If you walk into Shelley Scheerschmidt’s Leesburg shop, Madisonbelle, she doesn’t want you to just leave with something that looks fabulous—she wants you to understand the science behind the style.
Fashion, says Scheerschmidt, is “learned. It’s not intuitive. You need that education.”
Luckily for customers at Madisonbelle, that’s just what they’ll get. After spending two decades in the corporate world at Verizon, Scheerschmidt decided to take the leap last summer and pursue her passion for fashion. She bought Madisonbelle, an existing shop
in Leesburg, and revamped it to focus on classic yet edgy clothing—including business casual pieces. But she didn’t just stock the shelves with new lines (which include brands like Zadig & Voltaire, Autumn Cashmere, Scotch & Soda and Hudson Jeans). Before she opened the doors, Scheerschmidt studied with a professional stylist so that she could offer her customers a true education in dressing their best.
“I’ve always been pretty good at putting it together. I’ve always been good at shopping for my friends,” she explains. “But, not having a background in retail or fashion, I needed
that formal education.”
Customers will see that time Scheerschmidt spent studying with a stylist reflected in the recommendations she offers outside the dressing room. She’s also sharing her fashion tips via a number of in-store classes that focus on finding and dressing for your personal
style.
The Style Series at Madisonbelle, which consists of five, two-hour classes with a maximum of eight students, launched in late summer with more classes scheduled for this fall and beyond. Each class focuses on a key component of getting dressed, such as how to define your personal style or how to dress for your body shape.
“A lot of people go shopping and buy stuff that could look good on them, but it doesn’t represent their personality so they don’t wear it,” says Scheerschmidt of her motivation to launch the Style Series. “It’s important to define your personal style, and then you really need to understand what your body shape is and what silhouettes look good on you.”
Scheerschmidt also offers two-hour personal style makeover appointments, and a Love Your Look program that includes a fourhour closet consultation, design of a personal look book and more.
While the classes do come with a fee, Scheerschmidt says it shouldn’t break the bank.
The classes “are what we love to do here because I just don’t know where else you get that unless you hire a professional stylist and spend a lot of money,” she explains.
As Scheerschmidt continues to study the science behind style and add more offerings to her store, Madisonbelle only stands to get better for those in search of that perfect outfit. And that’s just what Scheerschmidt’s goal was when she opened her doors.
“I love it,” she says. “I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.” // Style Series, $49 per class or $225 per series. Madisonbelle: 5 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg; madisonbelle.com
