I love digging through vintage pieces from the '80s and '90s, and I recently found a guide that gave me loads of ideas on how to style them without looking like I'm wearing a costume.
The combo I use most often is an oversized jacket with high-waisted jeans: structured shoulders and bold lines, but with a simple T-shirt underneath to lighten things up. For a sportier look, a '90s tracksuit with white sneakers always works, especially in bright colors like fuchsia or turquoise.
Another pairing that never fails is a plaid flannel shirt with flared pants: pure grunge, perfect for a casual night out. For a dressier version, on the other hand, I go for a colorful '80s blazer with slim trousers and a pair of pumps.
The secret is to play with statement accessories — oversized sunglasses, big earrings, a crossbody bag — without overdoing it. The beauty of vintage is that every piece tells a story, and mixing different eras makes the look truly your own.
Source: Yup Vintage
Thrifting has always felt like a treasure hunt, and a recent article about Gen Z and secondhand fashion put that into words. Circular fashion has moved beyond being an alternative and has become the first choice for those seeking pieces with a story.
The numbers help illustrate this: a BCG report commissioned by Vestiaire Collective, surveying 7,800 people in 70 countries in 2025, shows the secondhand market growing three times faster than the sale of new products, with a projected value of $360 billion by 2030. In the United States, 66% of Gen Z's wardrobes already consist of secondhand items – and handbags are the most popular item.
The stigma of "dead people's clothes" is a thing of the past. Victoria Zattoni, a lawyer who grew up among the thrift stores of Foz do Iguaçu, turned the tips she gave her friends into content on social media. Fiorella Mattheis, from the luxury handbag resale platform A Gringa, says that many young customers are now starting with luxury items directly from the secondhand market, something that didn't happen before. And Yasmim Estevam, who started with a pair of mom jeans for R$5 and has been running her thrift store in Fundinho, São Paulo, for 11 years, focuses on curated selections: each item passes through her hands.
What struck me most was the "psychology" aspect: finding a rare item among the racks gives you that rush of pleasure, and in a social media feed that constantly creates and buries trends, the thrift store operates at a different pace. Marina Roale, from Consumoteca, talks about the desire for authenticity and the "conversation value" – the item becomes a conversation starter when someone asks where it came from. There are also those who upcycle their finds and those who organize clothing swap nights with their friends.
However, it's important to heed the warning that appears in the article itself: just because there's a box of t-shirts for R$10 doesn't mean you need to buy everything. Thrifting is great; impulse buying, not so much.
Source: Glamour Brasil
Why are Converse shoes from before the 1970s still around in wearable condition at vintage shops? minobe on note summarizes the reasons from the perspective of materials and manufacturing methods.
The starting point is the chemistry of the sole. Sports shoes from the 1980s onward adopted polyurethane midsoles, but that structure undergoes hydrolysis from moisture in the air and crumbles within a few years to a few decades. In humid Japan, many unworn deadstock pairs have reportedly reached the end of their life. By contrast, All Stars and similar shoes from before the 1970s were made by vulcanization, which adds sulfur to rubber and hardens it with heat, combined with cotton canvas. They have no bonds prone to hydrolysis. The article explains that this chemical stability is the main reason pairs more than half a century old can still be worn.
In the early 1970s, as basketball became faster, canvas sides tore easily, and Converse switched to leather. Models such as the All Star Leather (from 1969), One Star (1974–75), and Pro Leather (from 1976) appeared. However, leather shrank unevenly from the heat of vulcanization and its bonding surface with the sole peeled off easily, so the article argues that the early leather models had short lifespans.
From 1971 to 1979 the brand was under Eltra. The flagship All Star and the entry-level Coach created a tiered pricing structure. Against the backdrop of rising labor costs in the US, the entry-level line was moved to overseas factories, including in Korea, the article also says. (The article itself notes this part is unverified.)
Why do these shoes keep their value even though they lack cushioning and are not suited to long walks on hard pavement? The article points to their physical durability that lasts more than half a century, labor-intensive manufacturing, and the beauty of age. My view of secondhand shoes has changed a little.
