Is Buying Vintage/Pre-Loved Designer Fashion Better? 

Nowadays, there is a recent trend for fashion conscious customers to buy their cravings for designer pieces second hand. There are a number of YouTube channels that discuss this relatively new trend. One of the biggest reasons why it’s getting popular is simply due to the massive price increases brands like Gucci, Prada, Dior, Chanel and countless others have had. 

Buying vintage/pre-loved designer fashion 

An Australian woman with the username @ladyvintagebags showed off her collection of 50 handbags. Most of them are vintage luxury designer handbags, minus a few exceptions that are from fast fashion brands. 

She discusses with her audience on how to get the best deals for these handbags. It is impressive to be able to purchase a Chanel bag for around RM6,000, which she had purchased it for. However, most of these vintage pieces are designs that were popular decades ago and may not be produced by the brands anymore. 

Superfakes claiming to be second hand authentic bags 

The emergence of high-quality counterfeit bags, which are already expensive, is disrupting the market. Australian YouTuber @jessiestyles notes that even in Japan, a trusted destination for purchasing these items, there may be fakes sold to unsuspecting customers. 

Sellers refurbish bags with damaged interiors and replace them with new ones, then sell the bags as if they have remained unused since the 1980s. For many luxury brands, this refurbishment renders the bags inauthentic.

Trusted sources for these items?

Is Shopping Pre-Loved Luxury The New Norm? Consumers Tired of Alleged Quality Decline
Image of a vintage Chanel bag from 1989. Photo originally from Sothebys.

 

Consignment and specialty stores are scattered all over Kuala Lumpur. Eco Ring is one of the most trusted places to purchase a vintage piece. For those who would want a pre-loved piece in near pristine condition, the Attic House is the place to go. 

Regardless, it seems that the second hand industry is going upwards as the alleged decline in quality for new pieces is not sitting well with customers. 

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