If the metro D.C. area has an advantage fashion industry-wise, it's that it is probably a good barometer for what will work in average America. Which is probably why it was chosen for two outposts of the Neiman Marcus Group's fledgling retail venture, a hip, female-focused store called Cusp that debuted in 2006 (the other two test spots are a suburb of Chicago and L.A.).
I've passed by (and, truthfully, purposely bypassed) the Georgetown location of Cusp more than a dozen times since I arrived in D.C., mostly because the store windows made me think it was a store aimed at teenagers (see above). In fact, it's targeted at fashion-savvy women aged 25-45, and after witnessing several very cute items purchased by others at Cusp, I decided I needed to make a special trip and check it out myself.
I suppose the lesson to be learned here is that you can't always judge a store by its windows. I'm still not keen on the styling of the shopfront displays, but the racks inside were crammed (and I mean literally quite crammed—it was a little overwhelming) with a wide variety of highly covetable items, including pieces by Marc by Marc Jacobs, Rag & Bone, Phillip Lim, Ella Moss, Nanushka, Manolo Blahnik, Diane von Furstenberg and so much more. I wasn't totally thrilled over the entire selection—there were a lot of skimpy bright jersey dresses that would work better on the teen crowd, and {if I may be frank} I really wouldn't mind if I never, ever had to see that ubiquitous Tory Burch logo again—and it was definitely on the expensive, $300-average-price point side of things. Still, I couldn't help but drool a bit as I strolled around the store.
Now here's a fine example of why I might have been confused for so long about what to expect: I'm pretty sure no fashion-forward 25 to 45-year-old woman who's stocking up on sleek little Marc Jacobs dresses is also looking to layer strappy tanks over whale-printed tees. No?
Of course, I then did what any self-respecting style lover would do: Dressing room fashion shoot! Here are a few of my favorite pieces available in the store:
From left: That's a Vera Wang Lavender Label printed dress, which is a perfect option for the artsy trend this spring. Love the oval neckline and painting-like print.
Then we have the Marc by Marc Jacobs bow-tie dress, which has a fab A-line shape. It's everywhere this season, but for good reason.
I was pleasantly surprised by this Nanette Lepore retro-style dress. Love the sophisticated, 50s-style cut with an unexpectedly cool print.
Finally, this drapey Ella Moss top in green stripes unexpectedly caught my eye. Throw a little shrunken blazer over it and add a cool vintage pendant necklace, and I think it would be a great, infinitely wearable piece.
And here's what they look like on me:
I'm sticking too a pretty tight budget these days, so I didn't end up splurging on anything. {Yet.} Right now, I'm saving any leftover pennies for that Tracy Reese dress.
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