Source: note (minobe)
MALION VINTAGE, a brand that reworks deadstock fabrics and vintage items, marks 10 years since its launch in 2016. A pop-up to celebrate runs for two days, Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October, at “TRUNK(HOTEL) CAT STREET” in Jingumae, Tokyo. Hours are 14:00–20:00 on the 9th and 12:00–18:00 on the 10th.
The brand is run by Eriko Ishida and Aki Shimizu. Its popular pieces are lace items such as crochet and denim. For this new collection, they picked white lace from the brand's archive and combined vintage lace with wool using needle-punch processing. The pop-up offers pre-orders for the new pieces, along with archive items and goods, priced from ¥17,000 to ¥220,000.
The concept is “new breath for something someone once cherished.” The article notes that many people use the paid repair service, and I relate to the idea of fixing old things and wearing them for a long time. The flagship store “ORT” opened last year, and the brand plans to expand its unisex line and build an overseas customer base, mainly in Asia.
What I find interesting is the way it approaches vintage: not by selling secondhand clothes as they are, but by using old materials to make new clothes.
Source: FASHIONSNAP
According to Vogue Germany, the ankle jeans of the 1990s are making a comeback in autumn 2026. What I find most interesting is the look back, because a vintage cut that many people know from old photos is returning.
The author recalls a time when everything revolved around wide silhouettes and jeans swallowed the shoes completely. The mood has now shifted. Alongside the straight-leg jean, which has established itself as the dominant denim trend, shortened versions are also right at the front. Style icons of the 90s such as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts are cited as inspiration. CBK in particular often wore Levi's 517s, with a slightly flared leg and a hem just above the ankle. The article says that since the hype around the series "Love Story", many people seem to be channelling their inner CBK.
The practical tip is that length is everything. If the hem is too short, it looks like you have outgrown your trousers; if it is not short enough, the ankle effect is lost. The author likes Levi's models and advises knowing your own measurements before buying. Brands in the selection include COS, Nudie Jeans and Levi's.
For anyone who enjoys browsing second-hand shops or flea markets, this is a useful guide. An old pair of Levi's 517s or a similar 90s cut might be exactly right now. The article first appeared on Vogue.it and was syndicated by Vogue.co.uk.
Source: Vogue Germany
Vogue Deutschland is currently looking at 1970s jeans, and what interested me most is the fashion history behind the cuts. Wide silhouettes dominated the decade, and in autumn 2026 they are returning in various retro shapes: with paisley prints, patchwork details, or extra-wide hems.
Flared jeans are one of the most iconic garments of the 70s. Farrah Fawcett made them famous as a relaxed alternative to bootcut jeans, and they still pair well with shirts, knitwear, and heeled boots.
Patchwork technique came into fashion mainly in the 60s, on skirts and jeans, and was still around in the following decade. Jane Birkin was photographed in such a piece in 1975, which underlined her effortlessly elegant look.
Of course, straight-leg jeans also existed in the 70s, even though wide cuts dominated. The classic straight cut suits a boho look with a long blouse and ankle boots just as well as a modern one with a leather jacket. For a quick 70s look, the article recommends boho patterns, such as paisley on a straight or flared pair of jeans, with a white blouse, a leather jacket, and platform boots.
Finally there are palazzo jeans. They recall Studio 54, where Bianca Jagger and Cher regularly appeared in denim palazzo pants. A high waist and a wide leg make them glamorous, and according to runways and street style they are making a comeback this autumn, worn with high heels.
I admit this is a trend piece with shopping links. Still, I find the references to real 70s models useful when you are browsing flea markets or secondhand shops and want a better sense of which cuts could genuinely be from that era.
Source: Vogue Germany
On Vogue Italia I read the story of Gherardini, one of Italy's oldest leather goods brands, told by Riccardo Braccialini, CEO of Pelletteria Fiorentina Montecristo. It is a useful lesson in vintage fashion because it weaves together dates, models and materials.
