Success Stories

Julie

Nashville, tennessee

It truly is a joy to work with you and has been one of the most fun ways to have personal growth!! Working with Megan has been an amazing experience and has far exceeded my expectations. Before working with Megan I was unsure what my style was, I didn’t feel polished and put together, and I had clothes that weren’t the best fit for my body. After working with Megan I know my core style and why I am drawn to certain styles. I feel confident when I put outfits together and I actually enjoy choosing my clothes for the day. My confidence has grown tremendously since working with Megan and expressing myself through style is now a joy. Dressing for the day is now a super fun way to express my creativity and tune into my intuition. I love that Megan unites fashion and life goals, aligning where I am at in life, where I am headed, and how style fits into these goals. She digs into the why of fashion not just the how which is really where the growth happens and “what to wear” turns into a pleasurable moment vs. a necessary evil. Thank you Megan for all of the hard work you put in to make my shopping experience fun and educational!

Anita

Clanton, Alabama

I have always been one who has had a “uniform,” and not in a good way! Most of my jobs have required uniforms, and Megan helped me to see that I had adopted a “uniform” for my new job as well, even though the dress code didn’t require one. I dreaded getting myself dressed to go somewhere, because outside of my “work uniform,” getting dressed had become a nightmare. And it was unfortunate, because I LOVED fashion. I had every fashion magazine known to man, and was quite the shopper, but I still had panic attacks when I had to dress myself. I was always searching for the “right” look or right shirt, outfit, shoes, etc., but nothing ever looked quite right. This led to a problem with being overloaded with impulse purchases, and a closet in which I could NOT maintain any semblance of order. Even going out to dinner precipitated ten outfit changes, then having to settle on something and a night of feeling insecure because I knew I wasn’t happy with the way I looked. Megan changed all of that. I was having thoughts of redesigning my closet to help me maintain order and decided to spend the money instead on treating myself to a style coaching session with Megan. Little did I know it would change my life. I knew I could be dressing better for my body. I knew there was a way to stop impulse buying the wrong things and bring some order to my closet. I knew that there had to be a way to stop panicking every time I had to get dressed. Megan was the answer! I know I have the right pieces, I know how to shop for my style and my body type, I know how to accessorize and pull a complete look together, all thanks to her! Working with Megan has been life‐changing for me, and others have noticed as well. My husband knew what a struggle I had with getting ready and with keeping order in my closet, it was never about how I looked with him; but since working with Megan, he has commented on several occasions that he can see a change in my confidence and that I no longer have anxiety when choosing what to wear. I look forward to wearing a new combination of outfits, and I actually look forward to the new fashion season so I can buy new pieces! The RIGHT pieces And my closet has never been more organized! But the biggest change has been within. I have more confidence and zero anxiety about getting dressed. Megan is not just a style coach, she’s a life coach. And a blast to work with and learn from. I couldn’t ask for anything more, and I always look forward to my time with her!

June

Birmingham, Alabama

During my thirty one year career as a financial advisor, I was not trendy but was well dressed. I was always too busy to spend time shopping. I would rush into a shop and buy what I had to have for the office, for occasions, and for events when I got desperate. I never spent much time or money with my hair and makeup. My definition of casual was a t shirt and shorts or jeans. After I retired from my office job, I gained weight and started wearing “old lady clothes” – baggy pants with elastic waists, all black clothes to make me disappear, and chocos were my comfy shoes of choice. I pulled my hair back with a headband all the time. Most of my clothes shopping was done at Walmart where I could be sure of finding clothes large enough and cheap enough to suit me. My tipping point – I wrote a book and realized I would need to look terrific if I expected to sell any books. I had written a book before and loved the confidence I got from looking good for the book tour, tv, and speaking engagements. If I wanted that confidence again, I would have to get stylish, lose weight, and tone up. At age 68, this would be my last chance to get my groove back. So I did it! I engaged a personal trainer, a nutritionist, and hired Megan as my style consultant. Megan spent a lot of time quizzing me on how I spent my time, what I wore for my activities, and what style of clothes I liked. She gave me fashion books to read and taught me how to glean info from fashion magazines. She helped me assured me there were stylish clothes for every body type – even mine. She has helped me release the beauty that is within me. I discovered how much fun it is to look nice. Megan cleansed my closet, which didn’t take long because I only had black slacks and black shirts, and took the cast offs to a charity or to a consignment shop for me. She made an appointment with a fabulous hair stylist and even WENT WITH ME to be sure the stylist cut my hair the way Megan wanted. Megan put me in touch with an anesthetist who tinted my brows making me look years younger. I never knew there were such talented people waiting to help me! Megan spent a day pulling clothes and shoes prior to our shopping spree so all I had to do was try things and say yes or no. This was great for someone like me who would run out of a dress shop in bewilderment after only 15 minutes. Last week, we went shopping for accessories. Megan taught me how to buy them and wear them! Our last session will be on makeup and I just can’t wait. I am so grateful to Megan for opening the world of fashion for me.

