Alice + Olivia

The Alice and Olivia boutique at 3303 M Street NW occupies a 2,400-square-foot corner space at the heart of Georgetown’s densest retail stretch, a location that the brand identified as its entry point into the Washington market when the store opened on November 8, 2014. It was the label’s first standalone location in the DC area and its 16th retail boutique in the United States at the time. The corner position on M Street gives the storefront two sides of window display, which the brand uses to communicate the seasonal collection’s visual vocabulary. Inside, the space holds the full range: ready-to-wear, gowns, shoes, handbags, and accessories, along with a small selection of other products that founder Stacey Bendet has personally selected.

Bendet co-founded Alice and Olivia in 2002. The name draws on two sources: Alice, which connects to Bendet’s own first name and to the Lewis Carroll character’s sense of visual adventure, and Olivia, which was added to broaden the brand identity beyond a single reference. The label built its reputation on bold prints, graphic patterns, and a color sensibility that leans toward the vivid rather than the muted. Cocktail dresses and party wear are the product categories most associated with the brand, but the ready-to-wear line has expanded to include suits, denim, and casual pieces that are designed in the same visual register as the occasion wear.

The Georgetown store carries pieces from Bendet’s own wardrobe edits alongside the current collection, which is the curation aspect that distinguishes a brand-owned boutique from a department store concession. Bendet has described the store selection as reflecting what she personally loves, which is a buying principle that produces a more specific result than a commercial assortment driven entirely by sales data. Washington’s diplomatic and political social calendar, which generates a consistent demand for occasion wear that few American cities can match, makes Georgetown a logical fit for a brand whose signature pieces include elaborate cocktail dresses and statement suits.

The M Street address sees high foot traffic throughout the year and peaks during the spring social season and the fall events calendar, when Washington’s diplomatic and political circuits are most active. The store occupies the same block as several other national brands and sits near enough to the Georgetown waterfront that it benefits from weekend tourist traffic as well as the neighborhood clientele.

Hours run Monday through Saturday from 11am to 6pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm. Online shopping at aliceandolivia.com carries the full range for those unable to visit in person. The M Street garages on the surrounding blocks provide the most practical parking option on weekends, when street spaces fill quickly. For a first visit, the ready-to-wear section establishes the brand’s full range, while the occasion wear section shows the product category that made the label’s reputation and has anchored its following in Washington since the store opened.