It all begins in spring 1885, when Garibaldo Gherardini opens his first workshop in the heart of Florence to make small leather goods. Thirty years later he opens the boutique on Via della Vigna Nuova. After the Second World War, under the second generation, the first iconic models appear: the Dodici Dodici of 1959 with its spring closure and double opening, the Vittoria of 1968 with its 'Chiodo' closure and, in 1970, the Plattina, with its slim silhouette, still one of the longest-running best sellers.
The 1960s and 70s were the golden years. According to Braccialini, bags were everywhere, worn by Twiggy, the brand icon, but also by Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Marcello Mastroianni and Alberto Sordi. In 1969 the first women's leather clothing collection was shown in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti, and a few years later the offer widened to a total look with clothing, eyewear and scarves.
In the mid-1970s, with the third generation, came the monogram and the first Softy, a fabric designed to overcome the limits of leather, such as weight, yellowing and poor durability over time. In 1990 the founding family sold the brand.
The relaunch came in 2024, through the partnership between Itochu Corporation and Pelfim. The method is to start from the archives: a historical bag is taken, reissued, and more current variations are developed from it. Today there is only one brand store, in Tokyo, but the dream is to return to Florence. For anyone who likes to look for vintage bags, knowing what the models were called and when they were born helps in recognising them.
Source: Vogue Italia
Vogue France has a piece on 1990s heels, which are coming back strongly after a long absence. What I liked is that each model is tied to a specific moment in fashion history, which also helps you spot vintage pieces when you dig through shops.
First, the two-tone pumps popularised by Chanel. In 1992 the house immortalised them in its spring-summer show, opened by Linda Evangelista in a black-and-white duo. The versions with a triangular toe are said to work especially well with a suit or with jeans and a tweed jacket, and they came back in the first Chanel show by Matthieu Blazy.
Second reference, heeled loafers. The article recalls the red Ancora loafers from Gucci, worn by Helena Christensen at the autumn-winter 1995-1996 show, with a square toe, gold bit and chunky heel. Miu Miu also offers a white version for a preppy look.
Then come the mule sandals, which capture the spirit of the decade: open or closed at the front, minimal, and worn by tops like Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford. The text also mentions Miu Miu's geometric lines and Prada's Mary Janes.
The article notes that you no longer need to search vintage or second-hand shops, since these models are now sold by luxury houses as well as more affordable brands. I read it the other way round: it is a good list of silhouettes to recognise when you look for original 90s pieces. This return of minimalism and assured elegance also seems a good occasion to look at what is sleeping in the wardrobe.
Source: Vogue France
I came across a decade-by-decade rundown of what is coming back this year, and it reads like a useful cheat sheet if you shop vintage. The short version: people are no longer going for the full head-to-toe costume. One piece from a past era anchors a modern outfit, and that is it.
The 1940s contribute construction. Think nipped waists, princess seams, defined but not padded shoulders, and the skirt suit in wool blends, cotton sateen or rayon-type fabrics. The 1950s are described as the anchor decade of 2026. Fit-and-flare shapes have stayed in circulation since Dior's New Look in 1947, and the current twist is a bold novelty print, cherries, tropical motifs, cats, on a swing skirt worn with a plain knit top.
The 1960s show up as mod: A-line shift dresses, colour-blocking, contrast collars and oversized decorative buttons, hems above the knee with opaque tights. The 1970s lean boho, wide-leg trousers, suede, prairie blouses and midi dresses in mustard, olive, rust and cream. The article says the mood is closer to Laurel Canyon than Studio 54, with a smaller medieval-romantic strand of laced bodices and bell sleeves.
On the runway, the 1980s are the big story for spring 2026: power shoulders, oversized blazers and jewel tones, with Chloé, Schiaparelli and Elie Saab cited from Paris. The 1990s answer with minimalism, slip dresses and clean neutral lines, and one styling tip I liked was pairing a 90s-style silk camisole with a 1950s-cut cardigan.
