The Hunter vs. The Curator

Which one are you?

This post was inspired by a comment that was left on a newsletter a few weeks ago that I can’t stop thinking about:

“I think I’m more of a hunter than a curator.” - Kate Sibcy

As soon as I read that, I thought “yes, I think that’s me too!” And in a way, some things clicked into place in my mind.

While I like having a smaller, more curated wardrobe, which I realized during my capsule wardrobe days, it’s not my main focus when I go thrifting. I walk into the shop simply for the thrill of the hunt, and the possibility of what I might find.

In an effort to control the amount that I buy, I make “thrift lists”, but I always give myself a little wiggle room with the disclaimer that if I find something truly amazing then I can buy that too. But what happens when you find a lot of truly amazing items that fit great, are in great condition and match your perceived personal style?

Why, you buy them, of course! Or is that just me?

I’ve also noticed that a lot of my thrift list items in the past have centered around the latest trend items, or color of the season.

And now I’m wondering if those lists are just an excuse to go shopping in the first place. Sure, I might find a white t-shirt that was on the list, but am I really going to leave behind a vintage top with the most adorable rosettes and trim I’ve ever seen, or will ever see again.

Probably not. Actually, definitely not. Honestly, I didn’t.

And that’s the thing about being a hunter vs. a curator - I am more excited about the possibility of finding something amazing; how it fits into my wardrobe is secondary.

A Recent Hunt

For the most part, I am attracted to similar colors and fits so it tends to work out on the curation side of things, but take the flower jacket that I brought home recently.

While we waited to meet up with friends downtown for lunch, the boys went one way and my daughter and I went in the direction of a consignment shop that we both like. On the rack by the door was a tan coat with vibrant blue flowers all over it. I quickly grabbed it to try on, as well as 3 other sweaters (2 were on hold from a few days prior when I’d found myself with a few minutes to spare while I was in the area).

It’s so far removed from pretty much anything in my wardrobe. While I do have a couple of tan items, they are ones that I had when I was a brunette. Since letting my hair turn silver, and discovering that I’m a “winter” (self-diagnosed), I have sworn off spending money on tan clothing.

So what would prompt me to try this on?

Towards the end of my no buy year, I came across a red fleece sweater with large pink flowers all over. I vowed that if it was still there when my no buy ended, I would buy it as my first purchase. And I swear, it was there in the final week of the challenge but when I went back to get it, it was GONE!

The one that got away.

I searched high and low for it and even asked the workers, which I knew would prove to be futile since it’s one sweater in a sea of sweaters that they may have never even individually seen.

But it had been on my mind ever since. I did find it online but I didn’t purchase it - after waiting for it for so long, it was one of those things that I wanted to buy in person so the plan was to wait until I came across it again, or something similar.

Ever since the letdown of not acquiring the flowery sweater, I’ve been on the “hunt” for an item with big flowers and this is the closest thing that I’ve found:

Even as I was in the dressing room, I was questioning whether it was going to be a good purchase or if I was about to make a huge mistake. My daughter was in there with me and we went back and forth about it for a few minutes, eventually concluding that if I didn’t wear it then I could give it to her to wear 😆

It did really feel like an impulse purchase and in the moment I was more concerned with the hunt for “something with big flowers” being over than I was with how this jacket was going to work with my other clothes.

But I’m really happy that I got it and I feel like it’s something that I will wear a lot, and more than I probably would have worn the red one.

Will my Low Buy Year turn me into a Curator?

I hope so.

A few hours before I started this newsletter on December 22 at 4:37pm, I was downtown and as I have been wont to do since the end of my no buy year, I wandered into a consignment shop that I really like. I have some credit there from selling them items so I figured I could try on a few - into the dressing I took 2 denim shirts (1 preowned and 1 new), a quilted vest that had been someone’s sewing project (and it was so well done), a pair of wide leg jeans and a pair of tan utility pants.

Here’s the outfit I was wearing:

I loved this outfit and how it made me feel - I felt like I was about to walk the streets of Copenhagen!

The reason I wanted to show you what I was wearing is because it played a very big role in my decision-making as I tried on the items at the shop.

The only item that I tried on twice was the tan utility pants. While I loved how they fit me, after taking off my beloved black utility pants, I couldn’t help but note that the tan ones were nowhere near as comfortable as my black ones and that 7 times out of 10, I would reach for the black ones that I already owned. So I decided to not get them.

