Local photographer/artist, Amanda Reed recently teamed up with Sunflower Soul shop owner, Weslea Coles, to create a diverse line of accessories, using natural, recycled, and vintage elements. Both avid recyclers, they were inspired to find new uses for old things and came up with a product line called “Pretty White Trash,” which is a West Virginia clothing and jewelry line. The line also includes upcycled furniture and a broad range of other creations is in the works.

“We had the ‘white trash’ talk several years ago and from there Pretty White Trash was born. A business fueled and inspired by our friendship and difficult times.” – Weslea Coles

This entire line is available exclusively at Sunflower Soul, which is a retail shop in downtown Lewisburg that offers happy feel good gifts and clothing for everyone. It’s located at 205 E. Washington Street across from the post office and beside Simm’s Exxon. Weslea carries several product lines in her shop and Pretty White Trash is the first one in-house. She tells us, “Instead of us buying things from everyone else, we are creating our own product line to sell in Sunflower Soul.”

One of the more notable clothing pieces in the Pretty White Trash line is the “Wild & Wonderful” tee. This signature gray t-shirt has “Wild & Wonderful” emphasized in large print on the front side. It has been sold out once already since coming out during the TOOT Festival but is now back in stock. Two other t-shirt designs are the acid washed pocket-t’s which have the words “Almost Heaven” and “Born and Raised” also across the front. They are available in red and white. All tees are available in men’s, women’s, and kids sizes.

“It is an amazing feeling to walk into a space filled with your dreams, your passions, and your best friend each morning. Our girl-talks have inspired our entire line. I truly feel that we create what we love and when you work from that place, your clients can’t help but feel that energy when they walk into the store.” – Amanda Reed.

Another exciting item in the line is the jewelry. Weslea and Amanda have created heart shaped map necklaces that showcase West Virginia and local areas such as Lewisburg, Ronceverte, White Sulphur Springs, and the counties of Greenbrier and Pocahontas. There are also necklaces and bracelets with stamped charms that offer a timeless Appalachian feel. Done locally in-house by Weslea and Amanda, the stamps have different things on them that we can relate to like “Mountain Mama,” “Almost Heaven,” and “Country Roads.” Not surprisingly, these charmed bracelets and necklaces have been wildly popular among their clientele.

There’s also the Pretty White Trash Bags, which are multi-purpose canvas sacks that are great for shopping and carrying schoolbooks and iPads, among other things. These bags are currently available in pink, tan, jean, and teal and include 4 different prints that are “Almost Heaven,” “Mountain Momma,” “Bad Boy Whisperer,” “Your Vibe Attracts your Tribe,” and “Wild & Wonderful.”

A few more things worth mention are the Pretty White Trash hat with angel wings and the “Almost Heaven” and “Country Roads” throw pillows. There’s also lots of hand-painted furniture including a dresser, child bench, and a large floral cabinet. The furniture is a little bit of everything for the home or office.

New inventory is being prepared weekly so be sure to follow them on social media @PrettyWhiteTrash. This line will also soon be available for online purchasing at Shoptiques.com. This site offers merchandise from the world’s best boutiques.

We suggest you save the date for the Art Show and Live Window Painting w/ Trahern Cook at Sunflower Soul on Saturday, Nov 21st during Holiday Open House from 11-5pm. We featured Trahern on the cover of our October issue of LBSPY and now you’ll have a chance to see him in action as he paints the front window of the shop! His paintings will be displayed throughout the shop and available for purchase. He’ll also have his work re-created on mugs, also something you can take home. There will be light refreshments all day.

For more information about Pretty White Trash, contact Weslea and Amanda at 304-645-7865 or email prettywhitetrash@gmail.com.

– LBSPY, November 2015.