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Fashion – Style – Trends
Shopping With the Blocks
On a sunny Tucson afternoon, I head to Buffalo Exchange to do a little shopping with a full three generations of Buffalo Exchange fashion icons – none other than Kerstin Block, Rebecca Block and Melissa Haskin. Rebecca served as Vice President alongside her mother from 2008 until 2024, when Kerstin retired and Rebecca stepped up as CEO, whereas Melissa started working in the stores in high school and has worked her way up through many different positions. She recently transitioned from the Store Manager of the Andersonville location in Chicago to being an Assistant Area Manager. I’m as excited to pick their brains about secondhand shopping, as I’m nervous what they’ll think of my outfit – pink crocs, an oversized tee and distressed denim.
Kerstin arrives first to sell her closet cleanout, wearing a blue polka dot Marimekko dress (purchased at Buffalo, she reveals). And yes, even Kerstin still sells her clothing at the Buy Counter. It should come as little surprise that, as Buffalo’s Founder and first Buyer, she starts out behind the counter, sorting out some items she intends to donate instead of sell. “Some of this stuff is really old,” she says.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think the Founder of Buffalo Exchange would be a clothes horse, with a closet full of treasures, but Kerstin describes her closet as minimal. “I like everything to be easy to just take out of my closet and wear,” she says. Well, no wonder she founded a buy-sell-trade fashion store. She notes that she cleans out her closet every three months or so. Rebecca, on the other hand, likes to clean out as she goes, keeping a Buffalo bag near her closet and throwing items in to sell periodically. “I clean out when I need trade credit,” laughs Melissa. Spoken by a true Buffalo shopper.
As we head to the racks to shop, Kerstin makes periodic comments about the store, pointing out that the shoe section needs to be reorganized but that the vintage section looks great. She’s known for her pragmatism and honesty – a great trait in business. And, after 50 years running Buffalo Exchange, she would know. She recalls when it was just a teeny shop with rounders made from old bicycle wheels and shoe shelves stocked with Kork-Ease priced at $3.50.
Kerstin tells me that she usually prefers to shop alone – unless it’s with Rebecca, who knows her taste and can actually pick items out for her. As soon as Rebecca arrives – lo and behold – she grabs a blouse off the rack and presents it to Kerstin. “I really like that,” says Kerstin, eyeing the rose-colored embroidered number. Very boho, very 70s, very unique. Spoiler alert: she bought the blouse. Funnily enough, Melissa later does the same for Rebecca (her own mom).
While looking through blouses, Kerstin notes that she often feels out of step with current trends. She calls her own style eclectic. When I ask Rebecca how she’d describe her mom’s style, she just says, “Kerstin has her own style.” It’s not trendy, it’s not copying anyone else – it’s just Kerstin. On the other hand, Rebecca describes her personal style as simple. True to her word, her look for the day is light wash denim, a white blouse embroidered with dainty blue flowers and black slides. “Melissa’s style is classic too, but she likes to branch out,” says Rebecca.
“She wouldn’t wear anything too crazy,” Kerstin confirms. Determined to prove them wrong, Melissa (or Meliss, as Rebecca calls her), promptly pulls a pair of neon yellow, floral-embroidered Nike shorts off the rack. “They’re see-through,” says Rebecca. “But they’re really cute,” huffs Melissa. “And you could wear leggings underneath! I’m showing you all.” When I ask her what color she normally wears, Melissa laughs. “Black,” she says. Today’s outfit? Black tank top, black linen pants and bright pink sandals for a pop of color.
Though the three have different styles, their shopping techniques line up. When I ask them their first stop when they get to the store, they each reply “shoes” without hesitation. The Tucson store has an entire shoe room in the back. Kerstin notes that she starts there and works her way back to the front, and both Rebecca and Melissa add that they try to shop multiple sizes since every brand is different. They all skip the dressing room as well, shopping intuitively and selling back items if they don’t fit – though Kerstin does try on a dress in the mirror – only briefly getting stuck inside of it, much to the trio’s chagrin. “Don’t keep putting it on!” Melissa exclaims laughingly, her and Rebecca working to free Kerstin from the dress. Spoiler alert: Kerstin buys this one, too – a black Afghani-style piece with bright red embroidered accents.
Next, Kerstin presents a pair of linen culottes to Melissa and Rebecca. “You know there’s a reason culottes didn’t stay around,” says Rebecca. “You’d never wear them.” Well, nothing better than an honest shopping companion. As I always tell my own mom, when in doubt, throw it out. I ask the trio if there are any other trends they hope not to see again. Rebecca chimes in immediately with a denunciation of stirrup pants. “Low rise jeans,” says Melissa. “I’m never going to wear low rise jeans, even if they’re the trendiest thing.” On the contrary, I’m curious what they think of as a quintessential Buffalo find. “I recently scored a pair of Chanel slingbacks in perfect condition,” says Melissa. “I used all my trade.”
At one point, Rebecca reminisces about the time she spent working in the store as a kid. “I got to watch a lot of Gilligan’s Island while putting rubber bands around hangers after school,” she says. Working in the store in high school, she recalls wearing a lot of 40s jackets and vintage. “In college, it was Guess jeans and asymmetric haircuts,” she says. “And trends were different back then. There was no social media, so trends came from friends.”
After seeing Buffalo grow over the past 50 years, I’m dying to know Rebecca’s impression of the store and where she sees it going in the future. “There’s something for everyone and it’s unique. It’s fun. You’re not going to see things you’ll see other places,” she says. “I think there will always be a place for secondhand like this. Though in 50 years, I’d like to see the life cycle of clothing even more complete – with nothing ever ending up in landfills.”
Melissa believes that Buffalo will stay the same at its core as well. “It’s a unique store,” she says. “Especially because it adapts over time and molds itself to its customers and the communities we’re a part of. It’s always going to have the current trends and the classics.”
“I’m not sure what the future will hold,” says Kerstin, “but I feel good knowing that Rebecca and Melissa will carry it forward. I’m grateful for that. And I’m grateful for these past 50 years with Buffalo Exchange. It’s given my life meaning beyond what I ever thought possible.”
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