Àpropos
Realizing a Dream
Photography by David Wright
Patricia Christen, owner of Àpropos in Tampa, is retiring.
This is the story of a determined young girl who
dreamed of creating a boutique that eventually
became Àpropos in Tampa. When she was 12,
traveling to many places while living with her mother in
Dallas, Texas, Patricia Christen landed a job at Neiman
Marcus after saying she was 18, by using her beauty
and intellect to convince them she was older than she
really was. At 5-foot, 7-inches tall and weighing 125
pounds, she began working in sales and merchandise
while still attending school. That is why many of her
school friends noted in her yearbook that although she
was never around and did not hang out after school
92 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
with them, they liked her, but never really felt they got
to know her. After graduating, Patricia continued to
work her way up the career ladder.
When she was 21 in Oklahoma City, she met and
married John Christen, director of food and beverage
for a Holiday Inn. They later moved to Tampa to open
the Brewmaster Steakhouse. One day as she drove
down Dale Mabry Highway, Patricia spotted an old
shack, drove to the nearest pay phone and called to rent
the building without ever going inside. That day, she
rented it for $175 per month and realized her longtime
dream of opening a women’s boutique.