Serial founder, boater, fisherman. The original prose-leaning example: short frontmatter, lots of voice. Shows how Markdown lets a buyer.md read like a letter rather than a form.
---
buyer_md_version: 0.1
updated: 2026-05-17
handle: Homer
region: Athens, GA
climate: humid subtropical
currency: USD
sizes:
shirts: L
pants: { waist: 32, inseam: 32 }
shoes: { us: 10.5 }
measurements: { chest: 42, sleeve: 34 }
brand_overrides:
patagonia_tops: M
budget:
default: { low: 50, high: 200 }
outerwear: { low: 150, high: 500 }
footwear: { low: 80, high: 250 }
technical_gear: { low: 100, high: 600 }
brands:
love: [Grundens, Patagonia, Filson, Howler Brothers, Free Fly, Huk]
block: [Vineyard Vines, Tommy Bahama, anything that sponsors a fishing influencer]
agent:
autonomy: suggest
confirm_above: 200
ask_before_sharing: [real_name, full_address, phone, payment]
---
# About me
Serial founder, boater, fisherman, Vizsla owner. Based in Athens, GA, but most of what I buy gets used on or near the water — the Georgia ICW, the Florida coast down to Mosquito Lagoon, Charleston in the lowcountry. I run a 1999 Key West walkaround with a 2004 Yamaha and I'm on it more than is reasonable.
I dress for function first but I have opinions. Most of my closet is green and blue, with some muted earth tones when I want to feel fancy. I'd rather buy one good thing and wear it out than three okay things and replace them every year.
# Style
Mostly earthtone. Charcoal, navy, olive, and sand all acceptable. Nautical themes welcome but not costume-y — I'll wear a striped Breton tee, not a captain's hat. Workwear-adjacent silhouettes (Filson, Topo Designs, Free Fly) over anything preppy.
Materials: natural fibers when possible. Cotton, wool, linen, leather. I'll wear performance synthetics for actual performance (rain shells, sun shirts, technical pants on the boat) but not for everyday clothing. No polyester polos, no fast fashion blends.
Fit: standard or slim, never relaxed. Tall friendly cuts are fine — I'm not tall but the cut usually works anyway.
# Don't show me
- Anything that looks like it came from a cruise ship gift shop
- Visible logos bigger than a thumbnail
- White pants
- Anything labeled "tropical print" or "Hawaiian"
- Vineyard Vines (just on principle)
- Athleisure outside of actual athletic contexts
- Fast fashion of any kind, no matter the price
# Use contexts
**Boat.** UPF 30+, quick-dry, salt-resistant, hooded if it's a sun shirt. I want gear that survives years of salt, sun, fish slime, and being thrown in a wet locker. Grundens and Free Fly are the standard here. No cotton on the boat unless it's a tee for the ride home.
**Office / client meetings.** Business casual, Athens GA climate — which means linen-ish in summer and lightweight wool in winter. Button-downs, chinos, leather sneakers or boots. Never a tie. I run agencies, so I'm trying to look professional without looking corporate.
**Travel.** Packable, wrinkle-resistant, two-pairs-of-pants-for-a-week kind of thing. Layerable. Anything that can do double duty between a boat day and a nice dinner.
**Home / weekends.** T-shirts, shorts, the dog. Whatever's clean.
# Things I own and love
- **Grundens Weather Watch jacket** — bought 2021, still my go-to foul weather gear. Heavy but bulletproof.
- **Free Fly Bamboo Lightweight Hoody** — best sun shirt I own. Bought three.
- **Filson tin cloth vest** — heirloom-level. Will replace when worn out, not before.
- **Red Wing Iron Rangers in black** — five years old, look better every year.
- **Patagonia Baggies (5")** — the official uniform of the off-boat life.
# Things that didn't work
- **Helly Hansen offshore bibs** — sizing ran small in the chest, returned. Good gear, wrong fit for me.
- **Various "boat-branded" performance polos** — uniformly cheap-feeling, synthetic, and logo-heavy. Burned on this category multiple times.
- **Chambray everything** — looked great on the hanger, looked like a costume on me.
# Notes to the agent
Be direct. Don't pad recommendations with "this might work for you!" — just tell me what you found and why. Three options beats ten almost every time. If something exceeds my budget but is genuinely worth it, say so and tell me why; don't filter it out silently.
If you're not sure whether I'd like something, ask. I'd rather answer one question than scroll past five wrong suggestions.
Never recommend anything from a brand on the block list, even if it would otherwise be a perfect match. If you think the block list is wrong, say that — but show me alternatives, not the blocked thing.
A finance professional and parent of three. Heavier on structured fields (brand overrides, multiple budget bands, an extra preferences block). Shows the more form-shaped end of the format.
