Why I Started Abundantlea (And Why It Took Me Two Years to Say Yes)

I sat with this idea for two years before I did anything about it.

Two years of feeling the pull to create modest activewear for women. Two years of shopping the market, buying things that seemed promising, and ending up disappointed every single time. Two years of avoiding a call from God to dress more modestly at the gym and create something that honored what he was asking me to do. I often told him in prayer "Absolutely not. Someone else will figure this out and I am busy."

Nobody did.

So eventually, I said yes.

This is the story of how Abundantlea started, and why it took longer than it probably should have.

The Problem Nobody Was Solving

I want to be honest about something up front: I have not always been modest. I understand both sides of this conversation, and I am not here to tell you what your choices should look like. But when I began my own modesty journey, I ran into a very practical problem immediately.

There was almost nothing good available.

I am a fitness person. I have been working out for years. I wanted activewear that could handle heavy lifting, real movement, and sustained effort without failing me. When I started looking for modest options that could actually do that, I kept coming up empty. What was marketed as modest activewear either was not built for real athletic use, or it was uncomfortable, or it just did not feel like me.

I tried a lot of things. I spent money I will never get back. I stayed frustrated for a long time.

Two Years of "Someone Else Will Do It"

I have run a portrait and wedding photography business for over 14 years. I know how hard it is to build something from nothing. So when I started feeling called to create modest activewear for women, my first reaction was: please, no. This industry is expensive, let's be honest building any business is expensive. Creating clothing from scratch is not like buying boutique inventory. I did not have a pattern, a manufacturer, a tech pack, or even a finished drawing. To be honest I can't even draw and I wouldn't even consider myself fashionable.

I kept waiting for someone else to solve the problem.

When nobody did, I started to consider that maybe I was the one who was supposed to.

February 2025 — The Trip That Changed Everything

In February 2025, I flew to Las Vegas with one of my good friends for a manufacturing sourcing trade show. By that point, I had been praying and fasting about this idea. I showed up to that trade show with nothing but an idea and a lot of intention.

God led me to a fabric supplier I genuinely loved. The confirmation I felt from the Holy Spirit about that choice was a clear confirmation and I had so much peace about this.

The trip turned into more than a sourcing visit. After the convention my friend and I took a road trip through Joshua Tree, the Grand Canyon, Arizona. We hiked. We rode horses. We went to the Salton Sea. What started as a business trip became the trip I had quietly prayed for. I had been asking God for a chance to just go somewhere for myself. God reminded me on our drive in the middle of this trip to source fabric and a factory for a brand I had not yet fully committed to was the answered prayer I prayed that one day.

I came home knowing I was going to build this.

What I Am Building, and Why

Abundantlea is modest activewear built for women who want coverage without sacrificing performance. That means real construction, custom-made materials, reinforced seams, and thoughtful design. It means building for athletes, for mothers, and for women who simply want to move without feeling like they have to choose between their values and their workout.

I care deeply about the women I am building this for, because I am one of them. I know what it is like to look for something that represents you and come up empty. That experience is not a small thing, and it is the reason Abundantlea exists.

The Built Skirt — Where This Starts

The first product I am bringing to market is called The Built Skirt. It is a skirted legging, and I am starting here because skirted leggings are one of the most underserved categories in the modest activewear space. Most of what exists right now does not hold up to real training. The skirt shifts, the compression is inadequate, the waistband does not hold. I could not find one I actually wanted to wear, so we are building one.

I am currently on Prototype 5. I have photos and video of The Built Skirt in real workouts — including a strength training series I do with my trainer Faith, I will be sharing that throughout the coming months.

The launch timeline depends on the sampling process with our new manufacturing partner. We are looking at roughly six months from now. I am not going to rush it. Rushing is how you end up with a garment that does not do what it promises.

Every step of this process I am sharing on social media and in the Elevated+ community. I want you to see the whole process, not just the finished product.

If You Have Been Looking for This Too

If you found this post because you have been searching for modest activewear that actually works, you are in the right place. If you are just beginning a modesty journey and you are not sure yet what that even means for you, you are welcome here too. Abundantlea is not about having everything figured out. It is about moving toward something and doing it honestly.

Sign up here to get early access to The Built Skirt and join the Elevated+ community for behind-the-scenes updates and first-look access when the debut collection is ready.

Also on the blog: The Built Skirt — why every skirted legging I tried let me down and what we are building instead and I worked out while I made dinner — and it saved me when I needed it most.