Meet the Buyers

“It’s been really fun to expand our horizons, and it makes us happy to see the love for Tommy’s Folly in other areas,” says Rachel Elvgren, who’s been the buyer for Tommy’s Folly Boutique for the past 17 years.

Rachel cut her teeth in the subtle arts of design and procurement at the likes of Bloomingdale’s in Manhattan, where she was an assistant buyer, and Martha Stewart’s The Wedding List store in Boston, where Rachel also managed an interior design store.

But her entrepreneurial spirit was forged long before that. “I’ve had an interest in fashion and accessories from the time I learned how to sew with my mom,” says Rachel. “She taught me how to make scrunchies one summer when we lived at Cape May Point. I started selling my scrunchies to stores in Princeton, New Jersey, which is where we lived after that summer.”

When Rachel started at Congress Hall, the Boutique occupied a “converted coat closet” at the hotel. “We have grown and evolved so much over the years but have tried to remain true to our original vision for the store.”

How would she describe that vision? “I would call it beachy boho with a classic sensibility.” How does that relate to her own style, and is it ever difficult to separate her own tastes from what is on-brand? “I’ve learned over the years to be able to do that and keep some of my personal taste out of the equation. We work hard to make sure we stay true to Tommy’s Folly while keeping it fresh and exciting.”

When it comes to making those buying decisions, Rachel utilizes what is very much a multi-pronged approach.

First of all, there’s the feedback from Cally Zebrowski, who manages the Boutique, along with the hotel store. “Cally is a great resource because she lives in Cape May and knows the customer so well, and she also hears the feedback and requests from guests.” Cally, for her part, is also on hand to offer expert advice. What’s her favorite question from guests? “Is this a dress or a coverup?” And her answer? “More often than not my answer is: either!” says Cally. “Our styles can be worn the way you want to wear them.”

A second part of the buying approach is plugging into certain social media fashion influencers and getting a read into what designers are making - “you want to get a handle on the upcoming trends before placing orders,” says Rachel.

Then there’s the classic method of asking for the opinion on the street from the people who’ll actually be buying the goods from Tommy’s Folly. “I tend to poll my friends for info on new brands they are loving or items they are hoping to see in stock,” says Rachel. “We also love a good instagram poll to see what customers are looking for!”

The final part of the process is the trips to trade shows in New York, Miami and Atlanta, where they can take one last temperature check on the trends before they make the call on what to put on the racks and shelves at Tommy’s Folly (Cally is still holding out hope that they will one day include a Paris show in their itineraries).

So, what can Tommy’s Folly Boutique shoppers expect to be excited about this season? “One of my favorite brands right now is Dream Catcher, which is a new line for us,” says Rachel. “Think formal feminine dresses for Easter or special celebrations. For the beach we love the new Marie Oliver swimwear and it’s flying off the racks, so that is exciting. For cover-ups, Poupette St. Barth has an amazing collection this spring for women and girls.”

Men aren’t forgotten in the mix. “We stick with what works,” says Rachel. “We’ve been carrying elevated casual wear from Johnnie-O for 15 years, and we also offer Peter Millar golf apparel, which has a pretty timeless appeal.”