Introducing Courtney

“My best friend calls me Squidward because I love to vibe at home and get grumpy sometimes”, laughs Courtney; the 27-year-old beauty product developer and marketer. She is reflecting on her “partying days” in her early twenties and how much her life has changed since she left New York during the pandemic, moving back in with her parents near the beach in Southern New Jersey. It’s been a welcome gear shift for Courtney, who moved to New York when she was 16 and had spent the last five years living in bustling Harlem. Now she finds herself living back home, moving at a slower pace, and working from home too.

She shows us around her bedroom in the converted loft space she’s moved into. There’s a piano - which Courtney tells us she is diligently learning - covered up in the corner, a Pilates mat up against the wall (she’s certified to teach), ballet shoes, embroidery, and a stack of books by her bed: Angela Davis, James Baldwin, books on learning French, and one intriguingly called Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. As she leads us down to the bottom of the house to show us the view of the woods from the basement where she works during the day, Courtney tells us that she has been grateful for this time here with her family and for being able to take a little time away from it all. She might go back to New York eventually, but for now it’s as peaceful and relaxing and as far away from the city she left behind as you can imagine.

Let's start with having you explain your style to us, Courtney...

My style is pretty minimal, so for a long time I wasn’t sure if I had any lol. Now that I’m in my late ‘20s, I want to buy clothes that will last and that will still look good in photos 20 years from now. I love minimal clothes like the mid-late '90s Calvin Klein and Prada collections that were mostly simple silk slip dresses, fitted trousers and soft cashmere sweaters. Summer is the only time of year that I wear color, so my black silk slip dresses shifted over to floral silk slip dresses. Plus natural hair and minimal jewelry. Right now, I’m really inspired by old French movies from the ‘60s, and how feminine and effortless women looked then.

Would your friends describe your fashion/style any differently do you think? Well, my friend Josefina says I dress like a character in a Nancy Meyers movie – cream cashmere sweaters and gold jewelry. I guess you could say whatever Cameron Diaz wore in The Holiday, I would probably wear. 

Who inspires you style-wise when it comes to your career closet?

I think Jeanne Damas is perfect style-wise – as a designer and creative director of her brand, there’s an expectation for her to look professional and stand out, but she always has the perfect balance of sophistication and casual femininity. When I do go on Instagram, which is rarely, her stories are always at the top of my algorithm – I think I refer to her style the most for my daily looks. 

In the public eye, whose style do you admire and are influenced by?

I love Frank Ocean’s style, Pharrell's sometimes too. Devon Carlson is also really unique, I don’t necessarily dress like her but I like her ‘00s and ‘90s influence. I have been inspired to purchase Realisation Par because of her style, and a purple glittery ring from La Manso. 

If you could ‘steal’ one person [in the public eye’s] closet, whose closet would you steal and why?

Jeanne Damas for sure. She wears her own brand and has formal wear, casual wear, swimwear and lingerie. I would feel most comfortable and like myself in all of her clothes.

Where are the other places you’re getting style/fashion influence from?

Pinterest is a great resource for finding unique style inspiration – I think Instagram is oversaturated with basic influencers, and everyone looks the same. I have a Pinterest board of ‘90s supermodels and vintage Calvin Klein and Prada runway collections with images I think I could only find on that site. 

YouTube is a reliable source because you can get a better idea of someone’s style and aesthetic via video, versus photographs. I’ve watched all of Devon Carlson, Chantel Jeffries and Emma Chamberlain’s videos and vlogs, and I am obsessed with their clothing hauls. I think it’s fair to say that I discover the most new brands from their clothing hauls. 

I also get a lot of style inspiration from French movies. Next year I’m planning on moving to Nice in the South of France and applying to school, because I think it’s the most beautiful location and culture. It’s like a physical interpretation of all of my tastes and dream aesthetics. Old Jacques Demy movies, and Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve are so timeless. 

Thinking about your closet, what percentage of your clothing is professional versus casual? How much of your wardrobe is given over to clothing you wear to look professional?

This question is harder to answer now that I’ve been working from home for a year. When I worked at Estée Lauder and spent every day in the office, my worst nightmare was looking like a yuppie, but I still needed to look professional. So I would very regularly buy simple blouses and tops from the Banana Republic around the corner from my office and wear them with simple black cigarette trousers and flats. My entire wardrobe in a way could have been considered professional because my style didn’t really change from work to going out. Now that I work from home, my closet is much more casual. The slip dresses I buy now show more of my chest than they would have when I worked in an office, and I’ve built a collection of the softest, coziest t-shirts. I've also been wearing the same Levi's men’s denim jacket almost every day (if it’s cold enough).

What does ‘looking professional’ mean to you? How do you carry out and perfect that look? 

I’ve always associated professional with being more reserved, and specifically showing less skin. I don’t necessarily think professional attire needs to be slacks and suits anymore. Especially working in a women-dominated field with barely any men in sight, my co-workers have always been pretty stylish while still looking sophisticated. This will sound a little classist, but I also think professional can be associated with looking a little bit rich. So, having a nice tailored coat with a simple black dress and gold jewelry can still look expensive, because it’s classy. Generally I like to take the same mindset I have with activewear into my daywear/professional wear. Having a compartmentalized closet is too much work and a bit overwhelming. I like to buy fewer clothes that have multiple purposes, so combining my everyday and professional style helps simplify my closet.

