Reviews from the road: Vavavooom in Asheville, NC

As you all know I’m on a road trip through the South these few weeks. Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions about places to visit–I’m psyched to check them out. To share things will all of you from my trip I’m going to do some reviews from the road. Mostly sex shops (to continue on with the previous series) but also other cool places I discover along the way.

Our first stop was Asheville, North Carolina. We wandered into Vavavooom, a woman-owned lingerie and sex toy shop. The large window display on a main downtown Asheville street lured me in and the shop did not disappoint. As Lisa Ziemer, co-owner of the store admits, “it’s well-lit and well-done.”
I had a chance to wander around the store as well as talk to the owner herself, who was working the cash register. The lingerie they carry is tasteful, sexy and erotic all at the same time. A large variety of items without the Fredericks of Hollywood trashy feel. The items were well-priced too. The store primarily stocks lingerie, but also has a small assortment of lotions and oils as well as a small selection of sex toys–mostly the vibrators that coordinate with your ipod. It’s definitely not the place to go if you’re looking for traditional sex shop staples but for lingerie it’s fantastic. Sexy shoes, stockings, night gowns and corsets. They even have a vulva puppet on display! Also for the more masculine folk there are some silk boxer shorts and robes.
One of the huge plus sides of the store is the wide variety of sizes–from extra small to XXXL. Lisa prefers the term “luscious” to plus size, but either way it’s a great resource for women of all sizes. The store just opened in December and seems to be successful so far. Lisa says it’s the first of it’s kind in Asheville and maybe even in the Southeast. The store has some great fitting rooms in the back and will soon be offering workshops from Asheville’s only sexologist, Kelley Wolfe.
The Vavavooom website is currently under construction, but check back in the coming months for online shopping and it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in Asheville!
For more about Vavavooom, check out this article in the Mountain Xpress.
For more on my love for feminist sex shops check out my review of Smitten Kitten and Sugar.