{"id":430,"date":"2016-12-02T20:49:05","date_gmt":"2016-09-19T14:50:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/?p=430"},"modified":"2018-06-29T14:11:11","modified_gmt":"2018-06-29T14:11:11","slug":"how-to-become-a-fashion-buyer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-become-a-fashion-buyer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become a Fashion Buyer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"arve alignleft\" data-mode=\"normal\" data-provider=\"iframe\" id=\"arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedvpqjep3fxqwlistplbbvnbohoqpucuurkw4_awafresxvxob7\" style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n<div class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n<span class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:56.250000%\"><\/span><iframe credentialless referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\" allow=\"accelerometer &#039;none&#039;;ambient-light-sensor &#039;none&#039;;autoplay &#039;none&#039;;battery &#039;none&#039;;bluetooth &#039;none&#039;;browsing-topics &#039;none&#039;;camera &#039;none&#039;;ch-ua &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-read &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-write;display-capture &#039;none&#039;;document-domain &#039;none&#039;;domain-agent &#039;none&#039;;encrypted-media &#039;none&#039;;execution-while-not-rendered &#039;none&#039;;execution-while-out-of-viewport &#039;none&#039;;gamepad &#039;none&#039;;geolocation &#039;none&#039;;gyroscope &#039;none&#039;;hid &#039;none&#039;;identity-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;idle-detection &#039;none&#039;;keyboard-map &#039;none&#039;;local-fonts &#039;none&#039;;magnetometer &#039;none&#039;;microphone &#039;none&#039;;midi &#039;none&#039;;navigation-override &#039;none&#039;;otp-credentials &#039;none&#039;;payment &#039;none&#039;;picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create &#039;none&#039;;publickey-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;screen-wake-lock &#039;none&#039;;serial &#039;none&#039;;speaker-selection;sync-xhr &#039;none&#039;;usb &#039;none&#039;;web-share;window-management &#039;none&#039;;xr-spatial-tracking &#039;none&#039;;\" allowfullscreen class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" data-arve=\"arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedvpqjep3fxqwlistplbbvnbohoqpucuurkw4_awafresxvxob7\" data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VpqjEP3fXQw?list=PLBBVnbOhOQpUcUurKW4_AwaFrEsxVxOB7\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"225\" name sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VpqjEP3fXQw?list=PLBBVnbOhOQpUcUurKW4_AwaFrEsxVxOB7\" width=\"400\" title loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"http:\\\/\\\/schema.org\\\/\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\\\/how-to-become-a-fashion-buyer\\\/#arve-iframe-httpswwwyoutubecomembedvpqjep3fxqwlistplbbvnbohoqpucuurkw4_awafresxvxob7\",\"type\":\"VideoObject\",\"embedURL\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/embed\\\/VpqjEP3fXQw?list=PLBBVnbOhOQpUcUurKW4_AwaFrEsxVxOB7\"}<\/script>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re passionate about fashion but more interested in the business side than the design side, then chances are you\u2019ve already started researching different merchandising roles and wondering whether becoming a fashion buyer might be right for you. To find out what the role entails, and how college students and recent grads can break into the industry, we sat down with MILLY Fashion Buyer Chrissy Allen to find out her top tips on getting your foot in the door.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>What exactly is a fashion buyer?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>According to Chrissy, a fashion buyer is a person who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/what-is-a-fashion-buyer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">makes purchasing decisions<\/a> for a clothing retailer. \u201cA buyer is someone who goes to market,\u201d she explains. What does that actually mean? In short, it means that buyers handpick the styles that end up in clothing stores. \u201cI go through and pick the pieces for the season based on past sales history and upcoming trends,\u201d she says. The best part of the role: being able to showcase the unique aspects of the brand you work for and demonstrate how you\u2019re making a difference to consumers.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>What kind of skills do you need in order to be a fashion buyer?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Although many people think that being a buyer means spending time in the company\u2019s fashion closet, the position actually requires a lot of analytical skills and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/career-opportunities-for-business-majors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">business savvy<\/a>. \u201cI am in Excel a lot which isn\u2019t always what people think about when they think of a buyer,\u201d Chrissy explains. \u201cIt\u2019s about looking at our sales, looking at what worked in past seasons, what didn\u2019t work and also taking into consideration designers\u2019 vision for how they see the upcoming season.\u201d In order to analyze sales numbers and quantify trends, buyers need to be analytical and able to think on their feet. For example, if they a specific trend that they select is not selling well, they have to be able to adjust their strategy mid-season while also trying to find ways to boost sales.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>How can college students and recent grads break into the fashion industry?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>\u201cInternships are the most important thing,\u201d Chrissy says. In fact, they\u2019re far more important than your college major. \u201cI was a political science major so I had absolutely no fashion education, but I knew that I wanted to be in fashion from a young age,\u201d she explains. The key was finding an internship that would get her there. And that\u2019s exactly what she did. After her freshman year of college, Chrissy found an internship on the men\u2019s wholesale team at Theory and it was exactly the foot in the door she needed. \u201cI was like a sponge, soaking up everything everybody said in a meeting, and that\u2019s how I knew that this was what I wanted to do.\u201d In addition to taking on one multiple internships, Chrissy also emphasizes that it\u2019s important to maintain the contacts you make. \u201cMaintaining those contacts is so important because the fashion world is tiny and everybody knows each other and can connect you in some way,\u201d she explains, emphasizing the importance of building your professional network while you\u2019re still in school.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>What should you wear to an interview for a fashion buyer position?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>When <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/top-5-interview-questions-fashion-buyers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interviewing for a position<\/a> in the fashion industry, \u201cyou really want to cater to that audience,\u201d Chrissy explains. For a brand like MILLY, which is contemporary and fun, it\u2019s important to wear something that shows your personality.\u201cWe\u2019re not a finance company so we want to see you shine through but you want to make sure that it\u2019s work appropriate.\u201d For both women and men, this means potentially wearing something from the retailer\u2019s current collection and ensuring that your outfit matches the look and feel of the brand you\u2019re interviewing for.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong> If you\u2019re unsure of what to wear to an interview at a fashion brand, be sure to check out the company\u2019s website and social channels, focusing on photos that show the team at work. This will give you a great sense of the company culture and help you pick an appropriate outfit.<\/p>\n<p>Chrissy\u2019s final piece of advice for getting into the fashion industry (or any industry) is this: \u201cBe passionate. Be out there searching for an internship,\u201d she says, emphasizing that your drive and passion will help you stand out from the pack and potentially land a great job at a brand like MILLY.<\/p>\n<p>Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/write-resume-stands\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Write a Resume That Stands Out<\/a>\u00a0and find answers to common interview questions such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wayup.com\/guide\/how-to-answer-what-gets-you-up-in-the-morning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">What Gets You Up in the Morning?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re passionate about fashion but more interested in the business side than the design side, then chances are you\u2019ve already started researching different merchandising roles and wondering whether becoming a fashion buyer might be right for you. To find out what the role entails, and how college students and recent grads can break into &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/wayupstudent.wpengine.com\/how-to-become-a-fashion-buyer\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;How to Become a Fashion Buyer&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,114],"tags":[44,70,115,197,198,199,219,224],"class_list":["post-430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-major","category-fashion-industry-roles","tag-entry-level-job","tag-full-time-job","tag-fashion","tag-underclassman","tag-postgrad","tag-senior","tag-business","tag-arts-entertainment"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Become a Fashion Buyer | Career Advice &amp; Interview Tips | WayUp Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019re passionate about fashion then you might be interested in becoming a fashion buyer. 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