Check out our interview with the Columbian!

A year before “Mad Men’s” Betty Draper and Joan Holloway first sauntered onto television screens in pencil skirts and curve-accentuating dresses, Salmon Creek designer Christa Taylor was building an eponymous clothing line spotlighting those same looks. The underlying philosophy behind the clothes in “Mad Men,” set in the 1960s, and Christa Taylor’s line is that it’s possible to emphasize a woman’s hourglass shape and be sexy while leaving something to the imagination.

Taylor started building her women’s clothing line right after completing high school in 2006. She launched her online clothing store, christa-taylor.com, in January 2007.

Her clothes are inspired by 1950s and ’60s icons such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Lucille Ball, Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn and Barbara Billingsley as June Cleaver.

Taylor, who was home-schooled, started designing because she was frustrated by the lack of fashionable, feminine yet modest clothing options available.

“I want to feel classy, sophisticated and chic without feeling that half my chest is exposed,” (more…)

Extra Terrestrial? …think again.

If you like what you see at Christa-Taylor you are probably an Empowered Traditionalist.

What is an empowered Traditionalist you might ask?

An ET is one who confidently stands on traditional values of modesty, and femininity in the face of opposition.

An ET strives to break the lie that states that to be modest you must compromise beauty and attractiveness.

An ET embraces beauty and femininity and kills frumpiness.

An ET is smart, because she purchases timeless styles and rejects the trends to purchase cheap new fashions every season, saving bundles of money
An ET is a trend-setter, in the best sense of the word.
An ET stands out. Since she does not let the winds of fashion effect her decisions, she actually wears cuter apparel- she stands out compared to what every one else is wearing. (those Captivated Modernists).
An ET is one who loves to dress well

An ET is wise. She understands that character vs. immodesty attracts the best men.

An ET is attractive in all the right ways.
An ET has clothes that fit her personality and her body type
An ET loves to surprise people with her style

An ET sets the trend in modest style yet without succumbing to the pressures to buy apparel that compromises your convictions.

Christa-Taylor, fashions for the Empowered Traditionalist

Two young gentlemen recently asked me the same question, in fact they posted their queries on an online chat room…and believe me, the response was far from positive. If we filter out the obscenities and vulgar remarks (from the so called “ladies”) the answer came down to two contentions.

1.) skirts aren’t comfortable
Now this must be taken with their veiw-point in mind. I would completely agree, a mini skirt, is NOT comfortable. But thank heavens there are more options than that sad excuse for a covering.

It takes a paltry 3 minutes to put on a pair of tights (or in my case a chic pair of trouser socks/knee highs) and the air of class and refinement is definitely worth it.

2.) They aren’t in-style

Who says they aren’t “in”, just because you can’t find them at your typical American Eagle doesn’t mean they aren’t in style. The very nature of the skirt makes it always in style, it’s your base pallet for layering on some creative color.

With that said,
Let it be known, far and wide- You are completely and utterly free to wear skirts! I give you full permission to be as feminine and attractive as you like!

More on skirts:

There’s something about them, that delightful thrill you get when it’s swishing around your calves, or when the man nearby recognizes the fact that you are a lady and kindly opens the door for you, or when you feel so flattered by it’s graceful lines…it’s always fitting, always appropriate.

Where have all the skirts and dresses gone?

I do find it rather tragic that skirts and dresses are so difficult to find, (except of course, the above mentioned mini) even large retailers such as Kohl’s and Target have completely removed their dresses department. Not a dress in the place. With the “casualization” of America few retailers see the need for a “classy” refined look outside of business wear. (We’re out to change that…=)

I was recently attending a Musicians summit in Seattle, WA. Five thousand men and women crammed the place, but I saw only 2 women in the entire contingency who were wearing skirts. If women, conservative or no, would wear skirts at least once more than they would usually - we would see quite the change in “femininity” category and be more flattered in the process.

Now, I wear pants fairly frequently (and was wearing them on this occasion) but I always try to pair my denim/slacks with something very feminine. Something a guy would NEVER wear, such as a cute tunic, or flowy sweater etc. I’m happy to be a woman, and happy to show it.

“Never in the history of fashion has so little material been raised so high to reveal so much that needs to be covered so badly.” -Sir Cecil Beaton on mini-skirts

An article, written by another modish clothing fan, should capture your interest…

In her opening remarks Basya Speshel includes the following:

“In today’s world of nudity appearing on the cover of Vanity Fair, legal pornography, and court battles over public thong wear, one might expect the value of modesty in dress and behavior to have long hidden itself under a rock…However, there are in fact sites dedicated to a quiet counter revolution towards modesty.”

Jen, from Jenmagazine.com continues…

“I think modesty will continue to be a popular topic among religious people on the internet. The internet is great in that it allows people to learn about, find, and purchase things that aren’t available locally…modest clothing will continue to be found and sold online.”

Click: here for the entire article with questions such as :

1) What do you feel are the greatest advantages of dressing modestly in today’s world?

Check out this interesting article from Washington Post: Modesty on the runway

Shauna. N, from modestly yours blog, wrote this rather amusing article. Excuse any references to shape magazine, I do not endorse that publication.

Shape calls this Fall’s Fashion “the ultimate balance of power”

I am a huge fan of Shape magazine, a women’s fitness magazine. It is full of great tips about how to lead a healthy lifestyle and spends a great deal of time focusing on how to make one’s self happy. As is the nature of any fitness magazine, there are lots of immodesty, they constantly promote slimmer, sexier bodies, and encourage their readers to show off their results as a way to boost self confidence.

So how very surprised I was just now to open up the fashion section to find the following quote: “The ultimate balance of power: a full, flouncy skirt… trench coat… and wool skirt”.