---
buyer_md_version: "0.1"
updated: 2026-05-17
handle: Marge
region: Springfield, IL
climate: humid continental
currency: USD
sizes:
tops: { us: M, eu: 38 }
bottoms: { us: 8, waist: 29, inseam: 30 }
dresses: { us: 8 }
shoes: { us: 8, eu: 38.5 }
measurements: { bust: 36, waist: 28, hip: 38, inseam: 30 }
brand_overrides:
everlane: 6
quince: S
boden: 10
j_crew_petites: not applicable
cos: M
budget:
default: { low: 30, high: 150 }
outerwear: { low: 100, high: 400 }
footwear: { low: 60, high: 250 }
bags: { low: 80, high: 300 }
workwear: { low: 50, high: 200 }
brands:
love: [Everlane, Quince, Madewell, Boden, J.Crew, Banana Republic, Lands' End, Allbirds]
block: [SHEIN, Temu, Boohoo, Fashion Nova]
agent:
autonomy: cart
confirm_above: 200
ask_before_sharing: [real_name, full_address, phone, payment]
preferences:
fit: tailored, not slim
origin: prefer transparent supply chains; B-Corp a plus
sustainability: preferred, not required
---
# About me
Mom of three, full-time finance job, suburban Midwest. My wardrobe has to work for a corporate office, school pickup, and the occasional dinner out — usually in the same day. I have no patience for clothing that needs babying or that I have to think about after I put it on.
I shop deliberately and infrequently. A capsule that lasts five years beats a closet that turns over annually. I'd rather pay 30% more for something that survives the dryer than save $20 on something I have to handwash.
# Style
Classic-leaning, practical, polished. Neutral palette with one or two color accents per season — usually a muted navy, hunter green, or rust. Nothing trend-chasing, nothing flashy.
Cuts: tailored but not slim. I sit in meetings, I bend down to pick up backpacks, I want clothes that move with me. Wide-leg trousers, A-line skirts, drapey tops, structured blazers.
Materials: cotton, wool, cashmere blends, ponte, leather. Synthetics okay in technical pieces and for travel, but never as the main fabric of an everyday top or dress.
# Don't show me
- Anything bodycon, mini, or "club"
- Fast fashion of any kind
- Trendy pieces that won't make sense in 18 months
- Anything described as "girlboss," "boss babe," or aimed at women through that vocabulary
- Heels over 3 inches
- Cold-shoulder anything, ever
# Use contexts
**Office.** Tailored separates, knit dresses, low-heeled boots or flats, a structured tote. Layerable for over-air-conditioned conference rooms.
**School and weekends.** Jeans, sweaters, sneakers, the same tote. Wardrobe overlap with work is intentional — I don't want a separate "casual" closet.
**Travel.** Carry-on only. Wrinkle-resistant, layerable, mostly black and navy so everything mixes.
**Evening.** Wrap dress or silk top with the trousers I wore to work. I do not own and will not buy a "going out" outfit.
# Things I own and love
- Everlane cashmere crewneck in navy — bought three over the years, no regrets
- Quince Mongolian cashmere — the budget alternative that actually held up
- Madewell perfect vintage jean — found my cut, will keep rebuying
- Boden Helena ponte dress — five years, still in rotation
- Allbirds Tree Runners in black — daily walking shoe, easy
# Things that didn't work
- LOFT and Ann Taylor — quality dropped meaningfully over the last five years
- Anything labeled "petite" — I'm 5'7", the cuts read off
- Trench coats — I keep buying them, I never wear them, I should stop
- Linen pants — wrinkle too aggressively for the way I live
# Notes to the agent
Be efficient. Three options is the right number; ten is overwhelming.
If something I'd like is out of stock in my size, tell me — don't quietly skip it. I'll wait for a restock or set an alert.
Don't apologize for prices. If something's $300, it's $300. I can decide.
Prioritize things I can buy without trying on if possible — I shop online almost exclusively, and I value brands with generous return policies. Note return windows when relevant.
A small Shopify brand sourcing fabric, trims, packaging, and software. Shows how the same format adapts to B2B purchasing — different constraints, different fields, same shape.
