In an essay I published last year about what good personal style has in common, I briefly touched on the concept of channeling a collector instead of a fashion retail buyer when you shop. More specifically, I mentioned how this mentality can help hone your sense of personal style, and the purchases that correspond with it. I’m going to expand on this principle in today’s newsletter.
Broadly speaking, fashion retail buyers are responsible for choosing what is stocked and sold in stores. The nature of this role obviously varies depending on the retailer in question, but for this exercise I’ll be making some generalizations about the field in order to illustrate my point. When I refer to a retail buyer below, picture someone who works for a big, mainstream department store (so in other words, not a cool indie boutique).
I’ve broken down the five differences between shopping like a collector vs. a buyer below – along with my thoughts on why internalizing this distinction can transform how you think about acquiring new stuff.
Retail buyers shop according to a pre-planned schedule, but time of year is irrelevant to a collector.
Collectors don’t add to their collections simply because of a change in season. When you adopt this approach and avoid shopping for arbitrary reasons, you’ll have more freedom (budget, room in your closet, etc.) to shop for the right thing when you see it — even if it’s a black velvet dress in the height of summer.
Trends are integral to a retail buyer’s decision-making process, while a collector is driven largely by personal taste.
Collectors may buy into certain trends, but they do so selectively — i.e. only when that trend speaks to an intrinsic sense of taste or proclivity that predates the trend in question. The goal is for taste to influence your relationship with trends, not for trends to mold your taste. They should be the footnote instead of the driving thesis behind your “collection.”
A retail buyer caters to the mass market, whereas a collector revels in the pursuit of rare treasures and unique finds.
Taste is varied and subjective, but the characteristic that makes it good is immutable: singularity. Personal style with mass commercial appeal is an oxymoron.
A retail buyer considers how each new item will complement the store’s buy for that particular season, whereas a collector thinks about how a new item will complement the whole of their collection not just now but also — more importantly — over the long-term.
The true value of a new item lies not just in its current or individual appeal, but in its ability to round out your collection for years to come. That’s why the quality, condition, and material composition of a new acquisition are just as important as the way it looks.
A retail buyer focuses on newness, but collectors are experts in what they already own and love.
The relationship you have with your existing stuff — what you wear the most, how you wear it, and why you wear it — is your most valuable data for evaluating future shopping decisions. Opting not to buy something after thoughtful consideration can be just as satisfying as making a purchase. Both choices reflect an equally confident understanding of what feels true to your aesthetic.
Thoughts? Please feel free to share in the comments! I’m eager to discuss.
xo Harling
Loved this!! Shopping as a collector also forces more conscious spending and doesn't contribute to the overconsumption that trends perpetuate. With trend cycles happening faster than ever and people being worried something they bought 2 months ago will be "out in 2025", they often opt for cheap, poorly made items that can be tossed out at the end of the trend cycle which is the opposite of building a personal style profile. Love to see how your style has evolved over the years, yet stayed consistent at its core! Trends come and go, invest in buying things that will make you happy for years to come!
Love this - very aligned with Haley’s Newsletter from last week as well, which is fun. I love when something that’s on my mind is brought up and discussed by multiple people around the same time. :)
As someone who loves vintage and has shopped like a collector since I was in my early 20s (early 30s now), I find the difficulty lies in figuring out who (or which version of yourself) you’re collecting for. It can be hard to differentiate between an incredible piece and an incredible piece for your own style specifically - something that will be
worn and re-worn as the years pass. That being said, you know you love something (and should invest in a great version) when you’ve continued to wear and love it despite various trend cycles. I’ve loved Mary Janes since a pair I got from AA when I worked there at 18 and I will wear them until I die, when I am cremated in Mary Janes, lol.