News of Cheslie Kryst’s apparent suicide stunned the world on Sunday. The former Miss USA died after jumping from a building in Manhattan. We look back at one of our favorite “Gazelles in Our Midst” features, first published in March 2020.
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Cheslie Kryst is blessed to have beauty, brains and a sense of fashion, and she shares her knowledge in the latter as a Dress for Success impact ambassador, another title she added since being crowned Miss USA in May 2019.
But she had worked with Dress for Success before – in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina – where she was also a corporate defense attorney, before moving to Manhattan, and before she achieved the coveted Miss USA title (see what we mean about brains?). In her newest role with Dress for Success, she supports programs with interview preparation assistance, financial health education, and leadership and civic responsibility training. Her St. Louis stop at the Connections to Success Tribute to Success luncheon was part of a multi-city tour with Dress for Success affiliates.
During her luncheon address, Kryst shared her own “tale of three suits,” which she said sort of inspired her work with Dress for Success, as well as the creation of her blog, White Collar Glam, which answers questions women have when it comes to professional attire – especially when shopping on a budget.
“I was traveling with my teammates for the AAJ Trial Team National Championship. The competition spanned several days, so I brought three suits to wear. The courtrooms didn’t have air conditioning, and I sweated through my black suit on the first day.
“I wore my dark gray suit for the second day, but on the way to the courthouse, I hopped up on a curb and ripped open the slit on my skirt, tearing it all the way up the back. Thank God I was wearing a long overcoat.
“One of my teammates brought me my third and final suit to wear so that I didn’t have to wear a ripped skirt all day. But it barely fit since I’d lost weight during the competition – it looked like it was three sizes too big for me. My teammates and I advanced to the final day of the competition, and I was without a single suit that fit me. I wondered: How did I get here? Why was it so hard to find suits I could afford as a broke law school student?
“Thankfully, one of my teammates helped me work the sweat stains out of my black suit, and we went on to win the national championship,” she said.
From there, Kryst created her blog as a resource for women who need help figuring out what to wear in the workplace. What’s appropriate to wear to an interview? How high can your heels be at work? Why do the clothes you wear matter? Where can you buy work clothes on a budget?
After her Miss USA win, Kryst relocated to Manhattan from Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was a civil litigation attorney at Poyner Spruill. She is licensed to practice law in both South Carolina and North Carolina.
“My firm in Charlotte has been wonderful and so understanding,” Kryst said.
Though she said she may not move back to Charlotte immediately after her reign, it is still a possibility for the future.
Also, since winning last May, she had the opportunity to advance to compete at the Miss Universe pageant in December, against country winners from all over the world. Kryst came in 10th out of 90 contestants.
And one thing that she’s thoroughly enjoyed is becoming a correspondent for the entertainment TV show, “Extra.” She has interviewed the likes of Zendaya, Lizzo, conducted red-carpet interviews with people like Tom Hanks for “Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” red carpets for “Downton Abbey,” “Empire” and her biggest thrill – she interviewed Oprah Winfrey.
“I was also thrilled to be able to lead the Gamecock Cheer (at Williams-Brice Stadium, home for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks), which may not sound like that big of a deal, but to me, that was huge,” said Kryst, who was a star track-and-field athlete at the University of South Carolina, where she was a double major in human resource management and marketing.
She earned her juris doctor and MBA from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
