Consignment Shopping Through Old Town Alexandria

I’ve been a fan of consignment shopping for a long time — and for many reasons, as explained in this post about  secondhand shopping online.

Lately, I have one more reason to love it:  It’s an activity my teen daughter and I enjoy together.  As Sasha started getting more into style, she learned quickly that some of the brands and items she covets are expensive for a growing teen (ie, she loves the lululemon), especially when she’s using her own babysitting or birthday money to buy them. So, I started taking her to consignment shops, and she’s had some great luck scoring good finds. She’s now caught the secondhand shopping bug like me.

One of our favorite areas to consignment shop is Old Town Alexandria, where several really good stores are within walking distance of each other.  Not to mention the area from the waterfront down King Street and surrounding blocks is a lovely place to spend a day strolling around, popping in and out of shops, having a bite to eat, even stopping in the Torpedo Factory for an art fix.

Here are the shops we like to browse, listed in order of how to hit them on a walking route. Scroll all the way down to see them on a map, too!

 

Vida Style
Where: 210 N Lee Street, Suite 104
When: Sunday – Friday, 10am – 6pm
If not for the rack of clothes outside, you could miss this gem of a shop near the waterfront — the entrance is located inside the building next to a bike shop. Vida Style opened in late 2022, one of Old Town’s newer consignment shops. Sasha and I discovered it by chance when we happened to park nearby on a visit to the Torpedo Factory. Now, it’s a go-to anytime we want to do some secondhand shopping or are in the area. They have high-end designer labels as well as more ubiquitous brands (ie, Madewell, J. Crew, Athleta), and it’s all priced well. I still regret not buying the Re/Done jeans I spotted our first time in the store, but there have been other good finds since. They also have a nice selection of jewelry and other accessories.

 

Twist
Where: 109 N Fairfax Street, First Floor
When: Monday – Friday 11am – 5:30pm | Saturday, 10am – 6pm |Sunday: 11am – 5pm
Don’t let the small storefront fool you. From the outside, it may not look like Twist has a huge selection, but once you walk in, you see that the space is deep, and full of secondhand inventory to browse. The front of the store displays some gift items like home goods and jewelry, along with accessories like shoes and bags. The back of the store is where you’ll find the clothes — a wide variety of brands and styles. There are long racks of blouses, jeans, and dresses along the walls, and there are more within the space with sweaters, jackets, and more.

 

Encore
Where: 119 South Fairfax Street
When: Wednesday – Saturday, 11am – 5:30pm |  Sunday, 12-5pm
If it’s luxury designer labels you’re looking for, you’ll find them at Encore. The inventory isn’t as robust as the other stores, but it’s all high-end — think Chloe, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, and Alaia. If I needed something for a fancy event, this would be my first stop. The accessories, including a great selection of bags, are just as posh as the clothes. Take a peek at their photo gallery for what’s in store.

 

Mint Condition/529 Kids Consign
Where: 122 S Royal Street, Suite A
When: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm | Sunday, 12-5pm
Being in Mint Condition gets me in a vacation-y mood.  The space is bright and has an airy feel, even though it’s not huge.  And the inventory is vibrant, well-curated, nicely organized, and really fun to browse. They have a wide variety of current and classic brands, with everything from BA&SH and Tuckernuck (see the pic above) to Chanel and Kate Spade to Zara to J. Crew (and sooo much in between). They also have cute bags, shoes, and jewelry, too. Even more, right upstairs is 529 Kids Consign, which carries upscale children’s and maternity clothing, so you can shop for kiddos, too.

 

Current
Where: 1009 King Street
When: Monday – Friday, 12-8pm | Saturday, 11am – 8pm | Sunday, 11am – 6pm
Plan to spend the most time in Current, because it’s the largest of all the shops, both in terms of space and inventory. Racks of dresses extend along the side walls, with circular racks in the middle of the store with blouses, sweaters, jeans, jackets, workout wear, and more. You’ll find a wide variety of brands here, too… I’ve seen everything from LOFT and Gap to Prada and Valentino, though the very high-end selection is small compared to the rest.  Madewell, Joie, Anthro brands, J. Crew, Laundry, and Reformation are common… and there is much, much more.  They carry a selection of new items in the front of the store, mostly dresses, too.  Also to note: Current has two more locations, on 14th Street in DC and on Wilson Blvd. in Clarendon.

 

 

Do you know of other good consignment shops in Old Town Alexandria?  Let us know in the comments, if so!