Best of D.C. 2009

The wardrobes of District-area women would certainly be made more interesting with a few items from the collection of Betsey Johnson, who seems to have found dual muses in former Olympic figure skater Tara Lipinski and a Totally Hair Barbie circa 1991. The Georgetown store, which recently moved from its Wisconsin Avenue location to prime M Street real estate, is the place to go for gowns that rival Southern debutantes for volume, sparkles, and bows (and a few skulls and crossbones, for good measure). The designer’s pageant-queen-meets-pirate-meets-cupcake aesthetic combines ruffles, bubble hems, and appliqué in amounts that would make Tim Gunn unleash his most disappointed sigh ever. At winner Juicy Couture, though, you’ll not only find pink sweatsuits reminding you to be “Juicy” alongside ruffled, well, everything, but there are also actual sweets. The store is like a Willy Wonka’s Factory of headbands, velour, and shame.