Dresscode by Gita

36 Village Square, The Village of Cross Keys

410-323-9009

Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday

More than a boutique, dresscode by gita is also a gallery where jewelry, haberdashery and home accessories are displayed like fine art - on hangers, shelves, marble slabs, under bell jars.

"It's intimate," says owner Gita Chowdhury. "That's the feeling I wanted to keep."

Trained at Browns, the posh London clothier, Chowdhury went on to become a buyer for Paul Smith in New York City.

Her experience has served Chowdhury well at dresscode as she has sourced exquisite pieces from around the world and included bijoux of her own design. Price points reach from $3 for a gold bead to $35,000 for a diamond bracelet from Gem Palace. There are miniature, gold DoDo charms from Pomellato in Italy, men's jackets by Shanghai Tang, Roman coin earrings by Serhat Geridonmez and scarves by Kashmir Looms.

A beaded Venetian glass necklace by Aprosio & Co., a shirt tailored by Rajesh Pratap Singh and a pink quartz ring by Marie--Helene de Taillac make classic keepsakes - recognizable in the best-appointed world capitals.