After 25 years with Mustard Seed, the secondhand clothing store on Wisconsin Avenue, co-founder Gayle Herrmann is striking out on her own. The Oak boutique opened last week at 10511 Metropolitan Ave. in Kensington, a 10-minute drive from Rockville Pike and worlds away from the traffic of downtown Bethesda. “I wanted to do something different, in a less hectic area with more parking where I could really connect with people,” Herrmann says. While Mustard Seed was known for its vintage and recently recycled clothing, Oak (oaktheshop.com) carries all-new merchandise with a weekend-casual vibe. “We specialize in comfy and loose but hip things that you won’t find at Nordstrom,” she says. “We don’t carry jeans. I really think people want easy stuff right now.” As for Mustard Seed, the store is still in business under a new name: Remix.
