Several months ago, my husband and I made the decision to move back to our home state of Pennsylvania to be closer to family. It felt very far off at the time, but now—with boxes nearly all unpacked in Philadelphia—I find myself in my last two weeks at The Hive. Shops and businesses are the heartbeat of places like Old Town. And my biggest takeaway about Alexandria is that it shows up.

Some of you already know, but we wanted to make sure everyone heard the news: Annette is moving back to Pennsylvania. She tried to do this once before, a few years ago, but I managed to trick her into staying. This time, no amount of begging could change her mind. This is the hardest part of the job. We really are like a family, and when someone leaves, it hurts.

Xirena just screams summer—and it should. The brand was founded in Los Angeles and carries that effortlessly laid-back California vibe. When you look at this collection, you can practically feel the sunshine and imagine yourself poolside or on the beach. Come see what’s new from Xirena at The Hive.

I’ve said it before here on Stylebook: I’m a shorts person. But even I have moments—like going out to dinner or walking around town—when I don’t want to wear shorts. We found the perfect solution to this problem last year: a pant from Citizens of Humanity. It was such a hit that luckily, they brought it back this year.

I’m always a little hesitant to share my favorite items for Stylebook articles—by the time it runs, there’s a chance some of the pieces will be gone. And honestly? I hope they are! That said, I still wanted to share a few of my current sale favorites to highlight the range of brands and styles marked down.  Come visit us this weekend. Remember: the more you buy, the more you save!

It’s hard to believe it’s sale time already! Even though we started a little later this year than last, we’re bringing back one of our favorite markdown formats: the more you buy, the more you save! There are so many great pieces available—tons of summer dresses, shorts, and sandals—just in time for the warm weather.

I was just chatting with Madeline and Shannon about how some of the most-worn items in my closet are my Anine Bing graphic tees. What sets them apart? They’re thick, the prints are effortlessly cool, and even though I am technically wearing a label, it doesn’t feel that way—unlike with some other brands.

I pretty much live in sneakers—and I’m always on the hunt for new brands to carry at The Shoe Hive. I’m excited to announce our newest brand: Back 70. I first spotted them at Scarpa in Charlottesville, and then started seeing them pop up in a few more places. Come check out the newest arrivals from Back 70 and Paul Green, along with tons of other great summer shoes!

I have a friend who jokingly asks if she’s in my “top five” list of friends. I, of course, always change the subject—I love too many people to rank (though I can rank-order my dogs). But as I sat down to write about Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, the “top five” thing popped into my head. If I had to pick five of my favorite people who have ever walked through the doors of The Shoe Hive, she would be on that list.

We’ve put together a Grad Gift Guide in collaboration with our upstairs neighbor, Old House Provisions. As the parent of a grad myself, I know how exciting it is to imagine the adventures and opportunities that lie ahead for high school graduates. That’s why this felt like the perfect time to show how easy it is to do all your grad gift shopping right here in Old Town.

I can’t believe it’s not even officially summer yet and we’re already posting this—but with so many new arrivals over the past few weeks, it felt like the right time to share our pre-fall Lookbook. Maybe we should call it the “Summer Lookbook,” since many of the pieces we’ve selected are perfect for wearing now and later.

From going to market and working as a buyer, I’ve learned that certain styles or colors tend to appear in every line. This spring, there was definitely a fishermen trend. We picked up on it when we saw so many fisherman-style sandals—they were everywhere, along with boat shoes. You could call it the Maine vibe. And as someone who aspires to “summer” in Maine, I’m here for it.

We all love Krewe and own multiple pairs. The only problem is that there are so many styles, it’s hard to pick which ones to carry. Thankfully, Krewe helps us solve this by sending us dozens and dozens of styles to showcase for one weekend each year. This year, we’ll have more than 60 pairs just for the event! We can also special order different colors or styles.

It’s time for our one and only weekend where we have not just one trunk show, but two! Ann Mashburn and Lizzie Fortunato really are a perfect pairing–especially when it comes to spring dressing. When it’s event season and summer travel time, these two brands can get you through either, looking stylish and comfortable.

I have been doing retail for 21 years now, and there is no better brand or people in the business. The way the Fortunato sisters treat me and our customers is remarkable. They are generous with their time and they stand behind their product. They have shipped us so many beautiful pieces just for our Trunk Show event. Please come by and say hello and check out their Spring 2025 collection. 

One of the great parts of our Ann Mashburn Trunk Show event is the Made to Order shirting. Made to Order is not Made to Measure. When you do Made to Measure, which is common in the men’s clothing world, they take all your measurements to make a custom shirt. Made to Order is a little different. The Ann Mashburn team has sent samples of four different styles of shirts and two different dresses in all the sizing available. You try one of these models on and after you order, it’s made.

I know I always say this is the biggest event of the year, but this time it might be. I can say this with confidence because we aren’t hosting just one trunk show, we are hosting two trunk shows. We also rarely have the actual designer walk through our doors but at this event, we’ll have the fabulous designer duo: the Fortunato sisters in town, and Stephanie, our Ann Mashburn rep, too!

As a small business owner for more than 21 years there is one thing I know for sure, the only reason we’re still around is because of our amazing customers. The women who have supported us and kept our doors open for the last two decades have become our friends and we know a going-out-of-business sign would have been hung in our door many years ago if it weren’t for their loyalty. So stop by this weekend and grab some treats, special discounts, prizes and extra loyalty points to go towards your future purchases.

What’s that old axiom – if you want something done, do it yourself? The retailers in Old Town started Plaid Friday, The Alexandria Sidewalk Sale, The Alexandria Warehouse Sale and Alexandria Stylebook, and now we are adding a new spring event to the mix: The Old Town Spring Fling. There are 30 stores that are participating and each one has a special event or trunk show they’re hosting.

When it comes to what brands we carry at The Hive, the decisions aren’t always easy. It’s a bit of a puzzle that we put together in advance of each season. The brand Closed sent so many great styles, both denim and great pants, along with some cute shirting and sweaters. It’s a great brand and we’re hoping we can get enough support for it to keep it on our shelves long-term. Come check it out!