I love the recent proliferation of cute boutiques in Downtown Leesburg. After my visit to Lou Lou a couple of weeks ago, I was inspired to check out another one: Madisonbelle on Loudoun Street.

Madisonbelle has a carefully-cultivated selection of upscale casual clothing. When I visited on Friday, a customer mentioned that she decided to come there instead of shopping at the outlet mall with her friends.

This is really a perfect encapsulation of Madisonbelle. While the outlet mall draws shoppers from all over the region, Madisonbelle draws those who are looking for something a little different. With a small but interesting selection and personal attention, Madisonbelle creates a different shopping experience than what you can find elsewhere.

Although they have a sale section in the back by the dressing rooms, Madisonbelle isn't a place for discount shoppers. "The Belle" bills itself as "City Hip," for good reason. Madisonbelle looks like it was taken right out of SoHo in New York City and dropped in the middle of Leesburg.

With brands like Free People, Michael Stars and 7 For All Mankind, you can get cutting-edge fashion without leaving town or fighting the crowds at a larger store. Madisonbelle is also a great place to pick up accessories: they have the best selection of belts I've seen probably ever, as well as a selection of beautiful jewelry. Leggings, tights, you can find everything you need to pull together your outfit.

They can even help you pull together the outfit if you're having trouble doing it yourself: Madisonbelle even offers personal shopping. Want to get your friends in on the action? How about a ladies night at Madisonbelle with one of their private parties?

City Hip comes to life at Madisonbelle, so if you're looking for a different kind of shopping experience, head downtown and find something to improve your look.