Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop

Alexandria is a city of independents: locally-owned businesses built by people with a vision, a point of view and the nerve to bring it to life. And tucked off King Street at 102 North Fayette Street, you’ll find one of the boldest examples of that spirit in action. 

Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop is a menstrual health boutique. If that sounds like a brand-new retail category, that’s because it is. Owner Emily Coccia is on a mission to make it mainstream. The nurse-founded, women-owned shop specializes in period-positive products and programming for every stage of life, from first periods to pregnancy to menopause and beyond. It’s a retail space but also a classroom, a community hub and a place where conversations that were once whispered are now spoken out loud. 

Before you even walk in, the window display makes a statement: a dress made entirely out of pads, bold and unapologetic, signaling exactly what kind of shop this is. Inside, you’ll find a warm and inviting space stocked with thoughtfully curated merchandise, including organic menstrual products, PMS relief, pelvic health tools, menopause support, and themed gifts, all selected with clinical care and real-world comfort in mind. Emily and her team focus on fostering a welcoming environment and zero-stigma culture. They host workshops on everything from hormone replacement therapy to puberty prep, partners with organizations to fight period poverty, and has launched an initiative to stock businesses across Old Town with free period products so people feel safe and supported wherever they go. 

Like a lot of great missions, this one started with a personal story. Emily couldn’t wait to get her period. At age 11, she saw it as a milestone, or a kind of VIP status. When it finally came, it brought unexpected pain and confusion that wouldn’t be formally diagnosed as menorrhagia until her 30s. That experience shaped everything that followed: nearly 20 years of mission-driven work advancing women’s issues and supporting women entrepreneurs around the world, and eventually, a small boutique in Old Town where no two period stories are treated the same. 

Ms. Moxie’s highlight’s Alexandria unique, independent spirit: it’s unapologetically original, bold enough to start a new conversation and warm enough to make everyone feel welcome. 

Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop is located at 102 N Fayette Street, Alexandria, VA.