Although more coverage is a natural trend as the weather gets cooler, to me, the statement “the ultimate balance of power” expresses what I believe to be the highest function of clothing. Since this season is all about dressing up the classic business suit, the message being sent is female power through clothing. The section is titled “road to the white house” and the settings are outside in D.C., in the Oval Office, behind a podium, at monuments, and other famous places throughout D.C.

Captions under other pictures include phrases such as “strong statement” and “embody the elegance of a bygone era.”

Empowerment and strength through modesty? Now that’s a fall trend I can finally get behind.

Read the entire excerpt: here

This humorous article from fellow blogger, Allison Shapiro of Modestly Yours, points out some utterly absurd behavior by celebrity Penelope Cruz. This lead to further thought very much in line with Wendy Shalit’s book, and the growing backlash against fourth wave feminism.

Why are the celebrities of today so much different from those of yester-year?

Let’s compare the lives of Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton with that of Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy.

Grace Kelly: A Celebration of Grace

Though her film career spanned just five years and only eleven films, Grace Kelly has become one of the most famous and admired actresses of all times.

Her distinguished career, indeed Her life, has been characterized by an innate sense of style, classic beauty and inherent good taste. Always atop the “world’s most beautiful” lists, admired as a fashion leader and setter of trends, She “graced” the pages of many a glossy magazine with a dazzling smile, warm, enigmatic eyes and vivacious expression. “Grace Kelly style” or “the Grace Kelly look” is a well-known, well-used phrase in the English lexicon signifying incomparable beauty and all that is chic, natural and lady-like. She started a whole new fashion trend.
In her married years her public life was dedicated to efforts to raise funds and awareness to the plight of the less fortunate while treating all with dignity and respect

In his euology to Kelly Jim Stewart said:

“You know, I just love Grace Kelly. Not because she was a princess, not because she was an actress, not because she was my friend, but because she was just about the nicest lady I ever met. Grace brought into my life as she brought into yours, a soft, warm light every time I saw her, and every time I saw her was a holiday of its own. No question, I’ll miss her, we’ll all miss her, God bless you, Princess Grace.

Can you see such a lady removing her pants in Paris? I think not.

Audrey Hepburn: Lasting Elegance

she became a special ambassador to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and spent the rest of her life working to improve the conditions of needy children.

By the mid 1950s, Hepburn was not only one of the biggest motion picture stars in Hollywood, but also a major fashion icon.

Despite her stardom, Hepburn retained her humility.

She preferred a more quiet living with family and nature. Though she enjoyed fashion she did not place too much weight in it, but preferred simplicity. She lived in houses, not mansions, and loved to garden. Soon after Hepburn’s final film role, she was appointed a special ambassador to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Grateful for her own good fortune after enduring the German occupation as a child, she dedicated the remainder of her life to helping impoverished children in the poorest nations. Hepburn’s travels were made easier by her wide knowledge of languages; she spoke French, Italian, English, Dutch, and Spanish.

Can you picture Audrey Hepburn posing for a Girls Gone Wild video? I think not

(This article was found on Modestly Yours, a blog dedicated to the discussion and support of modesty. It is written by Alexandra Foley, one of the 20 ladies who write for the blog. It is a fabulous article and continues to demonstrate the growing “modesty movement”

How tickled I was to inadvertently tune into Good Morning America’s piece on Girls Gone Mild last Friday. The story began with clips of young girls complaining about how hard it is to be modest: “Sometimes it’s so short you can see their underwear,” and “We can’t help it. That’s all they sell these days.” But despite the challenges of being a modest girl in an immodest world, the ABC piece showed that there is a movement afoot and Wendy’s book is a big part of it. What I really appreciated about the story was that it showed modesty as a viable option for girls and women who are sick to death of the expose-it-all look — without any lame sneering that usually accompanies such stories. Cheers.

Then, after the initial piece, they did a live fashion show of Girls Gone Wild vs. Girls Gone Mild looks with Allyson Waterman, Special Project Director of Lucky Magazine.

Here is what Allyson had to say about the modesty movement in fashion:

Allyson Waterman: Well, I think it really is a movement towards conservatism. I think it is a backlash against what we’ve been seeing in Hollywood. Let’s face it, whether we like it or not celebrities have become our role models. There is media covering their every move. And I do think that America is reacting to this over-the-top behavior, in style and behavior. We don’t need to see young celebrities’ business all the time. I think people realize we’ve hit a limit and fashion is mimicking this reaction.

Robin Roberts: Enough is enough and the two of us love this movement.

Allyson Waterman: This is not about being frumpy or dumpy. This is not about covering up or not being sexy or hiding under a lot of fabric. This is about embracing a woman’s body in an elegant way with decorum. We never saw Jackie O’s underwear, we never saw Grace Kelly… we never saw Audrey Hepburn behave this way. And these are the women who have maintained themselves as style icons throughout history.

Then the Wild vs. Mild looks. First a girl in super low-ride jeans with an extremely tight tank top that. Then, a girl in higher-rise, wider leg jeans and a tie-front yellow blouse.

Next the mini-skirt: “It’s just not appropriate for work. It’s not good. But if you want to wear a skirt and show off your legs and celebrate your look, there is the pencil-slim skirt. You can see what she’s got, but she’s not giving it away,” said Waterman. I really liked this look.

Then dresses: First they showed a spaghetti-strapped slip of a dress. “We don’t want to see a bra strap anymore,” said Waterman. Instead they showed a beautiful silky Burberry dress with short sleeves and a poofy bottom.

I thought this approach was brilliant. Instead of just talking about modesty and complaining about what an inappropriate culture we live in, they gave concrete advice and a modest makeover. Maybe the “after” looks aren’t for everyone, but they sure beat what one usually sees on T.V.