Personally I find the shift from costume to single statement pieces the most interesting part. It is also the easiest way into vintage: you only need to find one good item, not a whole era. The piece comes from a London reproduction-and-retro label's blog, so it naturally points to its own and similar brands, which is worth keeping in mind. Still, as a map of silhouettes by decade it is handy.
Source: Collectif London Blog
To mark Oxfam's Second Hand September campaign, which encourages people to avoid buying new clothes for 30 days, the Guardian asked readers for their favourite thrift discoveries and the stories behind them. I enjoyed how different the answers are, from a £2 hat to a designer suit.
Nisha Daniel in Kolkata bought a pink-and-red Prada pleated silk jacquard skirt on eBay for £28 in 2022. It arrived crumpled like a tissue, and it took about three hours and as many rounds with an iron to restore the pleats. Deb Grant, a BBC Radio 6 presenter, found a blue 1960s dress at a shop called Shag in Melbourne for $50, and wore it to the Brit awards.
Alicia from Adelaide paid $5 for a 1970s dress at an op shop in Orange, New South Wales, in 1996. She had it in her bag when she married a few months later, and says it is still in good shape, with swirls of pink dots that look like an optical illusion from afar. Rachel's mother found a choker at an op shop in Western Australia for $5, took it to a jeweller to be cleaned and learned it was sterling silver by the Italian designer OP Orlandini. The jeweller was so impressed he did not charge her.
Jane from Lewes hesitated at a £50 price tag for a startlingly orange suit before discovering it was by Altuzarra and worth at least £2,000 new. There is also Graham Berridge's £2 knitted hat from a British Heart Foundation shop, bought for his festival-loving son.
What I take from the collection is that vintage hunting rewards patience and a closer look at labels, fabric and condition. The stories are also reminders that pieces from earlier decades can stay wearable for many years.
Source: The Guardian
I read a short piece from Tuniscope, published in June 2026, that asks a question I think anyone who loves old clothes will recognise: why does yesterday's fashion come back to the front? The core idea is that fashion never really disappears. It returns years later in a new or modified form, and this is what the article calls the fashion cycle.
The article starts with nostalgia. Younger generations often draw inspiration from 90s and 2000s clothing through photos, films and celebrities who have worn those pieces again. Then comes social media. Influencers and celebrities who re-wear classic designs can turn an old style into a global trend very quickly.
Designers also play a part. Many of them revive older pieces, updating colours, cuts or fabrics so they suit today's taste. The article adds an economic angle too: shoppers look for clothes they can reuse and style in different ways, so old trends become a practical choice that costs less than new designs.
Its conclusion is that the return of fashion is the result of culture, media, the economy and collective memory working together, and that something that looks old today may be the latest style tomorrow. The article is general and names no designers or figures, but I liked how it connects nostalgia with economics. That is exactly what we see in the second-hand clothing markets here.
Source: Tuniscope
Vogue France revisits Party Girl (1995), the film that made Parker Posey the “queen of indie films” of the 1990s and that still inspires more than thirty years after its release. For a vintage lover, it is a very enjoyable read.
The film follows Mary, a party girl from the underground New York club scene, who has to work at a public library to pay back her deposit after a party at her place. And that is exactly where she discovers that parties and books are not incompatible.
On the style side, the article focuses on how Mary dresses: she turns up at the library in a leopard-print fur mini coat, red tights and sunglasses, mixing vintage with thrift-store finds, and wears three T-shirts layered on top of each other. For the film's 25th anniversary, Parker Posey herself spoke about those young New York women who invent themselves through their clothes, for example with 1970s sailor pants, heels and a great shirt.
Vogue also points out that the film was ahead of its time, aesthetically too: it was the first feature film to have a preview broadcast on the internet. Mary became an icon for everyone who dresses for the library as if they were going out at night.
Personally, what I take away is that the look of the film relies less on expensive pieces than on the boldness of putting them together. It is a great lesson for anyone who digs through thrift stores.
Source: Vogue France