Thinking about those professional pieces in your wardrobe, what are the most important, staple pieces for you? The pieces that you wear time and time again and tend to replace?

A tailored wool coat or a duster jacket are key. I think the most simple outfit, such as a basic slip dress or plain skirt, can look more put-together with a sophisticated jacket. I’m also obsessed with soft sweaters – it’s impossible for me to walk past a grey or cream cashmere sweater without stopping. The pieces I replace the most and am the most loyal to are my trousers – I like black trousers with a slim fitted leg.

Where are your three favorite stores to shop in for your career closet?

Aritzia: either online or physical store

& Other Stories: online or physical store

Loft: online or physical store

 What is it about these stores that make them your favorite/preferred place to shop?

These brands are very consistent with their fits and fabrics which makes shopping so much easier for me. I don’t always have the time or energy to shop in a physical store so I appreciate when I can shop from a brand online without trying the clothes on.

Does the experience of those stores matter to you too?

I don’t know if it’s because of their lack of popularity or not, but the physical stores I mentioned are always very relaxing. The sales associates aren’t too pushy either. & Other Stories has one of my favorite in-store shopping experiences because the interior design is modern and makes the clothes look even more high-quality than they probably are. If I choose to shop in a store, I want to have an immersive experience with nice décor and displays so I feel like I’m purchasing something of quality. Walking into an H&M or Forever 21 makes me feel nauseous, because it’s a sensory overload – too many shoppers, the music is too loud, and the lines are too long.

What other stores/spaces are you shopping in for your ‘career closet’ and why? What do they bring to the mix?

I regularly walked into Banana Republic on my lunch break when I worked at Clinique. There was a store two blocks away from my office, and in the summer it was a nice break to stop in and look at tops and jewelry. Sometimes if I had a last-minute important meeting, or last-minute plans for drinks, I would stop in and quickly buy something. Again, I’m mostly interested in visiting a physical store when I can reliably find clothing that will either suit me or fit me well.

Going a little more specific, what are your top five favorite brands? Why are they your favorite?

Rouje Paris is one of my favorite brands, despite the fact that I only own one silk dress from there. I subscribe to their emails, which is significant because I hate marketing emails, and keep an eye on all of the new campaigns and collections. The brand actually gives me inspiration when I shop at other stores, because I am absolutely in love with the relaxed South of France aesthetic. The one piece I own from the brand is a floral silk dress that I bought in the Paris store two years ago – I’ll keep it forever. The founder Jeanne Damas is also one of my style icons. 

Everlane has disappointed me politically by squashing the creation of employee unions, but I have historically purchased a lot of basics from them. Most of my basic t-shirts and tank tops are from Everlane, and all of my jeans. I sound like a broken record, but the fits are extremely reliable – even when I’m trying a new style or cut, the size chart is extremely accurate for my height and proportions. Their basics look more expensive than they are - like I’ve been asked if my t-shirt is Helmut Lang when it’s really Everlane.

Thinking about your ‘career closet’, what part can your clothes play - if any - in helping you do your job even better?

Professional clothes definitely influence impressions with co-workers, and I think help people respect you and listen to you. Especially working in the beauty industry, looking presentable is an expectation and requirement. Aside from that, I really enjoy getting dressed and feeling pretty. When I was still working in an office, my favorite part of the morning was putting together an outfit to take me through the work day and happy hour, or whatever plans I had afterwards.

What are your top priorities when it comes to buying new items of clothing?

Fit / being flattering

Comfort

Quality

Longevity (style-wise)

Versatility

How many pairs of shoes, any shoes, do you own?

I have to preface by saying my feet are huge, so my options for shoes are super limited. Fast fashion stores rarely have my size, and aren’t comfortable anyway. I’m a size 11 and often shop men’s sizes for sneakers. A lot of my shoes and clothing are in storage at my mom’s house, and I really don’t wear much of what I own because I work from home and rarely travel. I may own up to 20 pairs of shoes, boots, sneakers and sandals but only rotate 6 pairs regularly as of the past year.

If you had to split them up into categories and write a percentage next to them [what, math!] what would that look like?

50% boots

30% sandals

20% sneakers

What type of shoe would we typically find you in, if you there is a ‘typical shoe’ for you?

I wear white adidas Powerphase sneakers with almost everything. Aside from sneakers, I wear chocolate brown leather TKEES flip-flops all the time – to the beach, out to dinner or anywhere. If I’m dressing up a little more to go to a bar or somewhere more formal, I’ll wear my black strappy TKEES Napa sandals that have a minimal '90s vibe. I’m tall so I like flat shoes more than heels these days. When I was working in an office, I wore patent black leather ankle boots or Stuart Weitzman knee-high boots almost daily in the fall. 

What are the most important things for you when it comes to buying your favorite kind of shoe?

They have to fit my huge feet, be comfortable for long walks, and need to last more than two years. I have a pair of Stuart Weitzman leather Chelsea boots that have lasted over four years by getting the heels replaced and leather treated (which is an accomplishment walking around NYC every day). 

What about your favorite brands for shoes? Who do you always end up going to?

Adidas

TKEES

Stuart Weitzman

Birkenstock

Why are these your favorite brands do you think? 

Previous success and longevity – I’m not really interested in experimenting with new shoe brands because I’ve found what works. 

What about your favorite shoe stores, again - on or offline? What makes them your favorite stores?

Bodega Store and Kith for sneakers.