Vintage has stopped being niche. It sets street style, drives resale apps, and pulls in shoppers who crave cool pieces with a story and better quality than fast fashion.
The surge is not just vibes. ThredUp’s 2023 Resale Report projected the U.S. secondhand apparel market to hit 70 billion dollars by 2027, Etsy bought Depop for 1.625 billion dollars in June 2021, and eBay launched Authenticity Guarantee for sneakers in 2020 then for luxury watches in 2021. That mix changed how people value brands and pushed a few labels to the front of the queue.
Why vintage brands are trending in 2025 : real demand and fresh behavior
Three forces fuel the rise. Price drops versus retail, quality that lasts, and culture. TikTok and Instagram revive 90s and Y2K looks, so the hunt shifts toward original pieces rather than new remakes.
Big names keep momentum. Levi’s marked 150 years of the 501 in 2023 and reignited interest in pre 2000 denim. Vestiaire Collective moved the needle too by banning fast fashion brands in November 2022 and expanding the list in 2023, which redirected attention toward durable labels and archival items.
Watches show the ceiling. At Phillips on 26 October 2017, Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona sold for 17.8 million dollars. Not every piece shoots that high, of course, yet the example proves provenance and scarcity still carry hard value.
The most in-demand vintage brands now : Levi’s, Nike, Chanel, Rolex
Searches and sell-throughs skew toward icons that blend heritage, comfort, and color stories that fit current outfits. The pieces below keep moving on marketplaces and at thrift level.
- Levi’s : 501 and 550 with a capital E on the red tab before 1971, orange tab 60s to 70s, and USA made 80s to 90s denim
- Nike : 80s Jordan, Dunk and Terminator, early ACG outerwear, 2000s runners that mirror today’s cushioning profiles
- Chanel : Classic flap bags, 90s bijoux, and jackets with chain hems, with serial stickers starting in the mid 1980s
- Rolex : Submariner, Datejust, Explorer, and Daytona references with original dials and period bracelets
- Ralph Lauren : Polo knits, Stadium and Snow Beach lines, and hand knit sweaters that wear in beautifully
- Harley-Davidson and Carhartt : heavyweight tees or duck jackets from the 80s and 90s that fit millenials sized up
How to spot authentic gems online : tags, materials, dates
Start with labels and construction. Levi’s Big E on the red tab signals pre 1971 production, chain stitching along the hem points to older runs, and single needle yokes often predate mass outsourcing. Chanel bags include a serial sticker and number inside from the mid 1980s onward, while quilting alignment and hardware weight tell the rest.
Platforms now help. eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee for sneakers began in 2020 and moved to watches in 2021, which means many listings route through expert checks. Still, read listings closely, compare serial ranges to public charts, and ask for natural light photos with closeups of corners, zippers, and care tags.
Buy smarter, resell safer : budgets, platforms, timing
Think category by category. Denim and sportswear move quickly if sizing sits in the current silhouette. Watches and luxury leather need patience, but condition upgrades value fast. Light cleaning, proper storage, and original packaging nudge the price up when relisting.
Pick the right venue. Thrift stores and flea markets offer the best margins, while Depop and Grailed bring trend driven buyers. Etsy’s 2021 Depop acquisition showed how marketplace ecosystems now connect global traffic to individual closets. For handbags, Vestiaire Collective’s brand restrictions since 2022 push higher quality stock, which tightens supply and supports prices. Auction houses remain the route for rare watches, as the 2017 Phillips sale proved.
The final filter is story. Archive colorways, first edition tags, and anniversary ties create demand spikes. Track drops and brand calendars, then aim for pieces that echo current runway cuts or celebrity styling without copying them outright. That way the look feels genuine, and the value holds when tastes shift.