Your Definitive Guide To Vintage Designer Shopping

Fashion girls know that snagging a vintage designer piece can be just as thrilling — if not more — as buying a brand-new item, especially if the collection is noteworthy. Today’s biggest it bags, for example, can give any outfit a chic boost. But carrying a coveted piece from a bygone collection? Even more so.

Style stars seem to agree: Bella Hadid knows the value of an early aughts carryall, and has a proclivity for older gems; the entire Kardashian-Jenner clan loves collecting clothes for the fashion archives. The difference is that celebs have personal shoppers and curators at their disposal, while mere mortals... don’t. And vintage designer shopping is no small task.

Fashionphiles could spend hours at thrift shops trying to find rare designer gems in overflowing racks. There is, however, a much easier way to get your hands on the goods. Resale sites like Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal, Rebag, and more curate (and authenticate) selections for you. Some product pages even include notable info on when each item debuted and who designed it, taking the guesswork out of shopping.

To help you hone your vintage shopping muscles, below you’ll find a definitive guide on how to shop vintage designer — including which bags and collections to add to cart.

What Is Vintage?

A quick fact-check: Just because it’s pre-loved doesn’t mean it’s vintage. According to Sophie Hersan, Vestiaire’s co-founder and fashion director, vintage has two tiers. The term applies to anything released before the turn of the millennium. When shopping on resale sites, there is often a “vintage” tab to tick to help narrow down the selection.

There’s also such a thing as “contemporary vintage” or “archive,” which covers pieces that are about 10 to 15 years old. Either category boasts a treasure trove of items that are not technically vintage, but can still hold major value.

Here’s What To Buy First

For those unaccustomed to buying vintage, start with the easiest products: bags. They’re easy to research, they’re practical, and, per girl math, cost per wear would be more economical. According to Hersan, they’re the “most sold items.”

Once you pass novice to pro-level shopper, Hersan highly recommends considering clothing. “If you’re already educated on secondhand and you hunt [for] specific and unique pieces, go ready-to-wear,” she says. It may seem more risky, but whatever you find will be “a real statement piece.”

Older It Bags Are Still It Bags

Each season, a new bag is seemingly launched into viral it status. The bags worth collecting, though, are the biggest shoulder toppers from decades past — especially with the Y2K renaissance.

Hersan says, “It’s not the classic Chanel or the classic Hermès,” either. She named the Balenciaga Le City, Celine Triomphe, and the Prada Nylon. (These are so coveted, in fact, that all of them were reinterpreted in new iterations in recent years.)

Another early aughts heirloom that boomeranged back into the zeitgeist is Gucci’s Horsebit, a style Tom Ford debuted during his decade-long tenure as creative director. The entire industry has been lusting over Ford’s Gucci designs, especially after the label’s Fall 2023 MFW show paid homage to his reign and relaunched the modern-day Horsebit.

Celebs like Dua Lipa and Dakota Johnson flocked to the new iteration, but real fans (including Kendall Jenner) know that vintage is where it’s at.

Apart from the Horsebit bag, Ford’s entire oeuvre is highly coveted. (Even Kim Kardashian collects the brand’s decades-old undergarments.) So if you chance upon a Ford for Gucci piece, definitely consider it.

Sometimes, Go Designer Specific

Brush up on your fashion history. Even if a piece is from a beloved brand, like Gucci, certain collections become more valuable depending on trends and how much time has passed. Apart from Ford’s Gucci, Hersan recommends shopping John Galliano for Dior and Phoebe Philo for Celine.

She also notes that you can’t go wrong with Maison Martin Margiela and Comme des Garçons. Hersan says, “They last and you’d still want to wear” them at any point in time, as they’re both “really contemporary.”

Fashion Forecast: The Chloé Comeback

On the Fall 2024 runways, the newly appointed Chloé creative director, Chemena Kamali, effectively heralded the return of the Chloé girl. Now, she’s trending — even Sydney Sweeney and Daisy Edgar-Jones cosigned the style.

Herson agrees that there’s “a strong comeback from Chloé,” — specifically the “comeback of the boho trend.” All the brand’s previous eras are hits, too — from Gabriela Hearst’s Chloé term through Gaby Aghion’s. You can’t go wrong buying vintage Chloé regardless of collection.

It’s not just Chloé’s apparel making a comeback. One of the bags from Philo’s era is poised for a return: the Paddington. First introduced in 2005, the slouchy shoulder bag is known for its signature padlock hardware (which also graced footwear and jewelry). Hersan confirms the public’s interest in the piece: “We noticed there’s 45% more research on the platform on the Paddington.”

Invest In Vintage For Your Basics Collection

Capsule wardrobes have become a fashion girl’s go-to for streamlining getting dressed and reducing consumerism. While the concept of imbuing your closet with basics you can mix and match is nothing new, who said they can’t be vintage designer gems? Hersan’s suggestions include Helmut Lang jeans (her personal go-tos) and a good blazer from Saint Laurent.

Don’t Skip Jewelry

If you’ve never considered expanding your search to include jewelry, you’re doing vintage shopping wrong. “Jewelry is accessible,” Hersan says. “You don’t need to have the nicest or the biggest bag if you have statement jewelry.”

The category is also particularly extensive. On one end of the spectrum are pricey, financially sound purchases. (Reseller site The RealReal even tags some pieces “smart investments.”) “You can find either a very classic Cartier Love or a Chanel watch,” Hersan says. Cartier Love bracelets, in particular, have historically held their value or even appreciated. Many watches are also considered investments.

On the lower end of the price range lies fashion jewelry. “Not all brands do high jewelry,” Hersan says. Most brands — including Dior and Louis Vuitton — offer collections of “fashion jewelry,” aka those not made from precious metals. Hersan believes these are great options, especially since they’re “branded” but still “super, super accessible.” Think: statement pendants, logo earrings, and more trend-based pieces.

Trending brands are Chrome Hearts’ cross necklaces (thanks to Kim K) and Vivienne Westwood’s orb pendant necklaces, now a staple in Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

Accessories Are Wildly Underrated

When looking for vintage pieces, shoppers sometimes have bag blinders, which could cause people to miss out on an accessories gold mine. “For less than $200 or $100, you can get branded accessories,” she says. Belts, sunglasses, scarves, and even small leather goods are a great way to buy something special that isn’t too pricey.

Subscribe To Brands’ Newsletters

Resale sites typically curate items per season — sometimes even per month. Places like Vestiaire send themed monthly edits that could help shoppers narrow their selections. So if you need a little bit of guidance, newsletters are great places to start browsing.

Avoid This Common Mistake

Finally, shop because you know you’ll wear it. Hersan warns against buying trendy pieces — you likely won’t get much use out of them when the trend wanes.

The worst fashion sin? Not using them altogether. Hersan says, “A mistake would be to buy and not to wear. It’s economics lost. It’s not sustainable.”

Source cited:

Sophie Hersan, Vestiaire co-founder and fashion director