Orange Is the New You

University News

Orange Is the New You

August 28, 2024 • By Mike Mather, mike.mather@virginia.edu Mike Mather, mike.mather@virginia.edu

Students in the stand at Scott Stadium dressed in all orange

The UVA football team would love to see an ocean of orange in Scott Stadium Saturday evening. (Photo by Emily Faith Morgan, University Communications)

For first-year Wahoos, few experiences are as memorable as attending their first football game in the University of Virginia’s Scott Stadium.

There’s the charge of the Cavalier on horseback. There is the fountain of fire as the team rumbles onto the field. And this year, there is a huge new scoreboard that might be visible from space.

This Saturday at 6 p.m., the Cavaliers square off against the University of Richmond Spiders, and the home team is asking everyone in the stands to don their UVA orange for the annual "UVA Strong Orange Out" game. There will be a pre-game remembrance of football players Devin Chandler, D'Sean Perry and Lavel Davis Jr. who were slain in a shooting in November 2022. Football player Mike Hollins, who graduated last year, will also be recognized, along with student-athlete Marlee Morgan. Both were wounded in the incident.

𝕻𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊. 🍊
Week 1️⃣ fit | ⚔️
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball)

So, if your wardrobe is lacking a certain color – and that would be almost unimaginable after the first week of classes – here are some retailers who bleed orange and blue.

The newest retailer in town is . The store just celebrated its grand opening last week and is stocked to the ceiling with all manner of Wahoo wear, or “drip,” as the students might say. Hats, hoodies, polos, skirts, you name it, and it is probably in stock at 1141 Emmet St. North (in the Barracks Road Shopping Center).

Cavman looks at UVA shirts at Alumni Hall

The brand-new Alumni Hall store in the Barracks Road Shopping Center has perhaps the biggest selection of Wahoo wear in the area, including plenty of orange. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

Alumni Hall is a national retailer that opened in 2006 and has expanded to 32 stores mainly east of the Mississippi, including the franchise now in Charlottesville.

Closer to Grounds, , or simply Mincer’s, has been synonymous with UVA since 1948. It’s nearly a rite of passage for new Wahoos and their parents to peruse the sale rack on the sidewalk outside its location on the Corner and then wander inside to see what’s new this year. The family-owned retailer has opened a second store at 2015 Bond St., in the Shops at Stonefield.

An outside view of the Mincer's store located on the Corner

Mincer’s has been a UVA staple since just after World War II, selling a variety of items, but in the 1970s began transitioning to an apparel store. (University Communications photo)

Historians may note Mincer’s first arrived in Charlottesville as a smoke shop, selling pipes to students and faculty. The store evolved over time to sell school supplies, records and newspapers. In the 1970s, the store began a gradual switch to selling apparel. From then on, a trip to Mincer’s has meant leaving with an armful of UVA garb.

The is a convenient place to get your orange on, since it’s right on Grounds.

The UVA Bookstore on Grounds is probably the most convenient place for new Hoos to shop. (University Communications photo)

Yes, you can buy textbooks there, but most Hoos – especially the new and prospective Hoos on tours and visits – are there to pick up University swag. This year, you can even rep your favorite UVA athlete by getting custom-printed apparel in the store while you shop.