Street Style: Meet Tim Shaheen of Alx&Co.
Walking up the blue stairs to Tim’s office at Alexandria & Company, my eyes dart around. “Where is he? Where is he hiding?” I wonder. And then he appears, cautiously taking a few sniffs, warming up to our presence. He is the man of the house (business) and now that we have his approval, we start to set up for the shoot. I’m referring to Bill, of course, the lovable lab who is more a fan of head scratches than fine jewelry. Tim is cool, too, but he’s not a lab.
When I ask Tim how he discovered his passion for jewelry design, he shares, “I’ve always loved making things with my hands…painting and building things. When I started working at the store, I was helping out without any intention of being here very long. I fell in love with the business, and the work that was coming in and out of the workshop. I was single at the time, and Lawrence (his former partner) was married and didn’t have kids, and we’d come in on the weekends and make things…and play around in the workshop. Jewelry became another medium for me to work with…a different and cool medium.”
Tim moved to Old Town in 2007, when he said the landscape “was more antique and rug shops. We were fortunate to be neighbors with The Shoe Hive before Elizabeth moved to Fairfax Street. Without question, she’s a force and has done so much to unite and invigorate this small business community.”
In 2017, Tim took over the business from his partner Lawrence, and began to focus a lot more on custom design. Although he painted as a hobby, Tim says he’s not an artist. “I am a conduit for someone else to be an artist, helping them to create something I would have never conceived on my own…and that’s something that’s really rewarding.
His wife and partner Meaghan oversees marketing and “everything else,” Tim shares. They met for the first time at the store back when Saturday afternoons often included a little bit of whiskey. “Emily, a good friend of mine, worked at the store on Saturdays and lived across the hall from Meaghan, who had just moved down from Massachusetts. She invited Meghan to come to the store, because on Saturdays it was very common to have a whiskey with clients, there was a fun vibe to it.”
Tim then followed up with a group invite to a Capitals hockey game, saying the tickets were only $20. He knew Meaghan would never accept a free ticket if she thought it were part of a setup, and/or knowing the true face value of the tickets. “And the rest is history.”
Tim and Meghan will celebrate their ten-year wedding anniversary in 2024, and have a seven-year-old son who attends Lyles-Crouch. “At about 7 months, I would look over at him, and be like, ‘this is the perfect age, he’s so cute’ and that has continued through every stage of Nolan’s life.” He also says there are days when the most rewarding parenting experience and hair-pulling, maddening experience occur within the same moment or day. When he and Meaghan talk about travel plans, they find it impossible to not include Nolan, “we want to see it through his eyes.”
Their other son, Bill, who marks his first Stylebook photo spread, joined the family two years ago. “We had an older dog, a stinky old man…we inherited from my mom, and we wanted there to be an overlap so that we were never dogless. Tim shares that because of his pink nose and lack of pigmentation, Bill is not AKC-recognized as a lab, and thus, the reason he was one of two pups left in his litter. “Bill was a little more reserved than the other pup and we thought he would get along better with our super-old dog. And he came to work with us from day one…and he’s pretty much come every day since.”
When I ask about his style, Tim says it varies by season, and at this time of year, you can find him in cords and some kind of button-down shirt. “Something that’s not going to place me in any decade or country of origin…and unless I’m walking a whole bunch, some nice leather slip-on-shoes.”
Bill and Meaghan aren’t the only ones turning heads, check out Tim’s Street Style:
ABOUT TIM
Neighborhood: Old Town
Hometown: Falls Church/Arlington
What would surprise people about you? I don’t wear shorts unless I’m running (never) or getting in the water (swim trunks).
Favorite book or movie: Step Brothers
Guilty Pleasure: Happy Hour
Latest binge-watch: Jury Duty
Bucket list travel destination: Vietnam
STYLE
Define your style in three words or less: Once nice, worn.
The go-to piece in your wardrobe: Comfy slip-on leather dress shoes to make my otherwise unkempt look a little more presentable.
Favorite trend: I think my style tries to stay pretty consistent and neutral/classic. It requires less thinking on my part which is a bonus.
Beauty product you can’t live without: Dove Moisturizing Beauty Bar from head/hair to toe. Any flavor/scent as long as it is the bar form.
Boots or sneakers? Boots.
WELLNESS
Go-to way to de-stress: Go for a walk with the dog/family.
Most fun way to stay active: Skiing but that is harder and hard to make happen. We recently signed up for a family membership to Sportrock climbing which is a lot more accessible and is a lot of fun.
Wellness goal: Stay off crutches now that I’m over 40.
Want to try: I had a hard time answering this one. The things that I would have answered with in the past are less appealing now (see previous answer about staying off crutches). Otherwise, I guess I would just want to travel more but work and planning anxiety keep that to a good balance for now.
Proudest wellness achievement: Having to Google “What is a wellness achievement?”
HOME
Favorite room in your home: Anywhere at our cabin in the woods of Rappahannock County.
Antiques, modern, or a mix? Antique pieces (built to be used and last) but uncluttered.
Last item bought for your home: Pressure washer.
Favorite way to entertain: Casually with food and drink.
Clutter-free or well-lived in? Clutter-free.
Next planned purchase: A new kitchen.
ALEXANDRIA
What do you love about Alexandria Stylebook? I love how it's helped to make Old Town a destination by celebrating some of its great businesses and people.
Favorite spot in Alexandria: Brut Champagne and Wine Bar
Your go-to shop: Red Barn Mercantile
Best food spot: Casa Rosada Gelato
Favorite local organization: ACT for Alexandria
Annual Alexandria event you most look forward to: Lee Street Halloween with my 7-year-old.
