARISSA
So yes, but less than you might think. DC is still such a predominantly Democratic city, and even though there’s a lot of focus on administrations, the actual percent of people that change over is quite small.
But there’s definitely a vibe. My husband also likes fashion, and we were just recently reading this article about young MAGA style, which was defined as “country club meets J. Crew ad — button-ups, pleated skirts, blazers, bows, pearls.” And we will see the occasional extremely Republican-looking person more than we used to. The restaurant in the article, Butterworth’s, is in our neighborhood and has become this MAGA hotspot. My husband and I have been joking about what it would take for us to dress MAGA and go in as spies? He would probably have to wear skinner jeans again—that’s definitely a give—and I’d have to wear something a lot more form-fitting and feminine, and way more makeup than I typically do.
LUCY
But on the flip side, there’s this Instagram account that started in the past couple years, Capitol Hill Style Scout. It’s amazing—the caption is “Searching for flair in a drab world.” I’m not sure who runs it but I’m guessing it’s a Democrat, based on who they feature. I feel like a lot of the members of Congress, especially democrats, have started bringing some more personal style, too. Marie Glusenkamp Perez is from the Northwest and I see that vibe in her outfits—she wears the Rudy Jude jeans! Jasmine Crockett is also on there wearing this incredible white patterned suit. I wonder if there’s some contrast happening with MAGA style, which is all about conforming to gender roles. I’m starting to see more interesting shapes, more pushing boundaries, among Democratic reps. Style is always doing a lot of work to signal things in any environment, but the political layer is especially interesting.
So maybe if Congressional rep style is evolving, DC style as a whole can too! What would you like to see change about the scene in DC?
MARISSA
So with DC, it’s interesting. There’s definitely the icky side to its reputation as a very network-y city—somebody did once ask me for my resume at a party—but there’s another side to it which is that people are really passionate about what they do. There’s a lot of energy in the city and a lot of willingness to connect and try to make things happen. It feels like we’ve both picked up on that there’s this whole universe of vintage-loving people in DC that don’t really have a home. That can be liberating, even if it is frustrating. I miss the part of living in New York where I could just wander into a resale shop to unwind and find something. But I feel like there’s a lot of possibility here to meet people and maybe even start something.
LUCY
That’s so true. Just recently I was at the La Colombe near 14th Street, and it's this gorgeous space with so many big windows, and the woman who was working there complimented my blazer—it was the pink one! So we started chatting and I told her about my vintage business, and she mentioned wanting to host pop-ups in the shop. I have her card. I do think if we build it, they will come.
Time to shout out your must-visit spots in DC! Where would you tell people to go to see your favorite side to the city?
MARISSA
Like we’ve talked about, DC is a great restaurant city. So many to pick from! I like Astoria, which is a bar with great Szechuan food. The seasonal halloumi pizza at Martha Dear is a must, and I love everything—the pizza, pasta, wine, ice cream—at Gemini x Happy Ice Cream which is, as it sounds, a natural wine restaurant slash ice cream shop. Other favorites: East Hill Burger for burgers and beers; Catboat for pizza on the water, Mezcalero for margaritas and tacos [editors note: I have been here and co-sign its greatness as a Californian] and La Casina for some mom-and-pop, neighborhood-y Italian food. Everyday Sundae has great ice cream, and Lincoln Park is my favorite.
LUCY
I’m going to second Marissa’s pick on Happy Ice Cream because it is that good. St. Vincent Wine is a great outdoor bar that’s perfect on a nice day. For pizza, I love Timber Pizza—it has such creative toppings! Daru has incredible Indian-inspired food, and my favorite bakery is Elle in Mt. Pleasant. My favorite gift shop is Salt & Sundry—it has super cute ceramics, gifts, and coffee table books, and there are two locations (one in Union Market, and one in Logan Circle). And American Plant in Bethesda, Maryland is the best indoor/outdoor gardening shop—I’d recommend going during the week to avoid the crowds!
Also, here for Lucy’s resale business! I DO want to see this pink blazer.
Always here for learning about what a city is doing style-wise. DC is so very specific, and maybe that’s a part of the transient charm? I call for Chicago next!