Shopping for designer goods is about more than beauty, workmanship and cost. It’s an emotional experience that often comes with a personal story. In this series, women recall a singular piece and a moment in their journey into luxury.
Courtney Mays, 40, a California-based celebrity stylist who counts Chris Paul and Jay Ellis among her clients, unpacks her love for menswear and reimagines what luxury feels like at this point in her career.
I turned 40 last year and I just figured out what my personal style was. Growing up, I went from this grunge girl to wanting to also look like Aaliyah to trying to figure out how my style impacted my gender identity. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be feminine or masculine. Also, I’m a plus-size girl, so fashion was always a bit of a struggle for me, not having access to the same things as my friends did and having to get creative.
I remember having a family friend turned big sister who would always take me thrifting. That was the first time I realized, ‘Oh, I can kind of get creative with my look, and I don’t have to worry about not having my size in the store’ because I was in the men’s department and looking at vintage things. I remember wearing vintage nightgowns under blazers. I don’t know. I was a mess.
It sounds cute now, but because of my size and the way that fashion has gatekeepers for people bigger than a size 8/10, I had to learn how to get creative with what I wore. That impacted my personal style, which meant accessories became really important for me. My love for thrifting and vintage things became important because that’s where I could find things that worked for me.
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Comfort is important [for me now]. I also really lean into gender fluidity. I love menswear. I love a suit. I feel the most confident in a suit, an oversized blazer and a wide-leg trouser, but I also work in sports. Athletic apparel is part of my day-to-day. I have a decent sneaker collection. I’m always dressing up a sweatsuit with all of my jewelry. It’s partly because of what I’m surrounded by and what is comfortable, but also wanting to be chic at the same time.
I remember seeing pictures of [celebrity stylist]Rachel Zoe in six-inch platform heels, and I was like, girl. I mean, granted, she probably has 45 assistants actually running around doing the craziness of it all, but there’s such an illusion around what a stylist looked like and what that meant for their wardrobe.
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My mom is a Louis Vuitton girl. I don’t know if I was gifted or if I stole all of her little cosmetic bags, and she has this massive, I don’t think they make it anymore, imagine a carry-all but like times three. I always borrowed those pieces from her collection because that was like the definition of luxury at a young age. That was my understanding of what was luxurious, and it felt iconic and something statuesque about carrying that monogram.
When I turned 25 my old boss bought me the Gucci tapestry bag. It completely fell apart and I had to get rid of it, which was devastating for me. That was such a generous gift, but it was also a reach back to my love of antiques and style from decades past. It defined my style at the moment.
Channing Hargrove is a senior writer at Andscape covering fashion. That’s easier than admitting how strongly she identifies with the lyrics “Single Black female addicted to retail.”
