The era of the 1990’s evokes fond pop culture memories of people like Brittney Spears, the Spice Girls, Justin Timberlake and the cast of Friends. A playful glamour, a sense of fun, seem to have been hallmarks of that pre-9/11, pre-pandemic time.
Courtney Wilkerson’s new boutique pays homage to that feeling. The shop’s name, Pell 1990, is a combination of Courtney’s maiden name and her birth year. She opened the shop last October with the goal of creating a destination fashion experience, a place where women can find the fun, effortlessly stylish pieces from top labels they might otherwise drive miles to find. “Women shouldn’t have to travel far to find the clothes they love.”
The oldest of 5 sisters, Courtney developed an eye for style as a teenager working at Abbey Road, a well-known boutique that was located in The Woodlands. She fell in love with the world of high fashion and was drawn to the aesthetic she found when shopping at the likes of Intermix and Tootsie’s in Houston.
With Pell 1990, Courtney says her goal is to bring some of those same lines and more to The Woodlands-Spring, creating a place that women can rely on as a source for versatile clothes that will make them look and feel smashing wherever they go.
The boutique is a treasure chest, filled with the latest fashion edits. “Like a trip to your best friend’s closet,” says Courtney--a friend with impeccable style sense, that is! Shelves and racks display the trending essentials—artful print blouses; uber-feminine, floral dresses; billowy knit sweaters; luxurious loungewear--from labels that include A.L.C., Equipment, Nicholas, Rails, Cinq à Sept, and in an exclusive for The Woodlands area, up-and-coming Houston-based designer Christy Lynn Lee’s label, Christy Lynn.
Women are ready to put aside the yoga pants and flip flops they’ve worn every day at home during the pandemic, says Courtney. Whether for the board room or the next PTO meeting, she believes the confidence that comes from knowing you look fabulous can be found inside her boutique. Her biggest fashion advice? Don’t worry that you have to adhere to a mandatory look or a set of guidelines that are etched in stone. “Fashion should be fun. It should not be hard.”