I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the talented and lovely Christa Taylor. Christa is the designer and creator of ChristaTaylor.com and author of one of my favorite blogs: Empowered Traditionalist.
If you are not yet familiar with her clothing company I highly recommend you take a peek. She seemingly effortlessly manages to combine style and modesty creating adorable clothes that you can feel confident, comfortable and cute in. She has generously offered to extend free shipping to readers of Betty Beguiles! Just enter code BETTYB when checking out.
I hope you enjoy the interview! She is an impressive gal, to say the least. Thanks, Christa!
Betty Beguiles: We’d love to know more about you! Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Christa Taylor: I’m just an average 21-year-old who happens to be working in fashion. Aside from the business I teach art classes, study music and wish I could spend more time outdoors. My siblings are my closest friends and by far the best company a girl could wish for. Reading is my great delight; nothing beats a long walk, to my favorite coffee shop and settling in with a killer book. As Ronald Reagan once said: “he who reads leads”- I think I’ll make that one of my life mottos. Random fact: I am deathly afraid of moths and horrifying enough, they seem to have an inordinate fascination with me!
BB: What kind of response to the modesty movement are you seeing from members of your generation?
CT: Varied, really. Some are extremely enthusiastic; some are still so soaked in Feminism they don’t know what ends up. What’s surprising is how excited they get about modesty and femininity when they hear how much the guys love feminine attire. I’ve seen a tidal wave of enthusiasm when the guys express their support of modesty/femininity.
BB: You maintain a wonderful bog in addition to running Christa Taylor. Can you tell us a little about Empowered Traditionalist?
CT: Empowered Traditionalist is a response to Feminism in our society today. With the rise of the raunch culture I wanted to be a beacon of light piercing the sexuality and gender confusion. I wanted women to feel like it was ok to be feminine- to rise above it and affirm, “yes, I am an empowered Traditionalist, I stand by the traditional values of femininity and modesty and frankly- I’m proud of it!”
BB: You must be so busy! What do like to do in your free time?
CT: If I had an afternoon with nothing to do- I would first take a walk, (I love exercise) and then read- my brain gets hungry and I have to feed it otherwise I become dull and morose. ;)
BB: You mention on your blog that you do not sew! That really surprised and intrigued me! Can you tell us a bit about how get your designs out of your head and onto the clothing rack?
CT: Ha! Now that is the mystery isn’t it? Having an understanding of how patterns/sewing works has been very helpful. While I’m no expert at the mechanisms of sewing I have taken a design and dressmaking course so that gave me a good foundation. To answer more clearly- I draft up a picture/sketch, send it to my seamstress and we work on creating it into a sample. Once we have the finished mock-up we send it off to our manufacturers- and voila- the design is ready for production.
BB: It sounds like you have a wonderful support system in your family. In what ways do they support you and contribute to Christa Taylor?
CT: Christa Taylor is a family business; I could never do this alone. The sheer thought of it sends me into cardiac arrest. lol. My Dad and older brother are both skilled entrepreneurs and run their own companies. The advice and counsel they proffer is invaluable. My siblings have learned the skills necessary to compete professionally in web programming, customer service, packaging etc. We work as a team; each member working together, each is necessary.
BB: Where did the idea to create Christa Taylor come from? Did you always plan on becoming designers?
CT: Honestly, I grew up wanting to be a nurse. However, I was never a fan of spending years at school (and accumulating debt) so I abandoned that course quickly. Christa-Taylor.com was born out of my frustration with the paucity of modest swimwear. I wasn’t going to walk around in a bikini so we decided to design our own and start selling it. That’s it in a nutshell.
BB: Where does your commitment to modesty come from? Why do you think modesty is important?
CT: From earliest recollection my mother inculcated the paramount importance of modesty. Not only the need, but also the beauty of modesty. As I grew, modesty became a conviction based out of my faith as well. I wanted to serve the guys around me by pointing to God and not myself. Additionally, modesty is a form of protection, and demonstrates self-respect. For all these reasons I cherish modesty.
BB: What inspires you?
CT: When I want to get inspired, I pull out two dusty tomes from underneath my bed. My favorite is a McCall’s pattern book, circa 1950s, the other a Sears Roebuck from the same period. Ideas just emanates from those aged pages. If I’m really in need of some creative stimuli- I look at some of my favorite designers or photographers. Great work inspires imitation.
BB: What is your design philosophy?
CT: If I ever find it- I’ll let you know.
BB: When you create something, what goes through your mind?
CT: “Should I put bows on it? Will this be practical? What is the feel I want to express? When that is all worked out, I’m thrilled “I can’t wait to see this!!”
BB: Which is your favorite Christa Taylor item?
CT: My current favorite just sold out, the Kimono Jacket Dress. My second favorite is part of the spring line, which isn’t up on the website yet. You should see them- they are sooo cute.
BB: How do you want women to feel when they are wearing Christa Taylor?
CT: Feminine, classy and stylish. Put together, and appropriate.
BB: What does a typical day look like for you?
CT: Honestly, most of it is spent in front of the computer. As a business owner, you wear many hats. Today I was graphic designer in the morning, photographer at lunchtime, product developer/designer through the afternoon and finished off with customer service.
BB: What are your aspirations, personally or professionally?
CT:
-Write a book, combining femininity/modesty with how to’s on style and fashion.
-Get married have a family, raise up sons and daughters who will change the world.-Professionally, keep developing and expanding till I can train others to do my job. I’m all about sustainability.
3 Comments
Thanks for introducing us to Christa. What a wonderful clothing line. Then hearing her story and knowing that she is also chariatable.
My sister and I are looking at some of the skirts. I think we may order soon. I’m rather fond of the chocolate Yorkshire Missy Skirt. Bonus: stretchy waist. Since I’ve been pregnant more often than not in the past three years, that is key. I refuse to buy fitted skirts right now, no matter how cute they are.
I really like her clothing! It's pricey though, at least for me. I'd buy some, but I cannot without feeling guilty spending so much money on an article of clothing.