*Willow Fashion on Upshur Street NW (photo courtesy Willow)*

Upshur Street in Petworth is home to more than just a bunch of restaurants, you can also find some great retail like Bentley's Vintage Furniture & Collectibles, Fia’s Fabulous Finds and Willow Fashion. I want to share a look at some of these local businesses who have worked to improve the neighborhood and may not get the attention they deserve.

Located at 843 Upshur Street NW, Willow is a local fashion and accessory store that stocks a little bit of everything, from cute dresses to locally made goods (like some awesome Petworth t-shirt, mugs and more). DC and Petworth-themed products are designed in-house by Willow staff and line the shelves, along with a great selection of baby and kids gifts. Willow also has a wide selection of cards for all occasions.

Willow's Instagram account is filled with great fashion photography taken by DC photographer Paola Nazati at the store and around the area, and is a good way to keep up with the changing stock of clothes and gifts.

Owner Julie Wineinger has lived in and been involved in the Petworth neighborhood for years, helps manage the Upshur Street Art & Craft Fair, and is responsible for many of the street improvements you see.

Willow opened in 2011, sharing space inside “Corehaus,” an art store located in what is now Upshur Street Books.

“My actual first day in business was at the Upshur Street Art and Craft Fair in 2011. I originally shared space in Corehaus with James Kerns. It was a great opportunity and allowed me to see if Petworth was ready for a clothing store. In 2012, I moved into my current space. One of the lessons I learned while in the Corehaus space was that folks in Petworth were always on their way to a housewarming party or baby shower, so I decided to add gifts,” Julie said.

Julie is a great community partner, working to improve the streetscape and neighborhood feel. I’m often taking pictures of her great window displays, and the chalkboard inside the store highlights many well-known Petworth businesses. Beyond managing the Upshur Art & Craft Fair, Julie is partnering with Fia’s Fabulous Finds for the upcoming Petworth Fashion Fest in September, with the goal of bringing a sidewalk-fair focused on fall fashion and handmade crafts/gifts with around 40-50 vendors from the DC metro.

"Petworth is my neighborhood,” Julie told me. “I strive to make Willow a place that contributes something special to Petworth. My team and I put a lot of effort into having fun window displays, keeping the street clean, planting flowers, and helping plan special events. Upshur Street is really a unique strip in DC in that it doesn't just have restaurants, but it also has some great retail shops."

Be sure to stop by to check out Willow and support other local businesses in the Petworth area. You’ll be surprised by the affordable prices and great variety.

When you stop by, tell them you saw this article or their ad on the Petworth News website and get 10% off your purchase!

(FYI: This is not a sponsored post; I just want to give some love to local businesses that have worked hard on behalf of the community to make Petworth a great neighborhood. Look for an upcoming article about Fia’s soon!)