I want every item in my wardrobe to be comfortable and something that I can wear from the time I get dressed in the morning until I head to bed at night. While my black utility pants fit the bill, I didn’t think the tan ones would - they were more of a “standing up” kinda pant and I do a lot of sitting down!

Even though my low buy hasn’t officially began, I want the rules that I have chosen to become a lifestyle for me, so it feels right to start using them now.

I feel like this was a good start!

Does the “perfect wardrobe” even exist?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I want my closet to look and function going forward - a small selection of clothes where every item is one that’s in constant rotation, and this includes fancier items such as dresses.

I’ve had this experience in the past with capsule wardrobes but there was always an assortment of clothes for that season that was tucked away. It was my way of fulfilling my dream of a minimalist wardrobe while working through the attachment that I have to clothes. Over the past 6+ years, I’ve been working to pare down the clothing that sits in storage, and I’ve gotten to a point where the only clothing in storage are the out of season items.

And this should technically be enough, but I don’t feel like my wardrobe is where I want it. There are still too many items to let the clothes “breathe”, still too many items not regularly worn, or worn out of guilt that I haven’t worn them.

And maybe I’ll never be completely happy with where my wardrobe is at.

We are sold this idea of the “perfect wardrobe” and we buy-declutter-buy in the hopes of attaining it. BUT, what if it doesn’t exist? What if the thing that we’re truly hunting is wardrobe contentment?

Is there a point that we can get to where we are content with the items that we have? One where we love everything that we own, and if not, it at least serves a function and we use it regularly?

I really don’t know. But I’m hoping to do a few things during 2025 that help me get a little closer to being content with what I own.

Would you say that you’re content with your wardrobe or are there areas that you want to improve on?

Becoming a Curator - The Plan

If 2024 was the year that I proved to myself that I didn’t NEED to shop, 2025 will be the year where I finally learn HOW to shop in a way that supports becoming a Curator.

This year feels more like an experiment and the following list of actions will all come together to, hopefully, get me as close to wardrobe contentment as I can be by the end of the year:

1. Low Buy Year - with my limit of 2 items/month there is more pressure to carefully consider purchases but it’s a good kind of pressure. I almost said “less room for mistakes” but mistakes are a normal part of life; to expect not to make them is unrealistic and I’m trying to leave unrealistic expectations behind this year!

2. Weekly Outfit Diary - I will be continuing this process as I have found this to be extremely helpful over the past month. I am seeing patterns in the types of items that I like to wear the most which will guide my future purchases. I’ve also been thinking about ways to incorporate some fun into these diaries with themes and challenges.

3. Closet Declutters - I currently have the majority of my cold weather items out of storage. I’ve been living with them for about a month and I’ve been making a few observations about the items that I wear the most, those that I wear out of guilt, and those that I never reach for. My plan is to declutter the last 2 categories so that I can appreciate the items that I really love and to make room for new items to come into my wardrobe - ones that are truly aligned with where I am in life right now.

4. Clothing Inventory - I love the idea of a clothing inventory, but one that I do myself. I’ve always been resistant to the idea of a closet app, wanting to log and keep track of my items myself. I feel like this would result in me being more reflective of the items but seeing as I still haven’t gotten around to logging them into a spreadsheet (or whatever I would use), I probably should just do the closet app. But I’m stubborn and I feel like I’ve dug my heels in on it now 😆

5. Planning Purchases - with 2 items/month permitted, I have decided to space these purchases out - one item can be bought at the beginning of the month and will be a more “planned” purchase - something that I’ve carefully researched and maybe pulled from my wishlist. The second purchase can be more of a spontaneous middle of the month purchase and will be done locally as I still want to enjoy an outing with more freedom.

I’m certain that there are other things that I’ll do this year that moves me closer to a truly intentional and minimalist wardrobe but this is a start. I’ll be sure to document them all here too, in case you find a similar process helpful!

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You know what’s funny? The level of excitement that I have going into this Low Buy Year is light years beyond what I had for my No Buy Year.

I think that I looked at last year’s no buy challenge as something that I HAD to do. But this year, I feel like the low buy challenge is something that I WANT to do. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t feel as restrictive and I feel like there’s still room for creativity (researching an item, visualizing it in my wardrobe, all of the styling possibilities once I have it).

So, back to my original question: Will my low buy year turn me into a curator?

I think so.

Thanks for reading!

xx Gillian