Eljo’s to close after sale falls through

Eljo’s, a mainstay of the Charlottesville men’s wear scene for more than seven decades, will close this summer after a sale fell through.

Longtime owner Myles Thurston told The News Virginian that the shop — which has outfitted former President George H.W. Bush, onetime Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger and singer Jimmy Buffett — will close at the end of June.

Thurston said the undisclosed prospective buyer was not interested in both owning and operating the store.

"He wanted to own it and have someone else run it," Thurston said.

Business at Eljo’s has remained strong through the years. Thurston was excited that the store’s traditions and traditional men’s wear would be maintained under new ownership.

“Closing the business is hard. I’m doing it because I don’t want to do it anymore," said Thurston, now 80, who came to Eljo’s as a strapping 19-year-old in 1964 and has owned the store for the past 40 years. In more recent years, his son Trent has helped manage operations.

The remaining store inventory is now available to customers at 50% to 75% off. When The News Virginian visited the shop at 1067 Millmont St. last week, a steady stream of customers was taking advantage of the deep discounts.

“Many of the customers have expressed sorrow,’’ Thurston said. “They have asked, ‘Where will I buy my clothes?’"

Charlottesville has multiple chain men’s clothing stores, including the Belk department store at what remains of Fashion Square mall; Men’s Wearhouse at 29th Place shopping center; Brooks Brothers and Untuckit in the Shops at Stonefield; and Jos A. Bank and the J. Crew and Banana Republic factory stores in Barracks Road Shopping Center.

Independently owned shops are harder to come by. Popular options include the longstanding Men’s & Boys’ Shop and the newer Alton Lane, both on the Downtown Mall.

Eljo’s has not always been on Millmont Street behind Barracks Road. The shop got its start in the Corner shopping district across the street from the University of Virginia. It sat at that location for 56 years before moving closer to Barracks in 2006.

Thurston, who has worked at the store six days a week with "no time off" for decades now, said he is ready to enjoy retirement fishing in the Gulf of America and Chesapeake Bay.

Source: www.dailyprogress.com