#10: 2025 resale trend predictions
What you'll be seeing all over your feed, as predicted by our favorite fashion Substackers
It’s no secret that the Future Reference community loves vintage and secondhand: over 22% of purchases in Future Reference closets are via resale platforms. And since you’ve loved our posts on what’s trending in resale, we’re thrilled to launch our inaugural 2025 Resale Trend Predictions, a new series featuring resale marketing insights from our favorite writers across the Substack universe.
A big thanks to
, , , , , , , and for sharing their insights in our inaugural post, alongside Future Reference founder and content strategist (that’s me).The question: What brand, trend, or item do you think will take off in the secondhand market in 2025?
Each prediction was made independently, but great minds think alike and we saw key themes take shape: Italian designers, Westernwear influences, and iconic suiting. A return to maximalism and vintage-inspired everything.
Without further ado, we bring you the secondhand trends that you’ll want to start shopping right about…now.
The Predictions
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A vintage fringe jacket has been on my wishlist for a while now. An older man named Robert came into my friend's vintage shop (Found+Formed) to sell his lifelong collection of vintage suede and leather jackets. I snapped this one up! They're all in great condition, but worn in that perfectly broken-in way. Also, if you want to get started on the Westernwear trend, but don't know where to start, I think a great place is a vintage bolo tie which I like to pick up on my travels. I shared some of my collection on a recent Substack Live with Virginia ("What's Left") if you're interested!
Rec: Emily’s podcast on secondhand fashion is our never-miss. Don’t sleep on this episode with vintage brand Bag Crap on the bag charm boom.
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On the necklace front, I think people will be sourcing out two somewhat opposite trends, both of which have been popular in decades past and are widely available on the secondhand market. There’s a general move away from minimal, barely there jewelry towards bolder pieces. The first are long necklaces with weighty pendants as we saw at Lemaire, Kallmeyer, and AMI. The second are decadent, chunky chokers whether made of metals, beads, shells or charms. Think Gucci, Cavalli, Schiaparelli.
Rec: Team Future Ref loved Irene’s case for capris with 12 (!) styling options for 2025. You might see us soon with our own take on Irene’s night out outfit.
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With the recent departure of Jonathan Anderson from Loewe (and recent appointment as Dior's Artistic Director of Menswear - and maybe more...??), I think his iconic Loewe pieces are going to dominate the resale market this year and beyond, much like Phoebe Philo-era Celine is still a hot search. As the huge luxury brands experience a bit of a slowdown thanks to their ubiquity (will we look back at LVMH's "sponsorship" aka takeover of the Olympics as the last gasp of luxury?), Loewe, like my other personal fave Dries Van Noten, retains a unique sensibility grounded in heritage, quality, and creativity.
Over 11 years, JA made Loewe fun, challenging, and worthwhile without overexposing it. It's a true fashion brand and one I see all the time on the Moms of Manhattan. JA's bags are rightly celebrated (try hunting for the Flamenco, my current daily driver), and I love his shoes, too - I've been wearing his lug-soled Chelsea boots for years and years. I'm also eyeing a few pieces in the resale market from Paula's Ibiza, the perfect blend of whimsy and luxe for the summer months ahead. Long live Loewe! (I'm also bullish on how the Proenza boys will take the reins!)
rec: Lindsay’s sweater vest post had us scrambling to update our resale wishlists (and inspired one of us to finally snag the sweater vest of her dreams).
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I’m anticipating that we’ll continue to see vintage-inspired accessories trend in 2025. I noticed this first with the Codera beaded bag in Fall 2024; which I first spied on
. I think most savvy shoppers realized they could source a similar vintage bag via Etsy. I imagine people will continue to seek out unique bags and jewelry that give the same vibes as really hot brands and pieces without the large price tag, like pendant necklaces, chain belts, and brooches.
rec: Blazers are the go-to piece for the Future Ref team, and Kelly nailed styling timeless and trend-forward silhos in this masterclass of a post.
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Outside of the Hermes Victoria bag, which I have written about before as a total sleeper hit that's already starting to take off in the resale market, my next prediction for a secondhand market boon is tacky Italian brands. Stay with me! Brands that experienced huge popularity during the more decadent eras of the 80s and then again in the early aughts are starting to see a resurgence for a variety of reasons. For one, we've re-entered a "boom boom" era (whether we like that or not) as people are rebelling from the malaise of quiet luxury that's had a hold for the past couple of years. As such, brands like Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, and the mother of all tacky brands--Versace--are poised for a resurgence. (After all, Prada DID just buy Versace...!!)
The resale market is a goldmine for these luxury houses. Since they've largely fallen out of favor as "it girl" brands in the past several years, secondhand platforms are flooded with tons of fabulous pieces, usually at very good price points. And I know you may be thinking "ick" bc maybe we’re not quiiiiite there yet--but I can feel the tides shifting already. Stock up now before Versace becomes the next Miu Miu!
rec: Sogole’s sharp analysis of the evolution of pink, from the Barbie movie to SS25 runways, had us hooked at the preloved The Row pants that got away.
