“With Brittney, It’s All Men’s, It’s Edgier”: Ellen DeGeneres’ Fashion Adviser Revealed What Dressing Up WNBA Star Brittney Griner Was Like for ESPYs in 2013

Ellen DeGeneres’ fashion adviser, Kellen Richards, once revealed her opinion about dressing up Brittney Griner for the upcoming ESPY awards in men’s clothing. Richards, who was also Griner’s stylist at the time, admitted that her client’s menswear preferences posed her a unique challenge for her. Subsequently, she went on to compare the fashion preferences of her two clients, Ellen DeGeneres and Brittney Griner.

In an interview session backstage of Conan O’Brien’s late-night show in 2013, Griner had undertaken the task of choosing an outfit for the upcoming ESPYs with her stylist Kellen Richards. During the course of the interview, Richards got candid about Griner’s fashion choices.

Ellen’s fashion adviser on choosing men’s clothing for Brittney Griner

Before appearing on Conan in front of a national TV audience, Brittney Griner seemed more concerned about her ESPY outfit three days later. While choosing her clothes, Griner and her stylist indulged in a casual conversation about fashion.

In fact, Kellen Richards highlighted the difference in Griner and Ellen’s fashion choices. “With Ellen, we choose women’s clothes and add menswear touches,” Richards explained.

“With Brittney, it’s all men’s. And it’s edgier,” she added.

Incidentally, Brittney Griner has always gravitated towards men’s clothing. In fact, she has always felt uncomfortable wearing women’s clothing. At her high school graduation, she wore a dress at her mother’s behest.

But the attire made her so uncomfortable and embarrassed that she had to completely abandon that avenue. However, wearing men’s clothing as a woman often attracted invectives towards Griner from people on the Internet.

Griner’s struggles with gender norms

Brittney Griner has been battling gender norms her entire life. From her early years, she faced bullying and harassment because of her unique appearance.

As a 6’9″ WNBA center, Griner clearly doesn’t resemble the outward appearance of the average woman. As a result, she often faced mistreatment for her tall, lanky features.

In addition, her clothing choices and sexual orientation further accentuated the deluge of jibes hurled at her on various platforms. However, the Phoenix Mercury star remains adamant in her endeavor to ignore the hateful rhetoric targeted towards her on a daily basis.

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Instead, Griner tries to show her support for anti-bullying campaigns. She has also encouraged kids facing similar issues as her to embrace therapy.