Vintage in fashion is synonymous of sustainability and style. Normalizing the trend of giving garments a second chance can undoubtedly bring great economic and environmental benefits.

But what exactly is Vintage?

Vintage is an English word derived from the French “vendenge” which translates as “old wine” that translated to the fashion world could be interpreted as “love for the past” and represents fashion trends through unique garments and elements from previous eras.

Today, it consists precisely in recovering the pieces of the past to create a contemporary and sustainable style.

The cyclical nature of fashion has always fostered a sense of nostalgia, but beyond reinvention, there are other sentiments that are motivating this look back, such as sustainability.

In some countries, such as the United States, buying and wearing vintage clothing is a trend that has been around for decades, while in Europe it is a relatively new habit that is growing steadily, in fact it is a moving market that is gaining more and more space and followers.

It is important to highlight the benefits that this type of consumption brings to the environment. For example, vintage clothing, apart from reducing the amount of raw materials used by the fashion industry, also helps to reduce the carbon footprint generated by its commercialization and distribution.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, we use a garment 7 to 10 times before discarding it, and 80 billion items are purchased worldwide each year. Given this situation, promoting a sustainable model applied to fashion seems essential.

If you are interested in the vintage world: here you can find a small guide with a selection of physical and online stores where you can find unique garments.

• Vestiaire Collective: this platform, pioneer of second-hand luxury, with offices in New York, London, Berlin, Milan and Paris, is a community to buy and sell unique second-hand products in the best conditions. It has a permanent catalogue of more than 600,000 products that are joined weekly by thousands of options that previously pass an exhaustive quality and authenticity control by a team of experts.

• Depop: is a 2.0 flea market very appreciated by the Z generation that offers its users the opportunity to buy and sell vintage clothing. It currently has 13 million users in more than 147 countries, including Spain.

• Vintalogy: has different physical stores in Madrid in addition to its online store. They offer a selection of casual style garments as well as some of the most iconic sneakers in history.

• Flamingo Vintage Kilo: is the first boutique in Spain specialized in the sale of unique vintage pieces of North American origin that are sold by weight. In addition to an online store, it has several physical spaces in different cities in Spain.

• Blow by Le Swing: is one of the reference stores of luxury vintage in Barcelona.

• Rokit: is one of the best stores in London to find vintage and retro clothing. It has different physical spaces around the capital, as well as an online store.

• Amore Vintage: in this famous Tokyo store there are about 6,000 products: from iconic collections to limited version pieces. Amore Vintage has consolidated its position as the best destination to find luxury vintage garments from brands such as Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Dior, Prada, Ferragamo and Celine.

• Humana Vintage: is one of the reference of second-hand clothing stores related to the foundation Pueblo para Pueblo, which works with cooperation projects in countries in Africa, South America and Asia. They have different stores in Barcelona, Madrid, Granada, Milan and Turin. They have recently opened a new ‘vintage’ space, with a selection of clothing and accessories from past decades.

Undoubtedly, the Fashion and Retail industry has to look to the past to build a responsible and sustainable future.

Have you decided to try yet a vintage store?

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Sources: joseluisledesma.com, ellenmacarthurfoundation.org, lavanguardia.com, telva.com, elle.com, marie-claire.es, vogue.es