Washington DC

I recently read Victoria Beckham’s style guide, That Extra Half an Inch (yes, on purpose). Sure, she’s too skinny and a bit robotic, but she is fabulous and I adore her. Anyway, she—along with every other celebrity, stylist, editor and project runway judge—has been touting the recent fashion philosophy of “mixing high and low.” The idea here is that while most of us don’t have the dough to afford strictly designer duds, we can afford the occasional Tory Burch tunic or Prada sunglasses to pair with our Gap jeans and Target tote. Still, sometimes even the intermittent designer purchase can be too much for the wallet. That, my friends, is why Diva Consignment Boutique is a stop for the fashion obsessed. Diva carries a menagerie of luxe designer brands—last time I visited, Diva had a classic Chanel boucle blazer for sale. Diva is the perfect shopping complement to Treat (a designer sample sale store, also in Old Town Alexandria). Diva (like Treat) is a shop to visit frequently. Not only does the merchandise in these shops change often, once you get to know the owners, you may just get the inside scoop the next time they are expecting a Chloe Paddington bag.

Photo:  Megan Parry