Street Style: Meet Hannah Beth Sprouse and Meaghan Pawelczyk of Old Town Girlies

Moving to a new city often comes with an unspoken challenge: knowing you want community, but not knowing where to begin looking for it. For two years, Old Town Girlies has been answering that silent call for women across Alexandria. What began as a modest Monday night wine gathering hosted by co-founders Hannah Beth Sprouse and Meaghan Pawelczyk has grown into a vibrant, city-wide movement — connecting thousands of women, sparking genuine friendships, and transforming a transient town into a home.

Neither Meaghan nor Hannah Beth ever imagined living in Alexandria, Virginia, but when both of their husbands were accepted into the same military medical residency program, they each found themselves in Old Town — and, luckily because of that, found each other.

"The minute I met Hannah Beth, I was like, I like this girl," Meaghan says. 

Hannah Beth felt the exact same. "Thank God I met someone who’s in the same season of life as me," she remembers thinking. "Being a military spouse can be deeply lonely. When you stack medical residency on top of that, you spend a lot of nights eating dinner alone while your partner is on shift."

Meaghan describes Hannah Beth as one of those rare "fast friends" — the kind where, after a single hangout, it feels like you've known each other for years.

Hannah Beth Sprouse

Self-Styled

Hair: Riley Blanks | Makeup: Steph Mejia

Photography: Renée C. Gage

That initial friendship quickly morphed into Monday Wine Night — an open invitation Hannah Beth extended to anyone in town who looked to be their age, including women she met in line at the grocery store.

For a full year, Hannah Beth opened her home every single Monday. Some weeks featured an elaborate spread, others were just wine and microwave popcorn, but each one made both Hannah Beth and Meaghan’s worlds that much smaller, and made Alexandria that much better. 

Their underlying theory was simple: "If we're feeling lonely, other people must be, too."

"It’s a very transient city," Hannah Beth explains. "People work long hours, and making genuine friends as an adult is hard. There was a massive gap in the market for real connection."

It was that realization that inspired the girls to take the next step and build a social media account for the group meetups they were naturally planning. On a double date at Captain Gregory's, the group was riffing on names for their page when Meaghan’s husband landed on it: Old Town Girlies. 

Meghan Pawelczyk

Self-Styled

Hair: Riley Blanks | Makeup: Steph Mejia

Photography: Renée C. Gage

Hannah Beth, who studied social entrepreneurship in both undergrad and grad school, built the logo on Canva that same night, and footage from the date became their very first post. A 12-day giveaway series with local shops followed, cold-approaching businesses with fewer than 100 followers to their name.

"We got some no's but mostly yeses,” Meaghan says. “Especially from shops like Friends of the Lovers Bookstore and Eliana Curated, whose owners backed us from the start. Everyone's very much hand-up here.” 

The real turning point came with their first Galentine's Day event: 65 tickets sold, and guests kept asking how they'd missed every previous Old Town Girlies gathering. There hadn't been any. This was the first one. 

That night, Hannah Beth and Meaghan knew they weren't just running a social media page, they were building a community that people were truly searching for.

What began primarily as a platform to highlight local businesses and find new friends has organically blossomed into a fully realized community. Alongside monthly book clubs and regular gatherings, members now take the lead, planning their own spontaneous meetups and hangouts. 

Starting this October, the community is rolling out a new membership program filled with enhanced perks: free access to twice-monthly Girlies Night Out events (hosted on the first and third Fridays), upgraded gift bags upon arrival, and exclusive access to a private Discord channel. It’s the ideal setup for anyone looking to turn making friends into a regular staple on their calendar.

Neither Hannah Beth nor Meaghan treats Old Town Girlies as a side project, even though both hold demanding full-time careers. Meaghan works as a school counselor with Fairfax County Public Schools and Hannah Beth works in international development.

"This fills my cup," Hannah Beth says. "I love what I do during the day, but this is a great counterbalance." 

Their partnership runs on complementary strengths: Meaghan is the relational cheerleader who is thinking about the membership perspective at every turn, and Hannah Beth is the builder and spreadsheet-wiz who is never short of ideas for how to scale and make a bigger impact. 

Because military life eventually guarantees another move, both co-founders are focused on building an enduring infrastructure that outlasts their personal time in Alexandria. Their long-term dream? Expand the blueprint to help women in other cities find their community, too.

"I don't think the problem we're addressing in Alexandria is unique," Hannah Beth says. "There are women all over the country who feel what we felt when we moved to a new city."

Ask what they love most about this chapter, and both circle back to connection. For Meaghan, it's watching real friendships outlast the events that started them. "We've seen multiple friend groups form from Old Town Girlies," she says, "Knowing those girls are hanging out outside of it — that's exactly what this is for." 

