The "It" brands of 2024: The most-wanted styles revived favorite trends from the past
What was once old was definitely made new again in 2024, thanks to vintage and nostalgia-loving younger shoppers who are solidly influencing fashion trends.
While 2023 saw the revival of Y2K and ‘80s rock fashion, this year cemented GenZers’ fascination with ‘90s aesthetic — oversized leather jackets, faux fur, Boho-chic clothing, the reemergence of Frye boots, maximalist designs featuring a mismatch of big, bold, colorful patterns and, oh yeah, an obsession with all styles of Y2K Coach handbags.
Their yearning to find these retro looks but on a budget, has made resale platforms such as eBay, and vintage and thrift stores, top shopping destinations of Gen Z and Millennial consumers.
According to eBay’s 2024 Recommerce report, Millennials on eBay showed the highest frequency of purchasing pre-owned merchandise, with 9% buying weekly and 24% monthly.
Coming second were Gen Z, with 21% shopping for pre-owned items once a month.
For eBay, pre-owned fashion (clothing, shoes, handbags etc.) already accounts for as much as 40% of total sales value of goods sold on its platform.
Ebay wants to make the category even bigger and signaled its intent when the company staged its first-ever “pre-loved fashion week” in August in New York City. The event, which preceded New York Fashion Week in September, featured a live shoppable runway show with pre-owned designer fashions.
As 2024 wraps up, eBay shared with Bagable.com the fashion trends and brands that stood out the most on its platform this year and could continue to influence what’s in and what’s out in the New Year.
According to eBay, 2024 was the year of the Balenciaga City Bag, with the brand relaunching one of its most iconic styles earlier this year.
Ebay said global searches on its platform for the Balenciaga Le City bag soared more than 780% in September 2024, compared to January 2024.
Retro Coach was another big seller on eBay. The Coach Brooklyn Bag became a must-have accessory and searches for it on eBay globally jumped more than 380% in October 2024, compared to July 2024, the company said.
Overall, the top 5 most-searched handbag styles on eBay included Hermès Kelly, Fendi Baguette, Hermès Birkin, Louis Vuitton Speedy and Lady Dior.
In footwear, the adidas Samba was the most-coveted sneaker on eBay globally. Ebay pegged the Puma Speedcat OG as the next “It” sneaker to watch going into 2025.
In clothing, rockstar chic was a sought-after look with brands such as Chrome Hearts in high demand. Other coveted ashion brands by sales growth on eBay this year included Adidas, JW Anderson, Balenciaga, Miu Miu and Loewe.
Younger shoppers are especially enamored with one high-end jewelry brand — Van Cleef & Arpels. On eBay globally, the number of Van Cleef & Arpel jewelry pieces that sold increased more than 50% by October 2024 compared to January 2024.
“Classics like the Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra motif (released in 1968) and the Balenciaga City Bag (released in 2001) are making a comeback as Gen Z views pre-loved as a key entry point into the luxury market and reimagines iconic styles on social media,” Mari Corella, GM of global luxury and sneakers with eBay, told Bagable.com.