The spike in vintage popularity has led the fashion industry to capitalize on time

By Isabella Logue

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Nothing quite compares to adding a newly purchased vintage garment or accessory to your increasingly curated wardrobe. A great fur coat or pair of leather boots has the power to elevate a simple outfit into a conversation starter. However, the quality of affordable clothing is deteriorating at an alarmingly fast rate (why is everything polyester?!). Nowadays, great quality usually implies vintage, unless you’re able to purchase luxury, and—let's face it—most of us aren’t. Whether you’re shopping vintage, archival, or thrifted, the pieces you’ll find are almost always unique. Every snag and tear tells an unseen story; the mysterious history of an item gives it character and charm. In the past, vintage shopping was primarily done by serious collectors and curators, but the current demand for sustainability within the fashion industry has integrated second-hand shopping into mainstream popularity. The growing number of re-sell websites like TheRealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Fashionphile, Vinted, and Depop are proof. Naturally, the consumer interest boom in vintage has caused brands to mirror this shift, resulting in an interesting phenomenon: new items are being designed and marketed to imply a pre-loved past.

I recently came across a video by TikTok creator @oliviasara_23 in which she discussed the emerging trend of newly produced items purposefully imitating the lived-in appearance of vintage clothing and accessories. Images of Jane Birkin and the Olsen twins’ beloved Birkin bags (each of which have wear and tear and playful charm decorations) are now circling social media as style inspiration. One influencer even took to pounding her new handbag against the ground to make it appear worn. Due to fast-fashion culture, this phenomenon is likely attributed to the modern consumer’s need for instant gratification. Jane Birkin used her signature purse every day for decades and gradually adorned it with meaningful trinkets that she acquired over many years. Naturally, the long use resulted in individualized quirks that allude to its unseen history. Today, however, many see her style and wish to obtain that aforementioned look instantaneously. Her bag tells an intimate story that is innately personal. We’re in a unique period in time where things are produced at a rate never before seen and brand new items are constantly marketed to consumers. This erases a sense of individuality that many consumers strive for, making second hand shopping the only way to differentiate oneself from the masses. Despite this rapid production, corporations still cannot manufacture the time required to procure and individualize our everyday items—or so we thought.

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Golden Goose is a popular Italian luxury shoe and apparel brand famous for their distinctive best-selling product: pre-distressed sneakers. Per their official website, “(they) want everything to be as non-perfect as possible. Life is not perfect. We inject life into what we do.” This sentiment introduces a strange notion that machines can generate “life,” or at least the idea of it. But what exactly does that mean?

The concept that life, or time, increases an object’s value isn’t a new one. Just think of museums and exhibitions that showcase wonders of the past—their history is what makes them treasured. However, the fashion industry has redefined that notion by integrating it into the design process. The latest Versace SS25 ready-to-wear collection featured bags with charms on the runway. Now, if you’re like me, you’re probably thinking “But isn’t the purpose of charms to serve as a souvenir of a precious moment?”. Jane Birkin would likely answer yes, but it seems that big brands would disagree. I believe there is a simple explanation for this discrepancy: vintage rests in the known fact that there is a story behind the piece. People are naturally curious creatures, so this intrigues us; but as modern consumers, we don’t have the patience to organically obtain that feeling. We’ve adapted to a world revolving around efficiency—instant internet, bullet trains, same-day shipping, and so much more. In an industry dominated by fast fashion, purchasing the newest trending item has become so easy, that it seems senseless to wait years for what could be procured by the simple click of a button. Brands like Golden Goose may claim their products are “infused with life,” but there is only one way to achieve that: through living.

Urban Outfitters has chosen a different route to integrating the vintage revival in their stores. The brand saw the consumer interest and ecological need for second-hand clothing and added a “vintage” section on its websites. Their adjoining mission statement reads, “At Urban Outfitters, we recognize that the future of fashion lies in its past and believe every piece you wear should tell a story. We have carefully curated pre-loved collections since 1983 and today our Urban Renewal team continues to source second-hand clothing from our recycling partner. From uncovering one-of-a-kind pieces to giving new life to damaged and unwanted styles, we save over 260,000 pieces every year just at our UK vintage wholesalers alone, that could otherwise be destined for landfill. Love vintage, hate thrifting? We've handpicked it for you.”

While Urban Outfitters may offer a more authentic pre-loved shopping opportunity, Golden Goose and Versace took the route of manufacturing versions of lived experiences. Still, there is only one way to authentically obtain the feeling that fashion brands are marketing: by living slowly. The appearance of time does not hold the same weight as real-time. Instead, develop a personal style and skip the microtrends. It takes time to acquire the perfectly lived-in piece. Jane Birken and the Olsen twins’ bags captivate the internet because of all the history that went into creating each unique imperfection. If you learn one thing from these icons, it’s that life cannot be purchased, only experienced—you can’t manufacture authenticity.

Fashion’s Economics of Time