INTERVIEW #122 KRISTEN TAYLOR HILTON
Name: Kristen Taylor-Hilton
Occupation: Attorney-at-law
Based in: Montserrat, West Indies
Website: www.unsewcial.com
Instagram: @unsewcial
Hi Kris, welcome to A Sustainable Closet, can you please tell our readers who you are and what you do?
Hi readers! I’m Kris, a criminal attorney during the day, a self-taught sewist at night and a wife and mom of two right around the clock. I’m from a tiny island in the Caribbean and as an Island Girl, bright colours and bold flavours are my jam! Despite having a rather formal job, I am creative at heart so sewing (and blogging about my sewing), as well as planning, crafting and anything Do-It-Yourself really, feed my inner spirit!
What’s your relationship with clothes, how old were you when you got interested?
To be honest, I’ve always been interested in clothing. Both my grandmothers were seamstresses so I think a love for fashion runs deep in my gene pool. That being said, my interest in clothing peaked when I started teaching myself how to sew just before my 30th birthday. I quickly became obsessed with making unique clothing that fit me. Needless to say, I haven’t stopped sewing since!
How would you describe your style, say it in three words?
Bold, Bright and Classy.
What are your favourite clothes to wear and why?
I have a preference for dresses. After lots of trial and error, I finally figured out the fitting adjustments I need to account for my short torso, mom boobs and sloping shoulders. Plus I love how a dress can be a complete outfit; just throw one on and head through the door. I guess too that my struggles with fitting a pant block have fueled my love for dresses even more.
How would you describe your closet, messy with a lot of clothes or organised and minimalistic?
I think my closet is mid-way between the two… not messy per se but definitely not minimalistic. My closet is constantly under revision and I like to weed it out at least once a year. As I get better at fitting garments and making smarter fabric and pattern choices for my body, I like to re-home some of my not-so-great-for-me makes!
On your Instagram you share regularly clothes you have sewn yourself, when did you start sewing and why?
I started teaching myself to sew in 2018. I wanted a new challenge and creative outlet that would allow me to decompress from a tough and rigid day job. A friend of mine suggested sewing. At first, I was a little hesitant – thinking that sewing was for little old ladies in rocking chairs. After she repeated the sentiment, I ordered a machine off Amazon and fell down the rabbit hole of sewing. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered an entire community of sewists on Instagram with differing ages, genders, locations, backgrounds etc.
What are your best tips for anyone who would like to start sewing?
Just do it!!!! Sewing really is therapeutic and that feeling of achievement every time you wear a garment you created is addictive. After four-plus years of sewing, I can honestly say it’s never boring. There is always so much to learn, so much to improve upon and if you mess up… it’s not life and limb, just fabric!
What do you think about the fashion industry?
As a teenager, I gravitated to fast fashion: mini-skirts, slinky tops, and anything that was trending really. The problem with most of those things was that they really weren’t all that well made. As I got older and started working, I started buying investment pieces - pieces that, though much pricier (comparatively speaking) were better made and long-lasting. Once I started sewing, my view of the fashion industry changed again. I realized just how much time, and patience and SKILL are required to make a garment, and I can’t understand how big retail stores conscientiously sell garments for next to nothing. The exploitation of cheap labour saddens me. This knowledge has helped me to make better choices when buying ready-to-wear (because I still do from time to time). I spend a little more time thinking about what I need to buy and from where!
What are your best tips to create a more sustainable closet?
My number one tip does NOT to get caught up in sales. It is so easy to buy clothing we don’t need, or won’t wear more than once or twice because they are ‘cheap’. Slow down and really think about what you want to add to your wardrobe and how it will serve you. Once you decide it’s a worthwhile piece, put it to work, mix and match your pieces to create fresh outfits and don’t be afraid to be an outfit repeater! Be sure to take care of your pieces too – follow laundering recommendations and the like so that you can keep rocking them for years and years.