Periwinkle to Reopen, with New Boutique in Old Town

PHOTOS: Periwinkle’s new location is in Old Town Alexandria at 111 S. Columbus St. Photos courtesy of Periwinkle

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ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Periwinkle has announced it’s reopening in historic Old Town Alexandria. The local boutique closed locations in Alexandria and Shirlington Village at the end of 2014 with anticipation of finding a new home.

Periwinkle has selected a historic row house, at 111 S. Columbus St. (see map below), in the heart of Old Town and will be sharing the location with its sister store, The Pink Armoire. A soft opening is slated for February (more details to come) with a grand opening planned for March 2016.

“I always planned on reopening the store,” owner Elizabeth Mason said in a news release. “But, I knew it had to be the perfect location -- and we have found it. Our customers are going to love the charm of our new space. The over 200 year-old historic home has been completely renovated and we’ve got big plans for the space. There’s tons of room for great events and we are looking for ways to give back to our local charities on a regular basis.”

“Customers can expect to find the same great brands and designers that they originally fell in love with at Periwinkle plus some new discoveries. Periwinkle’s sister store, The Pink Armoire will also be housed in the new space - giving customers the option for a lower price point, yet still on-trend look,” said Mason.

Periwinkle was established in 2005 as the vision of owner Elizabeth Mason. As a former politico, she combined her love of fashion with her knowledge of the active woman and opened a one-stop shopping destination. Periwinkle notes that it strives to be the location in the Washington, DC area to find the complete outfit - whether you are an on-the-go mom or a professional working woman.

About the new location

Built in 1798 by a prominent Quaker, it has served 10 owners in one capacity or another, though only half of them actually dwelled there, according to Periwinkle. At one time it was owned by one of the wealthiest men of the 19th century, Benjamin Tasker Dulany. Then a local architect, still remembered after a passage of over one hundred years, enlarged the house to the rear and embellished it with woodwork in excellent taste. He lived there some of the time and at others used it as an office and shop. Well into its second century, a German housewife again increased its size and turned it into a boarding house and restaurant. She and her family owned the house for 73 years. Restored at great expense in 1976, this eighteenth century house with its handsome facade is set for another one hundred years.