#4: What are people really buying and selling in 2025?
Inspired by Magasin's Brand Rank, we decided to dig into what the Future Reference community has been buying and selling in 2025.
In this issue:
What we’re into: Magasin’s brand rank
Data deep dive: What our community is buying and selling in 2025
A cautionary tale: Keep or consign
Note: We may make a small commission if you purchase from the links in our email.
What we’re into: ’s brand rank
You know we love a good data set, so we immediately dug into Magasin’s 2024 Brand Rank - a very thorough analysis of a brand’s visibility pulled from chats, posts, clicks, and purchases via @Magasin’s newsletter and community channels. It’s like the Lyst Index but better since it focuses on the highly plugged-in fashion Substack community.
F|R Data Deep Dive
With Brand Rank on our minds, we looked into what the @Future Reference community is actually buying and selling so far in 2025. Here’s what we found and how it relates to the rising secondhand market.
Methodology: We analyzed Future Reference aggregated user purchases and sales from January 1 to March 1 2025 across all accounts with linked emails1 since these provide the best representation of actual consumer buying behavior. This data only looks at our 1500+ Future Reference supported brands across women’s luxury, designer, and contemporary segments and does not take into account fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, Shein, etc. Selling trends are based on secondhand sales driven by Future Reference from any user account, and aggregated sales data from resale marketplaces.
The Year of The No and Low Buy
No and Low Buys have been trending in the zeitgeist this year, but are people actually doing them? Our data says: Yes.
29% of Future Reference users have bought nothing since the start of the year.
45% have bought two or fewer fashion items since the start of the year.
38% bought 5 or more fashion items since the start of the year.
We’d love to hear from anyone who’s completing
’s #75hardstylechallenge, , or has made their fashion consumption more mindful this year.
So what brands are people buying?
Khaite: It's no surprise that Khaite has a place in Future Reference’s top 5 brands by spend, with nearly half (44%) of the purchases coming from secondhand channels. Proof that their designs hold value season after season, but this also highlights the power of circular fashion with Khaite’s past season inventory still highly coveted on resale channels like @therealreal and popping up Substack resale thread chats.
The Future Reference community loves Khaite’s black boots both new and secondhand: sales of the Davis and Nevada are continuing into 2025 and the new Ona style is gaining traction. We’ve also seen more Marfa boots showing up at resale - largely in black leather and in both the short and taller styles.
To note: Overall Future Reference’s community are secondhand fans! 22% of annual purchases are driven by resale platforms like The RealReal, Poshmark, Vestiaire, and Ebay.
Toteme: Also consistently on Future Reference’s top 5 independent brands by GMV, bolstered by post-holiday sales. New purchases covered a large range, with everything from tops to coats to pants and shoes, showing the strength of brand across categories.
A few community favorites: Wedge heels, Moire mules, Signature shearling, Signature coat, Tailored shorts, Crepe flared pants, True vintage jeans
Veronica Beard: The brand’s post holiday sale was a big hit in the Future Reference community. Veronica Beard is known for their casual take on workwear, specifically blazers and denim, but we’ve seen an increasing amount of shoe and dress purchases heading into spring. Standouts included:
Shoes: The Cecile Leather Ballet Pump in black and burgundy as ladylike footwear continues to trend on AW25 runways and fashion week street style.
Dresses: Printed numbers stood out as personal style is taking over where quiet luxury left off alongside rising consumer interest in natural fabrics. The Rye linen midi and Gemma silk maxi were the most added Veronica Beard dresses.
Fforme: People are taking notice as Fforme has delivered hit shows over the last two seasons: AW25 solidified their reputation for making beautiful clothes that women want to wear. Within the Future Reference community we’ve seen investments in some of their stellar black jackets, including Jude and Toshi styles. These Maude pants are also a big hit if you’re looking for an update to the Row Gala.
What’s selling
Jewelry has shown a noticeable uptick with statement earrings leading the pack. Dangly, sculptural pieces are outperforming studs and hoops by nearly 3:1 in both listings and successful sales. This trend aligns with the broader movement toward maximalist accessories seen on recent runways, à la Schiaparelli, Juju Vera, Le Sundial, and Sophie Buhai.
Evening Gowns: Occasion styles are on the upswing as spring and summer wedding season approaches. Our data shows a 40% increase in formal dress listings and searches compared to this time last year. Black tie is pulling ahead as the winning wedding attire of the year, with silky slip dresses and fitted column gowns from brands like Galvan, Reformation, and vintage Narciso Rodriguez as highlights.
If you’re in the market, look no further than this geometric Retrofete number or this Ulla Johnson Runway piece before they get snapped up.
Brands on the Rise
Reformation pieces are seeing particularly strong sell-through rates as the weather warms. Tops and dresses are moving faster, with their signature floral prints and lightweight fabrics selling for prices at 65-75% of retail. Reformation always sells well, but transitionary seasons are an extra good time for the resale market.
Isabel Marant is experiencing a notable resurgence as boho returned to the catwalks courtesy of Chloe last spring. Flowy tops, shoes, and printed pieces are seeing the highest demand, with jackets and tops from older seasons selling quickly when priced right. We’ve also seen a spike in studded pieces, like bags and boots, as Moto Boho and nostalgia have sparked interest among the younger resale set (we’ve been on a real trip down memory lane).
The Row continues its reign as a resale powerhouse, with accessories selling especially quickly. The Margaux is hard to come by, but barely used Park totes have been plentiful to find secondhand - just make sure you’re using a service with authentication or receipt verification.
With ponyhair trending on Instagram, a lucky size 37 should grab these The Row Pablo Loafers in ponyhair ($515). For those seeking more practical options, these Owen Sneakers in a 38 are a steal at $250 compared to their original $800 price tag.
The Takeaway
Our data consistently shows that timing matters almost as much as condition when it comes to successful resale. As we track these emerging patterns, we hope to help everyone better evaluate both when to list and and for what price for maximum visibility and returned value. Your style evolves and so should your closet.
Ready to see what your closet is currently worth? Get started with our Wardrobe Valuation Tool to unlock the hidden potential in your wardrobe.
A cautionary tale: You could be getting more
We all deal with the occasional canceled sale, because someone decided to send their item off for consignment to a third party resale platform and forgets to unlist it.
Last week at Future Reference we had a Dolce & Gabbana dress sell for $945 (originally $2260), netting a sizable commission at $850.50 in the bank. Our Future Reference member selling the same dress was devastated since her same item sold for $735 and only netted a $441 commission, almost less than half of what she could have gotten by selling with Future Reference. The consignment associate who came to her house was…highly convincing.
We know sometimes out of sight, out of mind is best, but she would have made almost 2x had she held out just one month and sold with Future Ref, just sayin.
Future Reference links to your email to create a digital wardrobe of past purchases automatically that syncs over time - including returns. You save all the data for resale and we track an items value so when you list you know it’ll sell.
The Isabel Marant callout could not be more timely for me. There is a specific studded belt that I've been trying to buy secondhand for the last three months and it keeps getting snapped up even though the price is on the higher (to me) side. The reminder I needed just to buy this dream belt next time I see it since the CPW will shake out in my favor.
Love this! Totally agree that timing is such a crucial element when it comes to resale.