Curating & Collecting
We didn’t always know the value of curating and collecting. In the early days of our friendship when we were roommates going to fashion school, curating was the furthest thing from our minds. We were definitely in the business of collecting though! Living and attending school beside one of the country’s biggest shopping malls meant lunch breaks window shopping and lots of retail therapy. Our collections grew while our wallets and wardrobe space dwindled.
Cut to a few years later, I was working full time at Tiffany and living in my first condo and Kaitlin was back from her global travel adventure, trying to fit her belongings into a tiny NYC apartment. We needed a system for our stuff and a vision for what we actually wanted to put our hard earned dollars into. We liked the good things in life but soon realized we’d have no future ahead of us if we weren’t more calculated with our spending habits.
My Tiffany wish list was long so I began to strategize and make a plan for the pieces I wanted to acquire and the order in which I’d do so. Earrings felt essential so that topped the list. Then came bracelets, rings, and necklaces. I added the timeless pieces first but made sure to always listen to my heart. If I felt wildly excited about a piece, then it trumped my purchase order strategy. I’ve never regretted these purchases because that’s how I believe it should feel to buy yourself a piece of jewelry - wildly exciting!
It was around this same time that Kaitlin was learning about Marie Kondo’s method, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. She committed herself to this new way of living and the transformation was just that, magical. Kaitlin purged what was no longer serving her and became clear on her aesthetics and what brings her joy. Becoming intentional about every item that comes into your house makes those things feel much more special, which is exactly what Kaitlin discovered.
In both our experiences, the journey of more intentional living began with deciding on the aesthetics we desire, curating the elements to acquire, then collecting and creating our vision. I know it sounds so formulaic when it’s put that simply, but I promise, this process is incredibly fun and joyful. Having a plan in place means no more buyer's remorse and less overspending. It feels amazing to know that what you’ve invested in is truly what you want and will use or just lights your heart on fire and brings you so much joy!
What is curating anyways?
In the most simplistic terms, curating is the process of selecting and organizing. Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly curating our lives. What we buy, eat, wear, these are all being selected on the daily and usually pretty subconsciously. That said, the fact that you’re here reading this likely means that you are somewhat intentional with your style decisions or at least want to be.
When we started Euro Summer Jewels, we had countless conversations about the types of pieces we wanted to create, the experience we wanted our clients to have, and the overall feeling we wanted to convey with our brand. Although we’ve come a long way in deciding on these elements since those initial conversations, we understand that this curation process is ongoing and will evolve over time. The same is true for our personal brand and aesthetics as we change along with the seasons.
The important part is that we have an overall vision for what we are trying to create, whether that’s an outfit, jewelry wardrobe, or travel itinerary! Getting clear on our style ethos, preferred color palette, and lifestyle factors are essential in order to inform our purchasing decisions.
The Process of Collecting
For the sake of this conversation, collecting is referring to the process of acquiring the pieces you’ve identified in the curating step. Together as a whole, these individual items will make up your collection. We focus mainly on jewelry collections however, are also passionate about creating capsule wardrobes and travel itineraries. Each of these can be considered a collection of similar items or ideas that make up the big picture or experience.
Something to consider when curating a collection is how it will work into your lifestyle. I know that personally, I am drawn to an array of things I find beautiful, however, they may not all work for my current lifestyle and season of life. It doesn’t mean I can’t have them, I just like to have a birds eye view of what I’m bringing into my home and how it will serve me.
When it comes to jewelry collecting, everyone will have different elements that take priority. For example, I’m a bracelet and rings kinda gal while Kaitlin is serious about her earring game. We’re innately drawn to different pieces and tend to collect more variations of those styles. For you, it may mean having the perfect combination of necklaces to layer. Or perhaps you can’t decide what’s most important to you because you love them all (we can totally relate to that!). There is also the consideration of pieces you wear on the daily versus the every so often ones that are just as important in a collection.
If this is the case, we want to offer some help. Sometimes having an outside voice and perspective is helpful to talk through the process of curating and collecting your jewelry wardrobe. When you sign up with your email to be a part of the Euro Summer Jewels Community, you are eligible for a free, twenty minute virtual consultation. It’s a great way to gain some clarity and to get the ball rolling on your styling project.
The ESJ Virtual Consultation
With over twenty one years of combined experience working for Tiffany & Co., we’re confident we can help you along the journey of curating and collecting your jewelry wardrobe. All you need to do is sign up to be a part of our free community, tell us a bit about yourself, and we’ll take it from there! The goal is to answer any questions you may have and create a high level plan for how you’ll fill in the gaps over time. You can always contact us beyond our meeting but it will be a great starting point for you.
This is one of our favorite parts of our business, getting to know the people who bring our jewels to life!