Fashion with a down-home flair
Although she’s only 25, Anna Lawley has spent almost as many years involved in her chosen profession as some invest in an entire career.
From the time she was a child, the Birmingham native accompanied her mother to the family’s Southside salon and boutique, chatting with customers and trying on inventory.
“She even had her own child-size hair station — pink, of course — and one day I had a male customer waiting,” Susie Lawley said. “When I went to get him, Anna had him in her chair and his hair full of clips.”
Today, Anna Lawley, now a Chelsea resident, is owner and operator of her own store, Annabelle’s Southern Boutique, which opened in May at its Lee Branch Shopping Center location.
The shop — which boasts her own nickname — caters to the Southern woman, Anna Lawley said, featuring a variety of clothes, shoes, hats and jewelry, plus soaps and candles.
“We carry a number of brands but have a focus on those more popular with boutiques like Umgee, Flying Tomato, Hem and Thread and others,” she said. “You can find jeans, shorts, overalls, rompers, tanks tops and tunics — and most everything is in sizes small to extra-large.”
Fringe is popular now, and Annabelle’s Southern Boutique has it from tassel necklaces to sandals and boots in the fall. And while many clothing items come in several colors, customers will notice a lot of black and tan, she said.
“Many women can be self-conscious about their bodies, and we keep that in mind,” Anna Lawley said. “We have a variety of flowy styles and lots of neutrals.”
While Anna Lawley’s career in fashion sales appeared to be a sure thing, she said it took a detour after high school when she pursued a degree in kinesiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, setting her course to become a physical therapist.
“I know that’s completely different, and I think I was going more toward a 9-to-5 job,” she said. “But I never forgot working with my mom and eventually realized that’s what I really wanted to do.”
Just before receiving her diploma, Anna Lawley launched her online website, Annabelle’s Southern Boutique, and for two years she worked to establish her retail reputation and build a customer base before opening her Lee Branch store.
“Her father, Mike, and I were behind her 100 percent,” Susie Lawley said. “We’ve always told our children to follow their dreams so [as] not to end up in a job they dislike. The worst that can happen is if it doesn’t work out, they change to something else.”
But Anna Lawley’s venture is in no danger of not working out, according to Greystone area resident Leslie Jennings, who shopped the online boutique for more than a year and now frequents the store.
“Her online service was great, and she’s been able to expand it with the store,” Jennings said. “It’s such a pleasure to shop there because Anna offers so many trendy styles and has a great eye for what works for different generations and body types.”
Anna Lawley said while she’s pleased with her steady increase in customers at the Lee Branch shop, she has no plans to cut back on her 60-hour work week.
“I’m very excited, and although working retail requires a lot of hours, it doesn’t bother me because I’ve always worked, and this really doesn’t seem like work at all,” she said. “It can be stressful because all the decisions are on me, but I love it.”
Annabelle’s Southern Boutique
WHERE: 601 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 105
HOURS: Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
CALL: 807-7800