Carmen Lopez has shopped her fair share of secondhand stores, but much of the time she found the shops poorly organized, the clothes damaged or frumpy. "A lot of the time when you think about consignment shops, you think about dated clothing," she says.

But the ethos of shopping secondhand -- being able to score stylish clothes for a song -- still appealed to her. So Lopez, 28, decided to open Current Boutique, Clarend on's three-month-old stop for what she calls "modern consignment."

"I wanted something for the everyday female: someone who works 9 to 5 but goes out for cocktails on the weekends," she says. "Not everyone wants to rummage through everything." Lopez accepts used clothes and accessories from a variety of consigners. Many of the pieces still have their tags attached -- and often, those items come from Lopez's regular consigners, such as the one who scours closeout sales for great deals, or the one who buys shoes online but doesn't have time to return the pairs that don't fit.

Of course, not every item is Diane von Furstenberg; basic H&M tops and Ann Taylor skirts abound. But there are lots of steals, whether it's shoes (seemingly unworn Cynthia Rowley pumps), boutique-brand outfits (an adorable Tocca sundress with original Urban Chic tags) or formal dresses (three still-tagged Badgley Mischka mini-dresses). And that's where Current's genius lies: Good prices, but you won't have to dig past Grandma's musty cardigans to find your Gucci.

The following items can be found at Current Boutique (2529 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, 703-528-3079,www.currentboutique.com).