The Luxury Fashion Worth Investing In This Year, According To Resale Experts

With the cost-of-living crisis and a reemerging desire for wearable fashion, it can be hard to justify a luxury fashion purchase today. But, with resale more popular than ever before (as a result of sustainability concerns), it’s also easier than ever to sell your wares down the line should you not get enough use out of or change your mind about your buy — particularly if it’s one with a high resale value. While handbags from Chanel and Hermès will always be foolproof (albeit very costly!) investments — according to the Rebag 2023 Clair Report, the most popular styles from the heritage house have an average value retention of 105% and 115%, respectively — these aren’t the only designer styles that may provide you with a financial payoff in 2024.

“With the excitement of Phoebe Philo’s long-awaited launch of her eponymous label, we’ve seen a rise in demand for Old Celine,” says Rachel Glicksberg, manager of women’s fashion and new initiatives at The RealReal, referring to collections that Philo designed while at the luxury house from 2008 to 2017. “If you’re looking to clean out your closet, it’s a good time to consign your pieces as the value for the items is rising. The average selling price is the highest it’s been in the past five years.” 

Likewise, pieces from Philo’s new namesake brand, which saw certain items sell out in 24 hours despite the debut line starting at $450, will retain value, as will Celine in general. “Celine is trending BIG right now and is likely not going anywhere anytime soon — canvas prints in particular. Vintage canvas macadam print bags have been on the uptick for us already as newly-dropped Triomphe canvas bags have been seen on A-list celebs like Angelina Jolie, as well as on a number of fashion bloggers,” says Ambria Mische, SVP of merchandising and buying at What Goes Around Comes Around.

In terms of aesthetics, Quiet Luxury will ensure that elevated essentials from brands like The Row will continue to be safe investments. Though if you’re looking to add newer names to your closet collection, Glicksberg suggests colourful pants from High Sports, crochet clothing from Diotima, and a leather handbag from Little Liffner: “Search for these three emerging brands have shown triple-digit increases since 2022.”

In terms of handbags, silhouettes from Louis Vuitton will be popular this year, in particular the Neverfull handbag, due to the brand moving the popular tote to a waitlist model, as well as the denim line. “Louis Vuitton just released reissue collections of their Monogram Denim,” says Kimberly Bickle, site merchandising manager at Fashionphile. “Those in the know can get the same look by shopping the original vintage styles from the Y2K-era.”

Before splurging on that big-ticket item, see what luxury fashion items resale experts predict will be sound investments this year.

“Prada Re-Edition Hobo will maintain popularity in 2024. According to our 2023 Clair Report, not only is it one of the most searched bags on Rebag.com, [but] the 2000 Hobo and the 2005 Hobo boasted remarkable 94% and 89% average value retention, respectively.” — Elizabeth Layne, Chief Marketing Officer of Rebag

“Sculptural silver jewellery is trending, particularly Elsa Peretti designs for Tiffany including her Bone cuff, Bean designs, and Sevillana necklace. We saw a 42% increase in searches last year, with the momentum holding strong in the first month of 2024… I, myself, have my eye out for a red Sevillana rope necklace like the one stylist Jamie Mizrahi styled for Jennifer Lawrence.” — Rachel Glicksberg, Manager of Women’s Fashion & New Initiatives at The RealReal

“We’re starting to see oversized bags gain in popularity and Quiet Luxury continues to hold strong. The Loewe Squeeze Bag perfectly combines those two of-the-moment trends.” — Kimberly Bickle, Site Merchandising Manager at Fashionphile

“A timeless piece that fits into both the quiet luxury and re-emerging ‘80s silhouette. It's a favourite of mine.” — Samina Virk, North America CEO of Vestiaire Collective.

“Louis Vuitton denim monogram bags are likely going to make a big spring/summer comeback, with LV re-introducing pieces in blue denim — remixes of the ever-popular Neo Speedy, as well as newer silhouettes like the On The Go. This iconic take on LV monogram was first introduced to us by Marc Jacobs in 2005 and quickly became a celebrity favourite for street style looks… Now a new set of celebs and fashion icons are readily embracing the casual-luxury material.” — Ambria Mische, SVP, Merchandising & Buying at What Goes Around Comes Around

“The Tory Burch Cap-Toe Pump will be a popular resale item for 2024. A key style for the Post Romance trend, these are a playful, modern and mature version of the classic ballet flat. On Depop, we’ve seen a 132% rise in searches for the brand in the last year, and Tory Burch Cap-Toe Pump is poised for a moment this season.” — Agus Panzoni, Depop Trend Specialist 

“With leopard print taking off, it’s only right to invest in a bag like the Le Chiquito Long Leopard Print bag from Jacquemus: a brand that is consistently trending and high in resale demand.” — Andrew Parietti, Chief Marketing Officer at Croissant

“The French label introduced a waitlist for the iconic Neverfull, a staple in many fashion-forward handbag collections since its introduction in 2007. Given the newfound degree of scarcity, the already-popular style climbed 8 percentage points to an impressive 136% average value retention, far surpassing the Pochette Accessoires, the second most valuable Louis Vuitton style in terms of resale value.” — Elizabeth Layne, Chief Marketing Officer of Rebag

“Younger brands like The Row, Khaite, and Toteme have dominated the Quiet Luxury aesthetic and we don’t see the excitement for this trio dying down anytime soon. The brands have been hot on The RealReal: In 2024 alone, Khaite is up 76%, the Row is up 26% and Toteme is up 53% in GMV [gross merchandise value] year over year... with clothing being the top driver.”  — Rachel Glicksberg, Manager of Women’s Fashion & New Initiatives at The RealReal

“The Gucci Horsebit Chain Bag is a Y2K-era bag that was reintroduced in Fall 2023 and we’re expecting to continue to trend in 2024. This style sparks nostalgia from the Tom Ford days at Gucci which has driven a lot of renewed interest over the last few years. We’ve also seen customers styling this bag with the new Mob Wife aesthetic to elevate the look.” — Kimberly Bickle, Site Merchandising Manager at Fashionphile

“The ultimate investment piece — buy the watch now before the trend blows up even further and prices for vintage styles are raised.” — Samina Virk, North America CEO of Vestiaire Collective

“Phoebe Philo is bound to be highly coveted this year. More specifically, the Drive Bag is going to be a hot-ticket item. We’ve seen a shift towards larger, more functional bags on the runway and they are further making their way to closets. This is going to be a top contender, searches for Phoebe Philo have risen 300% on Depop and we predict a continuous uptick in the coming months.” — Agus Panzoni, Depop Trend Specialist 

“Anine Bing Ryder Boot will look just as good worn in or beat up as it does new, making it a great resale item when you want to circulate your boot collection.” — Andrew Parietti, Chief Marketing Officer at Croissant