---
buyer_md_version: "0.1"
updated: 2026-05-17
handle: Lenny
organization: Mudminnow Clothing
role: Operations
region: Charleston, SC
currency: USD
budget:
default: { low: 500, high: 10000 }
fabric_per_yard: { low: 8, high: 35 }
trim_and_hardware: { low: 0.50, high: 8 }
packaging: { low: 0.25, high: 3 }
software_per_seat_monthly: { low: 0, high: 75 }
one_off_tooling: { low: 200, high: 3000 }
brands:
love: [YKK, Coats & Clark, Bluesign-certified mills, Repreve, Tencel/Lenzing, US-based cut-and-sew shops]
block: [unverified Alibaba sellers, any supplier without an MSDS for dyed goods, anything claiming "eco" without third-party certification]
agent:
autonomy: suggest
confirm_above: 1000
ask_before_sharing: [legal_name, ein, full_address, banking_details, payment]
constraints:
certifications_required: [bluesign, oeko-tex, gots]
certifications_note: "any fabric in direct skin contact must have at least one"
moq_review_threshold: 500
lead_time_max_days: 90
lead_time_exception_days: 120
payment_terms_preferred: "Net 30 or better; Net 60 acceptable for established suppliers"
origin_priority: [US, Vietnam, Portugal, Turkey]
origin_avoid: [Bangladesh, Xinjiang-region cotton]
---
# About us
Mudminnow Clothing makes sustainable fishing apparel out of Charleston, SC. We're small — under ten people, single-digit-millions in revenue — and we sell direct-to-consumer through Shopify. Our customers are inshore anglers, lowcountry folks, and people who buy gear that lasts. Our brand voice is irreverent but credible; our products are not.
Most of what we buy falls into a few buckets: fabric and trims for production, packaging and fulfillment supplies, software for the business, and the occasional capital purchase (sample machines, photo equipment, trade show fixtures).
We move deliberately. We'd rather wait a quarter for the right supplier than rush into a relationship that compromises our sustainability story.
# What we look for
**Verified sustainability, not claims.** We don't accept "eco-friendly" or "natural" as a marketing line. We want Bluesign, OEKO-TEX, GOTS, or equivalent certification with documentation. We will pay a premium for verifiable supply chains.
**Suppliers who will grow with us.** We're small now but we're scaling. We'd rather build a long relationship with a mid-sized mill that can support us at 5x our current volume than chase the lowest price every season.
**Transparency over polish.** A small Portuguese mill with a clunky website and a real person on email beats a slick aggregator with no factory visibility. We want to know who made our stuff.
**Pacific Northwest, Vietnam, Portugal, Turkey first.** Then US for cut-and-sew. We avoid Bangladesh entirely and refuse Xinjiang-region cotton, full stop.
# Don't show us
- Alibaba listings without verifiable factory documentation
- "Bamboo" fabric that's actually rayon (we know the difference)
- Recycled-polyester pitches that don't disclose post-consumer percentage
- Any supplier that won't share a list of their other clients
- White-label dropshipping for branded merch
- "Sustainable" claims backed only by the seller's own marketing
- Software with no free tier or no clear monthly pricing
- Any vendor pushing annual contracts with no exit clause for a business our size
# Buying contexts
**Production fabric.** Our core SKUs use a specific recycled-nylon and organic-cotton blend. We're always sourcing alternatives in case our primary mill has capacity issues. Looking for: same hand-feel, same certs, comparable price per yard, MOQs we can hit.
**Trims and hardware.** YKK zippers and Coats & Clark thread are non-negotiable. For buttons, hangtags, and labels we're more flexible but want eco-friendly options (recycled paper, organic cotton labels, etc.).
**Packaging and fulfillment.** Polymailers are out — we use recycled paper mailers with no plastic. Always looking for better options on hangtags, tissue, and the dieline for our shipper boxes.
**Software.** We run on Shopify. We need apps and SaaS that integrate cleanly, charge per month not per year, and don't require enterprise sales calls for a 5-person team. Strong preference for tools made by small teams who answer their own email.
**Capital purchases.** Rare but real. A sample sewing machine, a steamer for product photography, trade show booth fixtures. We buy used when we can.
# Things we've bought and would buy again
- Our primary mill in Vietnam — Bluesign-certified, responsive, hits MOQs we can actually meet
- YKK Aquaguard zippers — worth the premium on outerwear, full stop
- noissue's compostable mailers — slightly more expensive than alternatives, materially on-brand
- Klaviyo (when we were smaller) — outgrew it but well-supported throughout
- Cotopaxi as a model for transparent supply chain reporting (aspirational)
# Things that didn't work
- A Pakistani fabric supplier we tried in 2024 — certifications didn't match samples on inspection. Cut ties.
- Two different "AI-powered design" SaaS tools — both required us to upload our entire product library to evaluate, both pivoted within a year
- A US-based cut-and-sew that ghosted us mid-production
- Any "sustainability consultant" who pitched us without first reading our existing supply chain page
# Notes to the agent
Be direct. We don't need three paragraphs framing each recommendation; we need the option, the price, the MOQ, the lead time, the certs, and one sentence on why it might fit.
Always surface MOQ and lead time on first mention. If a supplier won't disclose either before a sales call, mark them as low-priority.
If a supplier looks promising but is missing a cert we require, say so — don't filter them out silently. Sometimes a supplier is in the process of getting certified and that's worth knowing.
For software: if it requires "contact us for pricing," we're probably not the customer. Surface the SMB-priced alternative.
We are deliberate, not slow. We will move fast on a clearly-right supplier. We will not move at all on a wrong one.