From the red carpet to the street style, vintage fashion is on the rise. Below, experts weigh in and offer tips on how to preserve archival finds.&nbsp;

Vintage seems to be everywhere these days, from the runways to the red carpets to everyone’s street style.<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/maisie-williams-witchy-look-for-the-practical-magic-2-premiere-sandra-bullock-joey-king-sheer-dress"> Maisie Williams</a> shopped Sandra Bullock’s closet for the Practical Magic 2 premiere, and archival 1950s accessories appeared on runways in the<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/how-designers-are-reviving-midcentury-elegance-trend-fall-winter-2026-runway-photos"> Fall/Winter 2026 collections</a>. There’s a certain allure to wearing a one-of-a-kind garment or accessory from the past that you can’t find or recreate anywhere else.&nbsp;
Gen Z in particular seems to be driving this shift. According to the most recent report from ThreadUp, 62% of Gen Z shopped secondhand in 2025, and 52% of Gen Z and Millennials now attempt to resell more than half their closets. Plus, there’s the priceless thrill of discovering fashion treasure buried in the back of a vintage shop.&nbsp;
Brands like Betsey Johnson, '90s-era Gap, Missoni, and Romeo Gigli have surged in popularity, with Gen Z looking to score<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/most-popular-vintage-brands-90s-80s-y2k-style-gap-celine-romeo-gigli"> pre-loved vintage</a> pieces, especially as new apparel prices are rising—3.9% according to<a href="https://www.bls.gov/charts/consumer-price-index/consumer-price-index-by-category.htm"> data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index—while clothing quality is in decline.
Gen Z’s vintage addiction says more about the state of their curated closets. It signifies how they consciously value sustainability in an era when mass-market, fast-fashion hauls run rampant on social media. Current attitudes towards secondhand fashion fit into a larger cultural trend, where the novelty of something old is now en vogue—think<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/vintage-tech-is-trending-again-vinyls-digital-camera-wired-headphones-old-ipods-for-sale"> vintage tech</a> or even<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/vintage-jewels-are-officially-runway-approved-jewelry-trend-style-inspiration-shopping"> vintage jewels</a>.&nbsp;
But leaning on secondhand fashion isn’t new. Associating the word “vintage” with clothing first appeared in the 1950s and didn’t take hold until the 1970s, as Jennifer Le Zotte explains in her book, From Goodwill to Grunge: A History of Secondhand Styles and Alternative Economies.&nbsp;
Le Zotte’s work traces the complex origins of "secondhand style" and explores how buying pre-owned clothing went from a signifier of poverty to a declaration of rebellion. “I really love the creative impulse that’s behind the reuse of secondhand today,” Le Zotte said in a 2021 <a href="https://archiveondemand.fitnyc.edu/item/23403">talk</a> with The Museum at FIT.&nbsp;

Model wearing Gucci in a 1996 issue of L’OFFICIEL; Bella Hadid at the 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival. Photo by Marc Piasecki

We don’t have to look far for instances of something old made new again; fashion is (predictably) cyclical. Take Bella Hadid, who wore archival Gucci to the red carpet for the 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival in 2022. 
The rare white long-sleeve gown featured a cheeky hip cutout detailed with gold hardware from Tom Ford's Fall 1996 Gucci collection. It was originally worn on the runway by American model Carolyn Murphy. Hadid turned heads throughout the festival in a series of archival looks from iconic collections throughout the ’80s and ’90s. In addition to her Gucci gown, Hadid also wore dresses designed by Versace and&nbsp;Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.&nbsp;

Arguably the most famous (or infamous) example of wearing a historical piece on the red carpet is Kim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe's iconic 1962 dress at the 2022 Met Gala. While she only wore the original dress for just a few minutes to take photos at the iconic steps of The Met, and then wore a recreation of the dress for the rest of the night, Kardashian's stunt received a host of praise and criticism alike—but also sparked conversations about the best practices when it comes to historical fashion.&nbsp;
Recently, designers are taking direct inspiration from the past, even recreating antiques into statement pieces for modern audiences, providing an entirely new dimension to vintage dressing.&nbsp;

Turning to History&nbsp;for Inspiration

Courtesy of Instagram/@sabyasachiofficial

Alessandra di Castro's 19th-century micro-mosaic ring, "Altare del Fuoco Eterno." Courtesy of Alessandra di Castro.

Does ancient count as vintage? The Met says yes. In a multi-year collaboration with The Met, Indian luxury fashion brand Sabyasachi will debut a new Byzantine-inspired fine jewelry collection at New York Fashion Week on Sept. 15. For the collection, Sabyasachi drew from objects in the Departments of Greek and Roman, Medieval, and Islamic art at The Met.
For example, the Sabyasachi pendant necklace was inspired by an 11th-century German book cover plaque, paying homage to the centuries of trade and cultural exchange throughout the Byzantine Empire's lifespan. Similarly, jewelry dealer Rebecca Rau's 2025 collection Then &amp; Now merges antique and modern designs in fine jewelry.&nbsp;
Are reimagined historical creations the next vintage craze? They've already been seen on the red carpet. Thanks to their high-profile premiere looks, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, and Margot Robbie have put this trend squarely into the spotlight.