Leslie

Chelsea, Alabama

Turning 60 was not quite as much fun as turning 21(in some ways)! The face staring back at me in the mirror no longer seems to match what I thought I looked like my whole life; the color of my hair is just not okay any more — even though I have colored it for years; my clothes no longer fit my body like they used to — of course my body bears no resemblance to what I thought I looked like either and I am sure they have started making size 8’s smaller; and my makeup looks a little like it’s left over from Halloween.Along with my age there’s this cultural transition. I moved from Maine where LL Bean is the fashion icon — so my Bean boots really didn’t go with my southern gal sundresses. So, maybe I’ve exaggerated a bit with some of these things but you get my drift. I was definitely in trouble. (That’s not to say that looks and clothes are the most important thing but they help you look on the outside like you feel on the inside.)In walks Megan LaRussa, and I am having a blast — learning what my style preferences are in relation to my body type and life style; cleansing my closet of all the clothes I have been buying which were totally wrong for my body type and age, buying new clothes that work with my life style, age, and body type; experimenting with colors I have never worn or even considered buying before and loving them, learning what accessories complement each outfit; getting awesome referrals to a hairdresser who totally worked miracles on my color, texture, style, and the time it takes to care for my hair; a brow esthetician who lifted my whole face by adjusting my brow line; a makeup esthetician who taught me that makeup should enhance your face not cover it up; and a facial esthetician who worked with my sensitive skin to make it much healthier and younger looking.It’s hard to believe that all this happened because of one person — and it truly is a fun filled journey. Days with Megan are filled with the 2 L’s — laughter and learning — what better combination could you have? Megan loves her work and loves people — it shows in everything she does. She and her associates are so enthusiastic about making people feel more confident about their style choices and their grooming. Southern Femmes website keeps me current on the latest trends and continues to teach me how to pull off those trends each month. Megan is always available for an email or text question if I get in over my head and continues to help me in my style education.I now feel that I can attend any event life throws my way and feel confident about how I look and present myself. AND — if I just need a little remedial help, I know Megan will be there:) Thanks Megan and all of the Southern Femme associates, you are the best 60th birthday present I could ever have wished for!!! You have made such a huge difference in the rest of my life!

Melanie

Hoover, Alabama

During the Christmas holidays I received an email from Southern Femme and read it aloud to my husband: “Do you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear? Do you think losing 5 pounds would make all the difference in the world about how clothes fit? Do you have a desire to be more stylish but don’t know where to start?” I answered yes to all the questions, and with Jay’s encouragement sent Megan an email requesting a consultation. I felt a bit embarrassed telling her that even though I was a professional investment consultant and managed millions of dollars, I was intimidated by retail sales folk and really wanted a more up‐to‐date, professional look. She kindly replied that while she couldn’t manage millions, she sure could shop. We met for coffee and I shared my goals, the most significant of which were to look less like a soccer mom and more stylish for work. She told me what a self confidence boost new clothes and time spent on me would be, but I could not have imagined the journey we would take over the next seven months. I cleaned out my closet before Megan came to help clean out my closet because I was embarrassed by the unworn clothes that were still there. I thought I had done a pretty good job, but four hours and 10 bags of donations for the YWCA later, I had to sit down and have a glass of wine. She also recommended I read appliance reviews by Appliance Hunter to find the best cleaning appliances in the market. The experience of touching each item and answering questions like, “What do you like about this? When do you wear it? How long have you had it?” was a ride on an emotional rollercoaster. Megan had me try things on and assessed what styles fit. She understood I was a former preppy and then agreed to talk in a week or so about outfits and shopping. I was given a multipage list of work outfits including tops, bottoms, shoes, accessories. She asked about favorite stores and my budget, we came up with our hit list, and Megan went to four stores and pulled sizes and outfits for me to try. Just the act of being able to walk in a store and start trying things on was terrific. I was pushed way outside my fashion comfort zone, but in a good way, and Megan was there every step of the way (she was doing the pushing, after all!). With bags full of clothes, I went home and tried everything on for my fashionista sister‐in‐law and daughter. Their oohs and aahs were priceless. There were many more emails from Megan, magazine photos exchanged, shopping trips to be made, and wardrobe lookbooks to create and maintain. In the process I fell in love again with shopping, lost 10 pounds, had hair and makeup makeovers and, as Megan promised initially, a newfound confidence.

