A San Francisco-based clothing retailer opened its doors on 14th Street last weekend.
Marine Layer, which bills itself as a “a San Francisco-based premium casual apparel brand,” is now open at 1627 14th Street NW.
The shop sells “absurdly soft” T-shirts, button-downs, sweaters, pants and accessories for men and women, and a sign near the door urges customers to “touch everything.”
Most of the company’s clothing sells for roughly $40 to $100, and is offered in offbeat sizes like “marge” and “larger.”
(Updated at 10:03 a.m. on Thursday) Men may once again gather at an infamous address in Logan Circle … only this time, they’ll be shopping for clothes.
Clothing retailer J. Crew has plans to open a new men’s only clothing store at 1618 14th Street NW next year, said J. Crew PR Coordinator Annabelle Javellana yesterday afternoon. The company had set a tentative date to open the new retail location in May, Javellana added.
Despite yesterday’s news of a confirmed opening, a company representative told us this morning that there had been “confusion,” and that “the fact that [J. Crew] is opening there is not confirmed.” The representative did not deny the store may open or say whether that means the company is also eyeing other potential locations.
The building, once known for housing the infamous “wrestling club” and “men’s parties” events, was partially demolished two weeks ago, and has been the talk of the neighborhood for years. A man died there in 2009, prompting the city to file suit to shut the sex club inside down.
After the building’s owners decided to raze it in 2013, ANC 2F debated preserving the building before ultimately granting a conditional demolition endorsement one year later.
In February, the Washington Business Journal reported that the building’s owner was issued a permit to rebuild and repair the bottom third of the building’s façade.
A San Francisco-based clothing retailer is set to arrive on 14th Street.
Marine Layer, which bills itself as a “a San Francisco-based premium casual apparel brand,” is slated to open a location at 1627 14th Street NW in the “last week of October or the first week of November,” said company representative John Ferrin.
A walk through the company’s website reveals “absurdly soft” T-shirts, button-downs, sweaters, pants and accessories for men and women. Most of the company’s clothing sells for roughly $40 to $100.
“We sell through our website and our retail stores in San Francisco, LA, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, NY and Miami (and expanding),” reads a recent Craigslist job posting. “We are a fast-growing company whose success has been built on a small, passionate team that works hard and has a lot of fun.”
Rue 14’s Jiwon Paik-Nguyen. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Cecile Oreste at danceDC
This weekend marks the two-year anniversary of Rue 14 located on 14th St. NW, just north of S St.. Owners Andrew Nguyen and Jiwon Paik-Nguyen plan to celebrate in style with champagne and cupcakes from Iza Cupcake — as well as a three-day sale.
Despite starting a new business during the troubled times of the recession, Rue 14 has been growing consistently since it opened and the Nguyens hope to expand their product offerings and eventually find a larger space.
I recently met up with Jiwon to talk about the business of fashion and to learn more about the men’s and women’s clothing boutique.
Borderstan: You and Andrew previously worked in New York for famous brands like Brooks Brothers and Ralph Lauren. What brought you to the District?
Jiwon: There is more opportunity in DC as there are not a lot of boutiques in the area. We wanted to bring a fresh, new store to DC that felt very local and not commercial. Our vision for the store was to recreate cool boutiques in New York City by offering a mix of well-known and up-and-coming designers.
We’re always on the lookout for something new and interesting. The style is forward thinking, not too cutting edge, but also not too conservative.
Borderstan: What made you choose 14th St.-Logan Circle for the location of your boutique?
