Nana

Nana is a warm, inviting, delicious little boutique along Mount Pleasant street that, for regulars like me, has been a well-​kept secret over the years. I think it’s high time that owner Jackie and her amazing team get a few more devotees, however. Nana’s windows draw on the long-​forgotten shop art of intrigue, and the designs always draw me in the way department stores just don’t anymore (read: ubiquitous brands and homogeneous styles whether you’re in Caracas, DC or London). In the race to globalize, we’ve lost a lot of the uniqueness of times and places – Nana is about getting back to that.
Jackie designs many of the clothes herself, and the items are sewn by workers in DC making what they should be paid. If you’re like me and tired of buying a $ 200 dress sewn by someone who was paid less than $ 0.57 for it, then Nana is for you.
The designs are beautiful, the lines are clean, the fabrics are inventive. Raw silk, stripes, herringbone, mixed textures. The pieces are ones that have become staples in my closet and which I routinely receive compliments on. Jackie will tailor many of her pieces for free to fit you like a glove.
The shop also has some funky jewelry and a regular selection of Preloved clothes that are hard to find elsewhere (Preloved is a Canadian designer that uses recycled fabrics to make gorgeous creations).
Nana isn’t cheap (they do have some excellent sales), but things are well-​made, ethically made and one-​of-​a-​kind. And to me, that’s worth it.

I like Anthropolgie as much as the next girl… but I kind of get sick of seeing my favorite outfit on about 20 chicks, in one season. Also, maybe as the child of a small business owner, maybe as die hard Resurgenist, I believe in supporting a local economy.
Enter Nana. I ADORE that there is a Recycle-​ist facet to this store. I also love that local designers AND producers are involved. I love the space. I love that someone took the time, money, hardship, fortitude, and belief to invest in a community that could questionably support this endeavor.
I can find cheaper clothing. I can find posher clothing. More unique? No. Would I get the self-​satifaction of buying something as expensive at Neiman Marcus? No. let’s not mince words… Nana is not cheap. Unique. Quality. Devoted to local economy and neighborhood? Yes.

I discovered Nana by browsing «shopping» on Unilocal,near my hotel in downtown DC. Based on reviews, I took a cab there for $ 10 (cash only cabs here). The local designer clothing was made of very heavy/​stiff material like canvas almost (not comfy) & very boxy/​structured cuts. Prob best for ultra thin women, the pieces would give you no shape where you might need it. The vintage stuff had a very «hippie» feel (just not my style) but if that’s you, check this place out. The jewelry was quite nice (a bit over priced on all items in fact, as other Unilocalers have mentioned). I tried on a denim skirt that was not well sewn at all & the cut was not flattering. Very poor quality. There is currently a 45% off sale on specific items. They seemed to have a good sense of style for the bags & jewelry, which will largely depend on what they have in stock. They have amazing 14k gold initial necklaces (only 4 letters left & all I can remember is a «K»). They were lovely & I think $ 55. They didn’t have the letter I wanted but call & ask what letters they have bec they were beautiful. 4 stars for the style/​/​vibe, friendliness & jewelry.

Seriously everything I’ve bought at Nana over the years has become a staple in my closet. If you are looking for one-​of-​a-​kind dresses (that are eco-​friendly too) then this cute little shop is for you! Plus i’ve found a lot of cute little gifts there — i.e. soaps, candles, cards, jewelry.
For those of you who don’t know, this shop recently moved from their U Street location to Mt. Pleasant!

This is the kind of store that is beautiful and inviting, wonderful music, even a great scent in the air and looks unique from the signage outside. Inside it’s unique all right, but in a natural-​fabric mod, hipster kind of way. A hipster with money to waste. I found most of the clothes ugly.

It was 2pm on New Year’s Eve and I had nothing to wear. I scouted the store and found a wonderful, vintage, shimmery, champagne-​colored dress. Only problem, it was too many sizes too big. The patient owner worked with me for over an hour on how to best style the dress, even going as far as sewing me into it. The dress worked out well, thanks to the dedication and serious personal-​attention from the owner.