Terry, Mother of Annelise

Annelise, Auburn, Alabama

Megan has been so wonderful with Annelise! She came to our home and cleared out her closet, took her shopping at budget‐friendly stores, made a list of appropriate outfits pieces for various functions (school, dates, performances, etc.). Annelise has been looking AMAZING every day, and she has received many compliments at school on how stylish she has become! From time‐to‐time (e.g., this morning), Annelise will come out in an outfit she has put together herself, based on the style lessons she has learned from Megan, and she looks great each and every time! Last week, I was in Target’s clothing department and overheard a girl from Annelise’s school tell her mother, “Annelise has some jeans like these.” The jeans resembled some really neat‐o leopard‐pattern jeans from Macy’s that Megan picked out for her. Pretty cool, that Annelise’s name is being dropped in association with style!To sum it all up: The day after the shopping spree, Annelise got dressed in one of her brand new outfits, and she started jumping up and down like a little girl and squealed, “I love how I look!” You can imagine what that did for my heart!!! Without a doubt, Megan has been an answer to a prayer! This is so much more than Annelise looking good to others. This is about her accepting herself and believing she is as beautiful as God made her to be!

Kim

Hayden, aLabama

During my first meeting with Megan I told her I needed the big red “Easy Button” in my closet. As a working mother of two small children, by the time I get around to dressing myself I am all out of energy to make yet another decision. I would go to clothing stores, get overwhelmed, annoyed by my whiny kids and walk back out with nothing.My goal was not to look like a runway model but to just dress like a fashionable, nicely dressed 42 year old woman.Megan put me as ease immediately! Her charming self walked me through her process of finding my own personal style that didn’t look like I was trying too hard or dressing too old. She taught me how to shop for quality over quantity without breaking the bank. It was such a great relief to have items to wear for any occasion whether that is going to carpool at school, a date night with my husband or an outfit for church. This has been the ultimate gift that I could have every given myself. It really has been the EASY BUTTON for me.

April

Birmingham, aLama

I started working with Megan in late summer/ early fall of 2013, after opening my closets for the umpteenth time and realizing that I had lots of clothing but very few pieces that I loved that truly worked for my body shape, lifestyle and style sensibilities. I remembered Megan from Birmingham‐Southern College and made the decision to contact her about one of her style packages. Needless to say, I have not been disappointed and I have a much better sense of what works for me. Megan became my guide on a tour of self‐discovery and personal fulfillment.Like a lot of women, I have some body image hang‐ups, especially when I wear things that draw attention to the wrong parts of my body. I remember sitting down with Megan and being amazed to discover that I am a tall, medium hourglass. This might not be revolutionary for some women, but it was to me. I had a “Eureka” moment when I realized that I had been buying clothes for a tall woman with no curves and that was the precise reason I felt frumpy and unattractive, even when wearing designer apparel. Growing up, I’d grown to equate “hourglass figure” with “plus size,” so it was life changing to realize there are small, medium and large versions of each body shape. Megan taught me that I will always feel better and exude more confidence when clothing are tailored to my body type, and she was so right! The most cathartic sessions were the closet cleanses and shopping trips. It felt so good to consign and donate nice clothing that had just been sitting in my closet. The shopping trips were the first time in some time that I’d tried on clothing and not been frustrated. Everything fit. I felt beautiful, elegant not frumpy, and it was all thanks to Megan.Finally, Megan really honed in on my personal style. I’ve been obsessed with European style fashion and tailoring since I was young, but I was never sure how to execute the simplicity of the neutrals, the slim lines, the scarves on myself. I’d even collected fashion books, unsure as to how to recreate the looks within and unsure why I even loved what I loved. Megan helped me to understand why I was drawn to certain looks, fabrics, colors and how I could make them work for me. Megan is not only a consummate professional with a great deal of experience within the fashion world but also a genuinely caring, sweet person who cares about her clients. After graduating from law school earlier this year, I feel more confidence that the person I’m presenting to the world is stylish, professional but approachable.

