Gen Z’s Vintage Shopping Habits and Designer Must Haves

Shopping sustainably is important to Gen Z, and that’s no secret. With retailers like What Goes Around Comes Around, Sami Miro Vintage, and The RealReal making it easier than ever to buy secondhand online, investing in vintage is an easy, sensible way for fashion enthusiasts to protect the environment. It’s also pretty rad to own a piece of merchandise that not many others will have. Celebrities like Zendaya, Olivia Rodrigo, Emma Chamberlain, and Bella Hadid have their stylists help them pull from the Y2K archives to make for some of the most shared moments on social media. And just like that, the cool factor becomes clear.

If you’re thinking about hopping on the bandwagon and choosing preowned accessories instead of buying new, we thought you might be interested to know which luxury brands are most popular among young people right now. We talked to our friends at The RealReal, who used their data to help us uncover the most coveted gems on the site. Not only can we confirm that vintage demand rose 118 percent from 2020-2021 among Gen Z (an increase greater than any other age demo), but we also know exactly what makes for the most enticing addition to their wardrobes. Read ahead to get the lowdown, then shop a wish list of hot-ticket items that fit the bill.