Zendaya attending the Odyssey photocall in London on July 5, 2026..

Anne Hathaway in Blumarine during The Odyssey press tour in London. Getty Images.

This summer, Zendaya carried the method dressing trend to new heights for her&nbsp;Odyssey press tour. In one of her most talked-about looks, the actress wore a custom Jacquemus gown, paired with earrings constructed by London jewellers Barron London and Glenn Spiro for the film's London photocall in June. The earrings feature Ziwiye gold medallion discs dating back to ancient Iran in the first millennium BC.
But Zendaya wasn't the only one paying homage to the ancient world. Anne Hathaway sported a rose gold watch from Bulgari’s signature Monete collection, displaying an ancient Roman silver coin dating to 198-297 AD. These looks have raised questions about when and where historical artifacts can be refashioned and worn on the body as opposed to being displayed in a museum, and the ethics and provenance of an artifact’s origins.&nbsp;
“The method of display of an artifact can drastically and dramatically change how it is not only literally seen by the public, but how people conceive of it, what they think about it,” archeologist and producer Annelise Baer tells L'OFFICIEL. “In the case of some of these jewelry pieces, something that has been refashioned into jewelry, now the object has taken on a completely new life.”
Originally, these gold discs would have been some type of high-status personal adornment, Baer believes.&nbsp;

Margot Robbie at the UK Premiere of "Wuthering Heights". Getty Images.

Replicas, however, might be a more appealing choice. Earlier this year, for the Wuthering Heights UK premiere, Margot Robbie gave the Brontë sisters a taste of Hollywood glamour, wearing a replica of Charlotte Brontë's 175-year-old mourning bracelet that complemented her custom sheer, corseted dress from designer Dilara Findikoglu.
The original bracelet, kept in the Brontë Parsonage Museum, was first commissioned by Charlotte Brontë and was made from locks of hair from her sisters, Emily and Anne—yes, this macabre practice was popular in Victorian England—and adorned with garnet stones set in a gold clasp. Wyedean Weaving made the stunningly faithful recreation Robbie wore on the red carpet&nbsp;
“People make copies and versions and replicas of ancient [things] all the time…but when it's done right, it's phenomenal,” Baer says. “That gives you, the modern person, a chance to have or wear some of these ancient designs, ancient jewelry without actually having literal artifacts, some of which are incredibly delicate.”&nbsp;

The Art and Science of Keeping Vintage Fashion Intact

Left: Alexa Demie at the Moët & Chandon Holiday Season Celebration. Photo by Gotham/FilmMagic; Right: Model wearing Alaïa in a 1992 issue of L’OFFICIEL.

So, how should you keep your garments in good condition? What does it take to store, preserve, and display historic clothes in museum collections?&nbsp;
For fashion historian and vintage clothing dealer Sonya Abrego, her personal closet features clothes from the early to mid-20th century. But in a museum setting, she notes, vintage clothes or costumes are meant to be conserved as part of the historical record.&nbsp;
Caring for historical clothes depends on the specific type of garment and what material it’s made of. Knitwear, for example, should not be on hangers, because when the garment is suspended, it can stretch out, Abrego mentions. Monitoring light is also important. UV light can damage or fade textiles, and garments are usually kept in dark spaces and folded with acid-free paper to maintain any particular folds or creases. These safeguards keep vintage clothes as close as possible to their original state.&nbsp;
“Anytime you wear something, you're putting a little damage; you're advancing its decay, in a kind of way. And with washing and then treatment as well,” Abrego says. “But that doesn't mean that each and every piece of old clothing is an artifact that belongs to the museum. They need to live their lives.”&nbsp;

Courtesy of Instagram/@thesilshop.

If you're looking for vintage pieces of your own, or if you want to add trending Y2K and '90s staples to your collection, sourcing your clothes in person at<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/vintage-outfits-thrift-stores-nyc-model-shopping-guide-bella-hadid"> vintage shops</a> is a tried-and-tested method. Stores like Procell in SoHo, Metropolis Vintage (frequented by Bella Hadid), or James Veloria (popular for their archival Jean Paul Gaultier pieces) are all places to keep on your radar.&nbsp;
For digital platforms beyond Depop or Vinted, Natalie Bloomingdale and Lilah Ramzi relaunched<a href="https://shopthesil.com/pages/about"> The SIL</a> in March of this year as an online vintage site that drops monthly closet edits highlighting the iconic wardrobes of fashion tastemakers. By placing the focus on the garment's history, The SIL's approach invites their customers to reflect and connect with the stories they will inherit along with their purchase.&nbsp;
As Julie Ann Clauss, fashion archivist and founder of The Wardrobe, told L’OFFICIEL in 2023,&nbsp; "Vintage is one of the only ways to stand out and be unique."

Wearing The Past: Preserving Vintage Fashion

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