Michelle Buteau remembers a time when finding a red carpet dress in her size came with an unexpected risk: another woman might arrive wearing exactly the same thing. The problem wasn’t a shared sense of style. There simply weren’t enough options.
Years later, the comedian brought that experience to Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest, playing Mavis Beaumont, a Brooklyn stylist whose career ambitions are complicated by a breakup. Fortunately, her wardrobe is considerably more exciting than her love life.
Working with costume designer Keia Bounds, Buteau helped bring Mavis’s colorful world to television. Across the series, which premiered in 2023, clothing becomes an enjoyable part of the comedy, from unexpected streetwear combinations to outfits that could easily turn heads at a New York fashion event.
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Inside Mavis Beaumont’s Wardrobe
Mavis has a particular talent for making clothes that shouldn’t necessarily belong together look surprisingly convincing.
A sporty windbreaker appears alongside green-striped leggings, while a textured orange coat brings a completely different mood to her wardrobe. Denim pieces, statement accessories, and playful proportions add to the impression of a stylist who enjoys experimenting with what she wears.
Among the labels featured are Telfar, Brother Vellies, and Brandon Blackwood. The latter, a Jamaican-American accessories designer, has built a following for handbags that combine recognizable shapes with distinctive details.
What makes these pieces interesting is the way they fit into Mavis’s everyday life. She might be rushing between professional appointments, meeting friends, or navigating another awkward romantic encounter, but her clothes rarely suggest that she’s given up on making an impression.
The outfits also reflect her work as a stylist. Rather than presenting a carefully coordinated uniform, her wardrobe feels like a collection of pieces gathered by someone who enjoys discovering designers, mixing textures, and trying unexpected combinations.
How Keia Bounds Created Distinct Fashion Personalities
Costume designer Keia Bounds, whose television credits include BMF and Rap Sh!t, faced a challenge familiar to anyone dressing an ensemble cast: making each character recognizable without turning their wardrobe into a caricature.
Khalil, played by Tone Bell, brings an easygoing approach to menswear. His outfits favor relaxed silhouettes and thoughtful combinations that suit his artistic personality, offering a contrast to Mavis’s more adventurous dressing.
Marley, portrayed by Tasha Smith, has a wardrobe that reflects her professional confidence. Instead of relying entirely on dark suits and conservative officewear, her looks incorporate strong colors and polished pieces that give her presence without making her appear overdressed.
Then there’s Peppermint, the New York drag performer and RuPaul’s Drag Race alum who appears as herself. During an episode featuring a prom for LGBTQ+ teenagers, she wears a striking red dress with an embellished neckline, bringing a welcome dose of theatrical glamour to the celebration.
These different wardrobes help establish the social world surrounding Mavis. The characters share friendships and experiences, but their clothing reveals distinct personalities and ways of moving through New York.
The Designers Bringing Personality to the Screen
One of the pleasures of the show’s styling is discovering the labels behind its outfits.
Telfar, known for its accessible approach to contemporary fashion and recognizable shopping bags, belongs to a generation of brands that have developed strong identities outside traditional luxury fashion.
Brother Vellies brings a different perspective, with accessories associated with craftsmanship and distinctive materials. Brandon Blackwood’s handbags offer another example of how contemporary designers can create recognizable pieces through shape, texture, and unexpected details.
Including these labels gives the series a connection to the broader fashion world while keeping the clothes believable within the characters’ lives.
Television styling has its own demands. An outfit must look convincing in motion, suit the setting, and remain appropriate for the person wearing it. A beautifully photographed fashion piece may not necessarily work when a character has to walk through the city, sit in a restaurant, or spend an entire scene arguing with a friend.
Bounds’s work balances those practical requirements with the opportunity to create memorable fashion moments.
Why Michelle Buteau’s Fashion Story Feels Personal
For Buteau, the limited clothing options she encountered earlier in her career were more than an inconvenience. They reflected a fashion industry that often offered women in larger sizes fewer opportunities to experiment with their appearance.
Survival of the Thickest approaches that experience through comedy rather than turning every scene into a lesson about body image.
Mavis deals with professional setbacks, friendships, dating, and moments of insecurity. Her size is part of her experience, but it isn’t the explanation for everything that happens to her.
That distinction also matters in wider conversations about body positivity and mental well-being, where confidence and self-acceptance involve more than appearance alone.
The series gives its leading character room to be ambitious, occasionally unreasonable, funny, vulnerable, and stylish, sometimes all within the same episode.
And while Mavis may not always know what to do about her relationships or career, she usually has a much clearer idea of what to wear.
