It is hard to say whether this shift is driven by sustainability, conscious shopping, nostalgia, or a growing desire for individuality. Either way, vintage has moved far beyond music and pop culture and, over the past few years, has quietly embedded itself in fashion.

People browse vintage stores, hunt down old-but-still-cool branded pieces, collect them, and dig into the stories behind each find. And if you are already doing that — or simply curious to try your hand at this particular kind of fashion treasure hunt — we are here to help. So here we go: opening up the world of vintage clothing and accessories, and guiding you towards your first piece — or your 10th.

It often feels like we already know what vintage means. Say the word and most people picture a slightly scuffed Louis Vuitton bag that still looks good, or an extravagant Gucci jacket from another era. But does a vintage piece really need a famous label? And would a designer bag from 2015, bought second-hand, actually count as vintage?

Let’s break it down.

Point one: Vintage doesn’t have to be branded

While vintage is often associated with big names, a piece doesn’t need a famous label to qualify. What matters is how it reads today — the cut, the fabric, the overall presence. It should still feel cool and relevant. Style is subjective, of course, but that doesn’t make it any less real.

Point two: Age matters

Vintage usually refers to items that are around 20–25 years old. A few years either way is fine, but something from 2016 isn’t vintage — it is simply second-hand.

Point three: Condition counts

Signs of age are expected — even welcomed — but a true vintage piece should still be structurally sound. Time is the harshest test, and if a garment has passed it, that is usually a good sign.

One last thing: vintage is not the same as retro or reproduction. Retro pieces are made today but styled to look as though they belong to the past, while reproductions are modern remakes of older designs. Vintage, by contrast, is the real thing — original pieces made in their own time, using the materials, construction and design of that era.

Minor flaws — the little “signs of time” — are part of the deal with vintage. A missing button or a slightly temperamental zip rarely changes how a piece looks, and it шs usually easy (and inexpensive) to fix. But a few issues should be treated as proper deal-breakers.

One thing to keep in mind before we get into it: clothing and bags follow one set of rules, and shoes are a completely different universe. So let’s take it step by step.

Red flags for clothing and bags:

Note: Always check elastic wristbands and cuffs. If they have lost their stretch, a tailor can replace them — and it instantly makes the whole piece look sharper.

Red flags for shoes:

The trickiest vintage items are shoes. Sizing is often unpredictable, as they tend to mould to the previous owner’s foot, and structural wear can be difficult to spot at first glance. Cracks in the leather, weakened stitching, or fragile materials don’t always reveal themselves immediately — often, you only discover the problem after you have already paid. Hygiene is another concern that shouldn’t be overlooked.

That said, there are a few life hacks that can help.

Let’s be honest — most of us buy vintage to look good, not to build a portfolio. Still, if you ever find yourself walking into a vintage store thinking not only about that perfect jacket to wear with your everyday jeans, but also about the value it might quietly hold in your wardrobe, your thoughts actually also make sense.

The second-hand and resale market is growing fast. In 2024, it was already worth hundreds of billions globally, and forecasts suggest it could surpass 500 billion dollars by 2034, growing at over 10% a year. Another telling statistic: nearly 47% of shoppers now consider resale value before buying something new. So yes — vintage can be an investment, in the right circumstances. The question is: what is actually worth looking for?

By now, we know what vintage is — and how to buy it well. The final (and arguably most important) question is: where? Think of this as a small post-New-Year bonus — a curated list of places worth bookmarking.