July 30, 2012

It's no secret that Charlottesville is a very eco-friendly town. And it's also no secret that we love all things local. That's why Charlottesville is the perfect place for the newly opened Aubrey's Earth Duds.

Located right off the Downtown Mall, Aubrey's Earth Duds just opened this June. They're on a mission to make natural clothing accessible to all.

"When you look around the shop you'll see it's pretty stylish," says the store's owner, Aubrey Cutchin. "Everything from dinner to casual wear can be found here. And it's soy, bamboo, hemp, organic cotton so it's comfortable, stylish, affordable."

The men's and women's styles, jewelry and handbags are all made in the USA and many made locally. Rosalba Valentino is a Nelson County resident whose fashions can be found in the shop.

Earth Duds is a vegan atmosphere free of leather and other animal products. Cutchin, who's a vegan, says she finds it important to wear natural clothes because "it feels good and it's better for the environment".

Everything is Earth-friendly, down to the recycled furnishings and bamboo hangers.

"All my fixtures in the store are reclaimed wood. The paint is no VOC paint. I had local artisans make part of the dressing room. It's not just earth-friendly clothes but the entire store is that way," says Cutchin.

Cutchin's mission for her store: great service and a small carbon footprint.

The shop is open Wednesdays through Sundays.