Alysia

Alabaster, aLaBAma

I made a decision almost two years ago. I needed clothes and I was so tired of buying outfits, bringing them home and then hating them. It was a vicious cycle that had been going on for years. I found Megan’s website and figured there was no harm in getting a little more information about her services. That one simple email led to something life altering! I ended up going on a journey full of self‐discovery and personal growth that is still continuing today.Megan began by asking me questions through email. They seemed simple enough but I had to put a lot of thought into answering them. What did I not like about my current wardrobe? What do I like about my current wardrobe? What celebrity style seems to fit my taste? These seem like no brainers but it took me forever to type up my responses. The hardest one was the celebrity question. See, I am kind of a “go against the grain” girl. Your typical celebrity does nothing for me, but musicians… now that is where I can relate. I love music and have always played multiple instruments. It is what keeps me going. My favorite artists are strong and edgy women. I finally resolved to answer her question with a list of my rebellious idols. Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor… Each artist with distinct styles and taste that I never thought I could incorporate into daily attire. Boy was I wrong!The first meeting with Megan was something I will never forget. She sat me down in her office, pulled out her iPad and started making notes on everything I said. We went through my “homework” which consisted of fashion magazines that I marked up with likes and dislikes. She came up with my personal style, “Classically Feminine and Romantic, never frilly or overdone”. We also talked a lot about my job. Yes, I am a computer nerd. I work in Systems for a large corporation. I have been working the normal computer geek attire for years. Black pants, black shoes and an extremely boring blouse. We also talked a lot about my previous styles, all the way back to my hippie streak in high school. We talked about my boys and the stresses that I have with being a busy parent. Then we got into the deep stuff. My adoption at 6 weeks old and finding my biological parents a few years ago. I didn’t realize it until then, but that was one of the driving forces behind me wanting to step out of my old ways. All my life I was told that I needed to be a certain way. I was made to fit into a mold that I just didn’t fit. I was ready to bust out of it and become my own person. Megan was more than ready to help me. I left her office that day knowing that something big had started.Megan cleaned out my closet. I mean, I had like 2 pair of pants, a skirt and 5 shirts left (All of which I have not worn again since those first two weeks!) Then she took me shopping. I was so nervous! She had everything laid out in dressing rooms. I tried things on and we discussed them. Why do things work, why they do not work, what flatters me, what hides my shape. I had no idea how wrong I had been doing everything! But she never made me feel uncomfortable about it. Instead, I actually had a fantastic time. We giggled and joked the whole time. I walked out with my arms full and a skip in my step.Then I got home. Yikes! What am I supposed to do with all of these new clothes? What went with what??? Man, I should have made notes. Oh wait, Megan already thought of that! She emailed me a list of outfits to get me started. Then came the “look book”. Once again, we were in my closet but this time was much more interesting. She put outfits together and took pictures of everything so that I would remember. I had so many options! It was amazing how everything mixed and matched for totally new looks. I was blown away. This chick is good! Months went by and we were still busy. We did skin care. We did hair (I chopped off my long stringy locks into a stylish shoulder length cut). We did make up. We did eyebrows and nails. She listened to everything I said… I didn’t want to look like a clown. I liked low maintenance hair. I hate my skin! She fixed it all. During this time people started noticing. It was a slow progression so it wasn’t like anyone said “What is so different about you?” I would get the head nods or the sideways looks, like they knew something was different, but not exactly what it was. What was happening to me mentally was a different story. I stood up straighter and I didn’t back down as easy. My outside was starting to pull out the inside that I had been hiding for so long. I was not afraid to speak up. I felt like I had a right to be heard just like anyone else. This ultimately led to a nice promotion and respect in a field where women are rare. Instead of being patted on the head, I was being asked what I thought. No more cowering and letting others just walk over me. It would have never happened without Megan. That was over a year ago. I still go on a shopping trip with Megan in the spring and fall to update my look. She is still pulling the best out of me. I told her this last trip I was ready to be a bit edgier. She delivered. She always finds the perfect looks to fit my personality. This time we brought a little of the rocker out in me. The cool thing is she did it in such a way that I do not feel like I am trying to be younger than I am. I am covered up but sleek. I figured I would not waste this awesome look. I brought out my keyboard and started playing out in public again. That is something I never thought I would do. Shy, simple, geeky me actually stepped onto a stage and rocked out. I loved it and plan on doing it on a regular basis. Just another gift from Megan! I really cannot wait to see where I am this time next year. I know that Megan will be a part of it. On a side note, my husband plays bass and was auditioning with bands. I got Megan to take him shopping. Wow! He is out of his fishing shirts and into looks that perfect for the jam bands that he likes to play with. He was recently invited to join a band and they are going to start touring in the spring. He is going to look fantastic on stage and I am going to be rocking the cool, laid back lady that just happens to be married to the bassist.

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