New appointment-only shopping experience brings high-end fashion at accessible prices to Loudoun County while supporting survivors and violence prevention through LAWS
The Resourceful Woman, the downtown Leesburg thrift store supporting the mission of LAWS Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services, is celebrating the grand opening of its new Designer Closet, an appointment-only shopping experience featuring an exclusive selection of designer and high-end clothing and accessories.
Opening during a month that celebrates thrift shopping and the return to school and work, the Designer Closet offers another way for Loudoun County residents to shop with purpose. From professional attire and special-occasion pieces to high-end athleisure and comfortable everyday wear, the collection features donated designer and premium brands, many with original tags still attached or in like-new condition, at prices significantly below traditional retail.
The opening also complements LAWS’ “Back to School, Back to Safety” focus this August, a month dedicated to highlighting prevention, healthy relationships, trusted adults and the resources available to children and families throughout Loudoun County.
For many families, the season also means a return to workplaces, routines and new opportunities, making access to quality, affordable clothing especially meaningful.
“At The Resourceful Woman, we see every day how incredibly generous our community is, and the Designer Closet gives us an exciting new way to share some of the exceptional pieces that are donated to us,” said Store Manager Kathy Gilman. “We want people to feel welcome here and to know they can find something that helps them look and feel their best, whether they’re preparing for a job interview, returning to work, attending a special event or simply finding something they love.”
She added: “And every purchase supports a mission that directly serves our neighbors.”
Unlike the main thrift store, the Designer Closet is available by appointment only, providing shoppers with a more private, personalized opportunity to explore the collection. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 703-771-8173 or emailing trw@lcsj.org.
A Store With Deep Roots in the LAWS Mission
For LAWS, The Resourceful Woman is more than a thrift store. It is an important part of the organization’s history and its longstanding connection to the Loudoun community.
In earlier chapters of the organization’s history, The Resourceful Woman served as a hub for the work that would become LAWS today. Hotline calls were answered there, services were provided there, and the store became a gathering point around which the organization’s mission developed.
“The Resourceful Woman holds a very special place in the history of LAWS,” said Samantha Clarke, CEO of LAWS Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services. “There was a time when so much of our mission operated right out of this space, and it still serves as an important bridge between our organization and the community.”
“That connection is what makes the Designer Closet so exciting,” Clarke continued. “Our community gives us extraordinary resources through their donations, and this creates a new way to put that generosity to work. Someone can donate clothing, discover an incredible piece for themselves, learn more about LAWS, or simply shop knowing their purchase helps uplift survivors and fund prevention efforts right here in our community.”
The Resourceful Woman serves both LAWS clients and the broader public. Clothing items can help survivors rebuild their lives, prepare to enter or re-enter the workforce, or establish greater independence. At the same time, everyone is welcome to shop, with store proceeds flowing back into the LAWS mission and its work to prevent domestic and sexual violence and support survivors in Loudoun County.
For Assistant Store Manager Lynn Espinoza, that connection to LAWS gives the everyday work at the store a deeper purpose.
“I find a lot of meaning in knowing that the work I do each day contributes, in some way, to helping our clients access the support and services they need,” said Espinoza. “It reminds me that even the small things we do at the thrift store are part of something much bigger.”
The model creates a community-wide cycle of impact: residents donate high-quality clothing and goods they no longer need; shoppers give those items a new life at an accessible price; and the proceeds help sustain services and prevention efforts in the community.
Shop, Donate and Support the Mission
Located in the heart of downtown Leesburg at 11 Loudoun St. SW, Suite 100, The Resourceful Woman Thrift Store is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations are welcomed at the thrift store Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Designer Closet opening comes at an important time of growth for LAWS. The organization is building momentum for its capital campaign to fund a new Shelter and Community Services Center, designed to expand its capacity to serve survivors, families, and the broader Loudoun community.
As LAWS looks toward that future, The Resourceful Woman remains firmly rooted on Loudoun Street: a tangible connection between the organization’s history, the generosity of the community and its vision for what comes next.
Whether donating, shopping the thrift store, making an appointment at the new Designer Closet or simply stopping in to learn more about the mission, community members are invited to be part of that story.
