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Behold Commonwealth’s never-ending wall of Nikes. .

Greater Goods
1626 U St. NW
202-449-6070
www.greatergoods.com
Though they’ve been warehousing eco-conscious products -- from energy saving doodads like the “Kill a Watt” Power Use Monitor ($30) all the way down to all-natural stuffed animals ($32) – since 2007, U St.’s one stop shop for all things green, Greater Goods, is now celebrating the release of their very first in-house creation.  Enter: District Suds.

The brainchild of Goods founder Daniel Velez and jet-setting District skincare maven, For the Love of’s Kristina Libby -- who’s been known to travel as far as Colombia for a nice piece of sandalwood -- the first entry in District Suds’ catalogue is an 8 oz bath bar ($6.50) that starts with good stuff like goat’s milk and coconut oil and finishes with a face sheathed in a skin-scrubbing layer of dried lavender.

While Libby “sourced, put together and made the first batch,” said Velez, his operation will be taking over the reins now that they’ve made it beyond the prototype stage.  Should the line’s first offering prove a hit, he promises that we can expect even more from District Suds later on in 2010.  Be sure to try out a free sample of the inaugural recipe in-store…while supplies last.

Commonwealth
1781 Florida Ave. NW
202-265-1830
www.cmonwealth.com
Call it successful counter-programming to U St.’s growing rep for tastefulness de rigueur, but this second outlet from Norfolk-based “menswear outpost” Commonwealth has made its name on decidedly streetwise merchandise once removed from its obvious influences in the hip-hop and skateboard scenes.  Instead of CD mixtapes and skate decks, however, this Florida Ave. (not quite a) boutique focuses on three other adorations of the adolescent brain -- loud t-shirts, ball caps and sneakers -- with a high style sneer.

Much of Commonwealth’s strong suit – highly sought after, small print run tees ($32) -- cynically re-spin the logos of familiar manchild favorites like Jack Daniels, Popeye’s Chicken and the X-Men.  Indeed, no trademark is sacred to an urban scenester and his MacBook.  Even hats in the store’s own C’mon line ($40) shamelessly sport the Fred Perry emblem, just cocked 180 degrees to the right.

Even without an appreciation for satire, chances are that any red blooded male between the ages of 10 to 30 won’t be able to fight the siren song of Commonwealth’s seemingly never-ending wall of footwear -- although the choice of old school Reebok Pumps ($94) over a pair of Godzilla-themed Nike high-tops ($100) might separate the men from the boys.

Treasury Vintage Clothing & Curios
1843 14th St. NW (2nd floor)
202-506-6908
www.shoptreasury.com
A self-described “concept boutique” out to combine “an appreciation for the historical with the quest for modern beauty,” Treasury is one of greater U St.’s most discriminating secondhand retailers with a stock that spans -- and somehow unifies --- a century’s worth of high-end, yet sensible, fashions. 

According to co-owner Cathy Chung, “DC still has a very classic sense of style and people still embrace that here.”  It’s a sensibility plainly evinced in her pairing of a plaid woolen cape ($150) -- made in Great Britain, but newly liberated from an estate sale in Connecticut, we’re told -- with a critter-clad pillbox ($50) that adheres to the "old fur so it's ok" rule. 

Need an antiquated accessory to complete the ensemble?  Treasury’s selection of belt buckles ($30 and up) may date from the 1970s, but their wall of women’s handbags literally ticks back through the decades, culminating in a turn of the century, chainmail clutch ($145) that they literally don’t make them like anymore.  And, in yet another gesture of old time handicraft, Treasury even employs an on-site seamstress Tues. through Thurs.

Habitat Live & Wear
1512 U St. NW
202-518-7222
www.habitatstyle.com
This season’s must-have handbag isn’t strictly the domain of cosmopolitan womenfolk any more.  Gentlemen take notice:  U St.’s unisex dispensary of top-shelf carryalls, Habitat Live & Wear, is now offering a line of men’s shoulder bags that’ll smack the words “man purse” right out of any naysayer’s mouth. 

Made out of a cruelty-free polyurethane blend that’s deceptively real in both its look and feel, Habitat’s line of Espe brand messenger totes ($180) are a natural addition to U St.’s growing assortment of sharp, smart menswear.   But options for the XY set don’t stop with attachés  -- the soon-to-be decade old baggage boutique also keeps a small collection of out of the ordinary men’s accessories, like light bulb-shaped cufflinks ($50), on hand all year round.