It’s official: I have broken up with my favorite secondhand store. And no, it wasn’t mutual. I just can’t do the long distance.
The first store I ever wrote about for this column, Annie Cream Cheese, recently picked up and left for Los Angeles without saying much of anything to anyone. I was devastated when I went to their store front on M Street in Georgetown only to find empty windows and a locked door. But I think it’ll all be okay, since I have found a rebound.
Mustard Seed in Bethesda might just be the cutest, and not to mention cleanest, secondhand store that I have visited in the DMV. A block south of the Bethesda Metro stop, Mustard Seed sits back a bit further from the street than the other storefronts, but its creative window designs draw in the passersby.
Mustard Seed is also not very large, but I personally think that it’s better this way. It only allows for the best selection of clothing and accessories to be on the floor at a time. The store’s inventory is a great mixture of new items (with some local designers), vintage items and lightly used clothing, shoes and accessories.
When I ventured out to Mustard Seed, I was specifically looking for sweaters since I somehow forgot how chilly this city can be. While I didn’t find any sweaters that caught my eye, I was pleasantly surprised at the selection. The clothing Mustard Seed sells is still stylish. For example, I came across several J. Crew flannel shirts that looked as if a) they hadn’t been worn more than twice and b) could not be older than fall/winter 2011.
The styles of clothing also varied, which I thought was great. Mustard Seed caters to both the woman who needs the Ann Taylor tailored skirt for her office job or the teenager who wants the bright pink skinny jeans from H&M (two things I actually saw while there). The vintage selection was also interesting and catered to the varied customers who come through the store. My favorite part of Mustard Seed, though, is that they appropriately price their clothing. The clothing from H&M and Forever 21 are priced much lower than the apparel from say, a pair of Seven for All Mankind jeans. Some consignment and thrift shops seem to neglect to do this, and so I was really glad to see that the clothing was priced based on its wear and its quality as opposed to just its wear.
I only have good things to say about Mustard Seed. They have a vast collection of jewelry, from cute stud earrings of forks and spoons and chunky wooden geometric necklaces. I am not a huge fan of jewelry (I don’t like things hanging from me, plus I lose it too easily), but I can certainly appreciate the cute items and their appropriate prices. I highly suggest going to this shop if you’re simply looking for a funky, small shop as an alternative to the mall.
Location: 7349 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Md. 20814
Best way to get there: Metro Red Line toward Shady Grove to Bethesda (two stops from Tenleytown-AU)
jmorice@theeagleonline.com
Location: 7349 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Md. 20814
Best way to get there: Metro Red Line toward Shady Grove to Bethesda (two stops from Tenleytown-AU)