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My resale trend prediction is vintage YSL suits or inspired by YSL suiting. The YSL Le Smoking Suit which debuted in 1966 revolutionized women's suiting taking a more feminine approach to the tuxedo, and they’ve been interpreting menswear-inspired suits ever since. The current 2025 Saint Laurent campaign has Michelle Pfeiffer in a very oversized blazer and tie. I personally think a lot about the YSL 2002 Spring Runway show's suits and this is what we’ll continue to see more of: the wider-leg pants and subtly feminine suit jackets with a slight nip at the waist.
While vintage YSL suits can be hard to find (trust me I've been searching), I also have Tom Ford-era Gucci, Gianni Versace, and 2000s Armani always on my radar. I recently found a 1960s or 70s YSL suit jacket on eBay. I’ve seen images that it is a full suit, so I’m manifesting that one day I’ll find the pants, too.
rec: Hilliary’s secondhand power suit curation is the suiting guide for spring. But act fast - the butter yellow Camilla and Marc has already found a home.
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I think vintage Pucci is set to have a big summer - very much the "Italian lady of leisure" vibe. The brand just had a stunning show in Portofino, and have enlisted it-model of the moment Alex Consani. I’ve been seeing a shift from minimalism to maximalism in my feed, and there are tons of vintage shirts, dresses, and bags at accessible price points that will get snapped up. Mini skirts and shorts are in high demand and harder to find at good price points, but I love that creators like Kit Kenan and Style With Soco are even re-working dresses to turn them into sets with more modern fits (we loveee a good tailor!).
rec: Claire’s Future Reference and vintage backstory is fascinating, and we were blown away by her incredible secondhand and vintage bridal look.
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A print person at heart (I firmly believe that leopard is a neutral), my eyes are always peeled for the next iteration of animal prints. I noticed cow prints start to emerge in 2022, a year after cowboy boots began trending, thanks to the nostalgia boom led by Gen Z thrifters.
Cow prints started off in a more traditional format, like this spectacular coat from the Stella McCartney AW23 show before moving into the colorful maximalist prints we’re seeing today. The cow print that really caught my eye was spotted on digital creator Marianne Theodorsen, an epic wearer of animal prints, at Copenhagen Fashion week. I can’t get her blue and brown cow print jacket out of my head and am constantly on the lookout for something similar at secondhand.
Vintage and vintage-inspired cow print jackets are starting to pick up at resale, so if you’re thinking of adding this piece to your wardrobe, now’s the time to make your move before demand drives up pricing for fall.
rec: Tina’s trend roundups are top notch and this Fashion Week series fully delivers, especially this spot-on AW25 Copenhagen street style breakdown.
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Ok, I've been saying this for the last few years, but mark my words—the Hervé Léger bandage dress will be making a comeback in the very near future and there are a ton of great options on the resale market already. It's no secret the US economy is currently on its own “Eat, Pray, Love journey”...to put it lightly, and during trying times people (especially Millennials) tend to turn to comfort. What's more welcoming than a garment whose sole purpose is to snatch you in all the right places? It's like an outfit with a built-in gym membership. With so much uncertainty in the world, one thing is clear: the bandage dress will be back, and you better believe we are going out.
rec: We live for Grace’s fashion satire, and could not relate more with March 23, 1990 in her Aries gift guide (TRR calendar blocks are a way of life).
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In the resale market, the hottest trend is no trend at all. Shoppers are moving away from chasing the latest “must-have” and instead embracing personal style that’s timeless, expressive, and uniquely their own. This shift is fueling demand for secondhand pieces that tell a story - think quality over quantity, vintage over viral. As consumers become more intentional, resale is evolving from a place to score deals to a destination for discovering identity through clothing. It’s not about dressing for the algorithm anymore, it’s about dressing for yourself.
rec: We loved Beni’s recap of Harvard’s Retail & Luxury Goods Conference. Hard agree that resale should be effortless and accessible to everyone!
We’ve already started saving these fashion predictions across our go-to resale platforms, and our team moodboards are getting a fresh update with all of this incredible vintage inspiration. We’d love to hear from you - what’s your resale prediction for 2025? Are you planning to wear or invest in any of these aesthetics for summer or fall? Let us know in the comments.
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So many amazing predictions and so many incredible writers! My resale wishlist is going to be full to the brim with all of these :)
What a special gem of a post! Thank you for inviting me to participate, I had so much fun noodling on the topic and even more fun reading everyone else’s stellar and inspiring predictions! I need to go hunt some secondhand cow print, tacky Italian fashion, a Victoria bag, some power suiting, and some vintage accessories! xoxo