For Hannah Beth, it's watching the local businesses thrive alongside the community as it grows. You’ll see girls wearing clothes or holding items they bought at one of our local vendor events," she says. "Creating those win-win-wins is so satisfying."

In a city that can feel like a revolving door of new faces and short stays, Old Town Girlies has become something else entirely: proof that if you're looking for your people, you're not the only one looking. Hannah Beth and Meaghan once came to Alexandria hoping to find their people, and now, they've built a place where women across the city can find theirs, too.

ABOUT HANNAH BETH & MEAGHAN

Your neighborhood:

Hannah Beth: Old Town

Meaghan: Kingstowne

Your hometown:

Hannah Beth: Morristown, Tennessee

Meaghan: Pepperell, Massachusetts

What would surprise people about you? 

Hannah Beth: People are usually surprised that I work in International Development during the day! I am very passionate about Social Entrepreneurship, and that is what inspired us to start Old Town Girlies.

Meaghan: I have a degree in Spanish

Favorite book or movie:

Hannah Beth: Recently, I have loved “Project Hail Mary”

Meaghan: Fever Pitch, a true Boston movie!

Guilty pleasure:

Hannah Beth: Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food!

Meaghan: Any Jeni’s ice cream flavor

Latest binge-watch:

Hannah Beth: House of the Dragon

Meaghan: Abbott Elementary

Bucket list travel destination:

Hannah Beth: I would love to take a cruise to Antarctica

Meaghan: Australia

What would your walkout song be?

Hannah Beth: Rocky Top. I am a Tennessee Girl at Heart

Meaghan: Dropkick Murphys - I’m Shipping Up to Boston 

Favorite motto/quote: 

Hannah Beth: “Sometimes you just have to jump out the window and grow wings on the way down.” ― Ray Bradbury

Meaghan: “Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for one person.” - Unknown

STYLE

Define your style in three words or less:

Hannah Beth: fun, relaxed, feminine

Meaghan: minimalist, breezy, relaxed

The go-to piece in your wardrobe:

Hannah Beth: my earrings from Seyyah

Meaghan: A plain white tee

Favorite trend:

Hannah Beth: Big, Bouncy Hair

Meaghan: Thrifted vintage outfits

Beauty product you can’t live without:

Hannah Beth: Tarte Tubing Mascara

Meaghan: L’ange Hair Le Duo Airflow Styler

Boots, heels or sneakers? 

Hannah Beth: Heels

Meaghan: Sneakers

WELLNESS

Go-to way to de-stress: 

Hannah Beth: Yoga

Meaghan: Reading a book while cuddling with my dog

Favorite way to stay active:

Hannah Beth: Hiking

Meaghan: Running and walking

Wellness goal: 

Hannah Beth: Walking the Camino De Santiago in Spain

Meaghan: Improving my skincare routine

Want to try: 

Hannah Beth: Distance Running

Meaghan: Tennis 

Proudest wellness achievement:

Hannah Beth: RYT 200 Yoga Certification

Meaghan: The 2026 Boston Marathon

HOME

Favorite room in your home:

Hannah Beth: My Office

Meaghan: Living room 

Antiques, modern, or a mix?

Hannah Beth: Mix

Meaghan: Mix

Last item you bought for your home:

Hannah Beth: a lamp from the Georgetown Flea Market

Meaghan: handmade ceramics while on my honeymoon in Portugal!

Favorite way to entertain:

Hannah Beth: Cocktail Parties

Meaghan: Game nights

Clutter-free or well-lived in?

Hannah Beth: well-lived in

Meaghan: Clutter-free

Next planned purchase:

Hannah Beth: A new couch - something extra cozy!

Meaghan: an area rug for my dining room 

ALEXANDRIA

What do you love about Alexandria Stylebook?

Hannah Beth: Alexandria has so many amazing women entrepreneurs, and I love how it highlights small businesses and local women making a difference in the community. 

Meaghan: The focus on local businesses and business owners, and we love the kind and genuine staff!

Favorite spot in Alexandria:

Hannah Beth: Oronoco Bay Park! I have so many fun memories walking my dog there. 

Meaghan: King Street and all the local shops!

Your go-to shop(s): 

Hannah Beth: Eliana Curated & Friends to Lovers Bookstore

Meaghan: Friends to Lovers Bookstore & Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop

Best food spot(s):

Hannah Beth: Royal Restaurant & St. Elmo’s

Meaghan: Piece Out Del Ray - I love all their dedicated gluten free options!

Favorite local organization(s):

Hannah Beth: The Child & Family Network Centers

Meaghan: Together We Bake & all those that support local women and children

Annual Alexandria event you most look forward to: 

Hannah Beth: Alexandria’s Scottish Christmas Walk Parade

Meaghan: Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

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