Nana is a lovely little shop in Mt. Pleasant (semi-​recently moved from their U Street location). I finally had a chance to swing by the other weekend just to check out their new digs and the shop space looks great. Lots of lovely vintage finds!
One thing that drives me batty about boutiques is that people pressure you to buy stuff. But not at Nana! The shopkeep was super nice, introduced herself and occasionally commented on cool stuff I was looking at (and not in a suggestive, «hey that’s cool! wanna buy it?», sort of way). I found a sweet pair of vintage black and white Ferragamo wingtip T-​strap shoes but alas, they were too narrow. The lovely shopkeep didn’t pressure me to find something else that fit but mentioned that she loved vintage shoes too but always had that problem. All was not lost though– I did find some really cute tops and jewelry.
As a heads up, some pieces can be a bit pricey. But it’s well-​worth the extra couple of bucks to support a local, well-​curated shop of new and vintage clothing!

Really loved my recent experience in the store, for a trunk sale. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, and gave opinions when we asked.
I hate how some stores salespeople, I won’t name names, tell you EVERYTHING looks amazing on you. Not an issue here. The nana ladies were like «erm… i think the other one was better»… aka nice girl code for «that dress is not working for you honey!»
It was a special day. I bought more than I should have but was happy to support a neighborhood business!

Cute store with new stuff in the front and gently used stuff in the back. I wasn’t feeling like clothes shopping, and if I ever came back to DC, I would definitely stop at Nana’s.

I foresaw trouble for my wallet when stepped into Nana. Somehow (probably because I will soon be leaving a cushy job to go back to school … ??) I resisted the urge to empty my bank account.
This store has such delightful offerings and really friendly sales staff! Lots of cute clothing — «keeper» pieces that have a little flair but aren’t super trendy, along with some cool vintage pieces. They also had some fun, random little gift-​y things (like candles). What really got me drooling, though (as usual) were the BAGS. Oh sweet, sweet, leatheriffic goodness. I ended up just taking home a piece of jewelry — a long vintage strand of stones … which was surprisingly affordable — yay!
I’ll be back for you, Nana … keep up the awesomeness!

Although I haven’t bought any clothes here, I have found several pieces that I like. Since they can be slightly pricey, I like to wait to see if I still like it and then come back to buy it (helps with my impulsive buys!)…but so far, no clothes for me. It’s a different story with their bags (Hobo gorgeousness, which I did my anti-​impulsive-​wait-​to-​see-​if-​I-​still-​like-​it thing)…and bought with an email discount –20% off! Signing up for their mailing list is a bonus. I’ve also bought tights and soy candles, which smell lovely.
A plus: the most plesant sales woman makes for a nice shopping/​browsing experience without being over-​pushy, something you can feel in struggling botique shops nowadays.

This place is so cute! Lots of indie lines — and Hobo International bags if you are a lover of those.
I got a cute dress on sale for $ 25 dollars from the Canadian line Pre-​loved. It is made from cut up vintage shirts. I also got a cute screenprint scarf made in Baltimore. A store that supports artists is a store that gets my support.
The girl behind the counter was really friendly and they have a special program where they accumulate the prices of 6 purchases you make there, then give you 10 percent of that total off your 7^th purchase. Score.

Amazing, amazing, amazing place. I can’t say enough good things about Nana’s. They carry a small selection, but every single piece in the store is incredible. Nana’s is stocked with a lot of lines that I had never heard of before but now love, like Preloved, House of Spy, and Kasil. Their clothes are slightly pricey, but reasonable for the quality — they also have great sales! They even have sales on in-​season HOBO bags, which I have never seen anywhere else.
I could go on and on about the great clothing, but what really blew me away was the customer service. These ladies really appreciate your business and go all out to prove that. On my first trip there, I got a great Preloved jacket and a pair of Kasil jeans. A week later, I got an email from the owner asking me how I was liking the pieces. What a great personal touch! Details like that are what keep me coming back. I recently went in there to shop for a birthday dress and got the same treatment, so it is not a fluke. The girl there couldn’t have been more helpful and gave really honest feedback on the way the dresses looked on me. Keep up the great work, Nana!

