On a short stroll in Mountain Brook Village, you’ll find three charming businesses that have been serving the community for over five decades. The Lingerie Shoppe, Ruby Ansley Interiors, and Christine’s on Canterbury have been retail neighbors since the 70s … but that’s not all they share. These longstanding shops are all female-owned and operated!
We chatted with Brenda Meadows of The Lingerie Shoppe, Sallie Aman of Ruby Ansley Interiors, and Jean Clayton of Christine’s on Canterbury about their Mountain Brook shops and the integral part they have played in their businesses’ enduring legacies.
Brenda Meadows, The Lingerie Shoppe
More Info: thelingerieshoppemtb.com
The Lingerie Shoppe has been a popular boutique in Mountain Brook Village since 1946. When Brenda Meadows and her dear friend, Betty McMahon, heard the shop was going up for sale in the 1980s, they decided to embrace new adventures.
“Betty and I served many hours together with [the Junior Women’s Committee of the Alabama Symphony and The Charity League], and as we completed our hours of service and our children were getting older … We investigated and discussed at length the pros and cons of owning a business,” Brenda tells us. “So, buying a business with a focused objective appealed to our taking a step into the unknown world of retail ownership. As it turns out, it also appealed to our desire for close and meaningful relationships with all the customers we enjoy helping.”
Brenda and Betty took ownership of The Lingerie Shoppe in 1988, and Betty retired 10 years later. Now 81, Brenda continues the work she has done for over 35 years, helping women feel their best. “I look forward to coming to The Lingerie Shoppe each day,” Brenda says, “We all truly care about each person who comes through our door … We have an opportunity to make someone feel good and look good in her clothes.”
Brenda has led The Lingerie Shoppe through an ever-changing retail landscape, particularly with the rise of online shopping. She sees it as both a joy and a challenge to keep the doors open and provide merchandise for various needs, serving second and even third generations of clients. “Even though we can’t be all things to all people, I certainly try,” Brenda says.
Throughout its 78-year history, The Lingerie Shoppe’s mission has never wavered. “Caring about other people, especially women, young and old, guides our merchandise offerings and customer service,” Brenda shares.
Beauty and comfort go hand-in-hand in The Lingerie Shoppe’s merchandise, and Brenda sees this as the key to the shop’s enduring success. “The attractiveness of a woman seen on the surface is a reflection of her confidence in how she looks and feels in her attire, day or night,” Brenda says. “We take seriously the trust we are given to help someone look and feel her best.”
Sallie Aman, Ruby Ansley Interiors
More Info: rubyansleyinteriors.com
Ruby Ansley Interiors was founded in 1963 by its namesake. Soon after, Sallie Aman joined the firm as an apprentice, starting the day after she graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in interior design.
Over the next several years, Sallie gained valuable experience through real-world applications of operating an interior design firm. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I was given to join Ruby Ansley Interiors,” Sallie tells us. Ruby was a mentor in the business aspect of a design firm as well as the details of good taste and design.”
Sallie says she had an interest in design from childhood. “As a teenager, I loved rearranging the furniture and changing the wall color in my bedroom. Fortunately, my parents encouraged me,” she recalls.
Ruby Ansley Interiors works with architects and artisans to provide design expertise for projects of all sizes and styles. They also guide clients through the design process to weave a plan for a beautiful home that stands the test of time. While they have expertise in all areas of design, they specialize in the artful use of antiques in traditional and contemporary design. Their work extends throughout the Southeast and as far as England.
Sallie says the secret to the business’s success over the past 61 years is hard work, treating clients fairly, and staying true to good design, regardless of fads and trends.
Sallie worked closely with Ruby over their many years in business together and stepped into the principal role in 2012. She says that her biggest challenge as a business owner is having to wear so many hats. “You have to be prepared to deal with any interruptions in design plans to take care of problems that arise,” Sallie tells us.
Even so, she loves experiencing a project’s success and her client’s satisfaction with the results. “The real joy is the relationships we develop with our clients,” Sallie shares. “The results are lasting friendships.”
Jean Clayton, Christine’s on Canterbury
More Info: Instagram
In 1973, Jean Clayton was inspired by the unique items and gifts she found on family trips to South Florida, and she wanted to bring a similar collection to Birmingham.
Before that, Jean had various professional interests; she even considered law school, law enforcement, and teaching. When she decided to open her luxury gift shop, Christine’s on Canterbury, she admits she had much to learn. “I didn’t know how to price merchandise. I was totally green at first. I didn’t know anything,” Jean tells us.
She quickly found her footing, learning to tune into her customers and let them guide her inventory. “We didn’t start out with a lot of gifts,” Jean recalls. “We started with a lot of furniture and antiques and then just paid attention to what the customers wanted.”
While curating a selective inventory has been the key to the shop’s popularity over the years, it has also caused a few hiccups — like when trends quickly turned against antique paintings. “It was like everybody got a notice: Don’t buy antique paintings anymore,” Jean laughs. “So here I had all of these antique paintings I was stuck with, and I had to mark them all down.”
Still, catering to her clients has paid off. The most successful product line Christine’s has ever carried, MacKenzie-Childs, a luxe home decor brand, began from a single customer request. It took about two years for word to spread about the brand throughout the Magic City. But once it did, it was hard to keep products in stock. Christine’s was the first — and remains the only — shop carrying MacKenzie-Childs products year-round in Alabama.
Celebrating over 50 years in business, Jean continues to adapt to the times. These days, you can catch her on the shop’s Instagram page, where she shares videos highlighting their unique products. “I don’t like doing the videos at all!” Jean says, “But we laugh through them because we have to do them several times to get it right. We are just winging it.”
Ultimately, Jean attributes her shop’s success to her customer commitment. “I think it’s the relationships that form with your customers,” she says. “They are really like family. I still have some from that original group of customers — and definitely their children and grandchildren.”
You can check out all three of these iconic businesses the next time you’re in Mountain Brook Village.
Thank you, Brenda, Sallie, and Jean, for sharing your stories with us!
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