Where to Shop in Washington DC

In the following guide, we will tell you where to go shopping in Washington DC: where to find the most recognized fashion brands, cheap clothing stores, and which are the best shopping centers and outlets in Washington DC and its nearby cities.

The capital of the United States is not only a place with government offices, but it is a vibrant city full of shops, restaurants, and incredible tourist places. There is so much to see in this city that you will take several days, be it the monuments, its great museums like the Smithsonian and obviously the White House. But there are also many options for shopping lovers, so we will tell you about the best shopping centers and outlets in Washington DC, options to buy cheap clothes, and the best fashion stores.

Georgetown

Best shopping center in Washington DC

Georgetown is the most iconic shopping area in Washington DC This set of streets is home to several of the best restaurants in the city and all kinds of shops including, of course, fashion stores. M Street is the street that houses the best stores in Washington FC, including sportswear, accessories, women’s and men’s clothing, and more. Here you will find the flagship store of Nike, as well as the stores of Indochino, Michael Kors, the shoe store Dr. Martens, Free People, and the Banana Republic. On the same street is the premium brand of H&M: COS as well as AllSaints, J.Crew, Sephora, and Brandy Melville.

Also on M Street, you can visit Cady’s Alley, a small district of furniture and decoration items that you will love, and even if you do not plan to buy something, it is always good to visit it to get ideas to decorate the house (and you will probably end up buying something small even if it is). For dining, there are extraordinary options in the area including one of the best Italian restaurants in Washington DC: Filomena, as well as Martin’s Tavern and 1789 Restaurant.

Downtown

Downtown is also great for shopping in Washington. The best of Downtown is undoubtedly the National Mall or the National Esplanade. It is a large park that houses the most important sites of the capital of the United States: the monuments of Lincoln and Washington, the Smithsonian Museum, the National Gallery, the Capitol, and the White House, the home of the president of the country. There is too much to visit in the area and you will surely spend a full day here and you can also go shopping in the stores that are very close. The Union Station has an area of ​​shops and restaurants highlighting the Japanese fast-fashion brand Uniqlo.

On G Street you will find the Macy’s department store and on the parallel street, F Street houses fashion brands such as Zara, Anthropologie, and Lululemon. On K Street you cannot see the Apple Store. It sells the same products as other stores of the brand but this store is special since it is located in the Carnegie Library building that Apple restored. Also in the area is CityCenterD.C. which we will talk about later. In Downtown Washington, there are excellent restaurants so finding a place to eat will not be a problem. We recommend Barmini by famous Spanish chef José Andrés, as well as the historic Old Ebbitt Grill or the best Italian food on Fiola.

Chevy-Chase

We are not talking about the famous movie actor of the 80s, but about an area near Washington of the same name. At Chevy Chase, you can shop at the most famous department stores without the hustle and bustle of downtown or the big malls. It is a very quiet area but with good shopping options such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s where you can buy clothes and accessories from premium and luxury brands. There is also Tiffany & Co. jewelry, as well as GAP, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers stores, and the exclusive DePandi suit store. But not everything is expensive at Chevy Chase as there is also the Marshalls discount clothing store and the DSW shoe store.

CityCenterDC

The Downtown area is one of the best shopping centers in Washington DC, the CityCenterDC mixed-use complex. It opened in 2015 and has since changed the shopping landscape in the US capital as it brought some of the most famous luxury brands to the center of the city. Its selection of boutiques includes Dior, Hugo Boss, the French firms Louis Vuitton and Hermès as well as the famous Tiffany jewelry among many others. In addition to shops, the complex includes excellent restaurants from renowned chefs such as the Estuary, apartments, offices and the exclusive Hotel Conrad.

Fashion Center at Pentagon City

Very close to the Pentagon is a great place to go shopping, Fashion Center at Pentagon City. One of its biggest advantages is that you can easily get there by subway from Washington, which makes it one of the shopping centers with the most visitors. In its facilities, there is also the iconic Ritz-Carlton hotel and several restaurants. There are two department stores: Macy’s and Nordstrom as well as dozens of internationally recognized fashion brands such as Steve Madden, Kate Spade, the Spanish brand Zara, and Bonobos. But that’s not all as there are more stores within walking distance of this mall including TJMaxx, Nordstrom Rack, Ulta Beauty makeup store, and Best Buy.

Westfield Montgomery

Open for more than half a century, Westfield Montgomery Mall is only about a 25-minute drive from downtown Washington. In this mall, you can visit the physical store of Amazon, 4 Star, where you can buy some of the best-valued products on the online site including books, electronics, kitchen utensils, and more. There are also stores for Vera Bradley, Coach, Talbots, Michael Kors, and the children’s and baby clothing brands Janie and Jack. To have a moment of leisure and fun in this place you can go bowling in lucky Strike or watch a movie in its movie theaters.

Tyson’s Corner Center

The town of Tysons, Virginia is one of the best for shopping near Washington DC since you can find two large malls within a short distance. The first of these is Tyson Corner Center. It is a fairly large shopping center whose commercial offer is led by department stores Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s. Among its stores, we highlight the luxury brands Louis Vuitton and Gucci, the Barnes & Noble bookstore, as well as Adidas, Zara, and the Japanese fast-fashion brand Uniqlo. It’s a great place to go with kids as they can customize a doll or teddy bear at American Girl and Build-A-Bear at this mall or visit the official Lego store.

Tyson’s Gallery

Less than a mile from Corner Center there is another mall that complements its commercial offer, Tysons Galleria. This mall is more focused on luxury brands and here you can find some of the most exclusive in the world such as Prada, Chanel, and Saint Laurent. It differs from other shopping centers near Washington DC since there are two of the best luxury department stores Saks Fifth Avenue and the Texan Neiman Marcus, in both, you can buy clothes and accessories from the most famous fashion designers in an environment according to the products they sell. You can also visit the stores of Club Monaco, Vince, Coach, and the Vilebrequin swimwear brand.

Fair Oaks Mall

In case you want to go shopping in a quieter place but with a good selection of stores, Fair Oaks Mall is a good place located in eastern Washington. It is located in Fairfax, Virginia, not far from Washington and among its more than 100 stores we can recommend that you visit the Macy’s department store as well as the Pottery Barn furniture store or fashion brands such as Ann Taylor, J.Crew or Abercrombie. Although this mall does not have movie theaters inside, you can find a Cinemark complex across the street. Also within walking distance, you can visit cheap clothing stores such as Old Navy, Nordstrom Rack, as well as the Bed Bath & Beyond home goods store, or the Barnes & Noble bookstore.

Nordstrom Rack

One of our favorite stores for cheap clothes in Washington DC is Nordstrom Rack. You always find good things no matter what date of the year you visit. The best thing is its prices on famous and even luxury brand items. You can get glasses from Gucci, a suit from Burberry, or bags from Dolce & Gabbana with discounts of up to 70%. They are not so cheap but you can have a product of the brand of your dreams at a much more affordable price than in normal stores. Do not forget to check their accessories section as you can buy very good designs in bags, belts, and glasses at very affordable prices.

You may also be interested in TOP 5 DESTINATIONS TO VISIT IN THE UNITED STATES

Scroll to Top