I’m pretty sure the girls in Nana hate me since I always look and never buy. Ok thats a lie I’ve purchased something maybe 3 times in the past 6 years. Its a great little shop and can be counted on to have cute things. The prices can be a little high and the Vintage rack will appeal to some.
Its the little shop that could and I hope they do stick around.

Lemme tell ya what I like about Nana. Two things in particular: Hue and Hobo. The brand names, not, like, colors and old guys who ride trains with handkerchief satchels. Anyway…
They carry a great selection of both. Now I know what you’re saying: can’t you get a better selection at a department store? Prolly not. And they even put both on sale when they have their store-​wide promotions. Try getting in-​season merch at a discount anywhere else! Go ahead. Try. –the DCGF

I have never found anything here, and am very unimpressed with their service. Not to mention their prices are ridiculously marked up. Based on all the reviews I have seen I was expecting to at least find SOMETHING at this U Street boutique, however I haven’t ever found anything worth trying on.
It probably doesn’t help that every time I’ve gone none of their staff even bothers to say hello.
I would usually recommend going to POP over this place, but unfortunately they are in the process of shutting down.

I’ve been visiting Nana’s for 5 years and I have never bought anything. So why do I keep going back? I really like the clothing they have. It’s modern yet classic. That’s exactly my style. I don’t buy anything because I tend to float in there when i’m not in the mood to really shop. Just window shop. I’ll have to remember to stop in when I’m in the mood to burn some cash.
They have a small used section in the back. They also have a good selection of purses or jewlery. I spotted some earrings that I will go back and buy next week I think.

Oof, I can’t resist Nana. It took four visits before I actually bought something, but the fact that I kept going back over and over again says a lot about its unholy attractiveness. It’s, for lack of a better word, adorable, with racks upon racks of ultra-​chic, unique and beautifully-​made (mostly) clothes that I find ever-​so-​slightly overpriced but reeeeally wish I could afford. Feminine and sophisticated, euro but not eurotrash. Think Sienna Miller, with a bra.
Right now, they have the most delicious babydoll dresses with poet sleeves and French schoolgirl collars in buttery-​soft jersey cotton. If you have the body type that can pull this sort of dress off, GO NOW before you miss it. I’d totally buy it, except I tried it on and it made me look like a freakish Lolita. Ugh, so weird.
The people who work there are incredibly friendly, down-​to-​earth and helpful… but maybe a little too nice – I think that they’re not the type to hand down harsh (but sometimes necessary) criticism. Everything looks good on you! Even if it doesn’t. On the other hand, it’s really nice to find a small, higher-​end independent boutique where the staff don’t give you the evils when you walk in.

Nana is definitely one of the little boutiques that stands out for me in the U street corridor. my only complaint is i wish it was bigger! they always have cute bags and the clothing is simple yet stylish and femimine and totally wearable.
Nana carries known brands like Hobo International and Blue Cult but also a bunch of items by independent designers that you wouldn’t find in your average dept store (much like a lot of the other boutiques in the neighborhood). but Nana’s prices are quite reasonable, esp for the style and quality of the clothing, compared to some of its more expensive but v. stylish neighbors. and one particularly appealing thing about the store is the friendly staff — makes the shopping experience there that much more pleasant, even if you leave empty-​handed. go now, they’re having a sale!

I flove it. That’s right– I freakin love it.
If you are hitting Nana for the first time, take a tip from me. Head to the back room first. That’s where the vintage stuff is. One of the great things about this store is the staff– they are friendly and good natured – and take an interest in you as a person, not a dollar sign.
You’ll find Nana on the second floor of a row house, but unlike most stores in spaces like this — it is light and open. The clothes and bags here are trendy and chic, yet definitely affordable. You can find stuff at section there’s vegan friendly vinyl bags!
The size selection here is impressive– not just size twos. And once you start shopping here (just stop in once and you’re hooked) the owner will know you by name.