Why the Used Clothing Market Is Growing in Japan: Background of Its Resurgence and Future Trends

The recent resurgence of the vintage clothing boom in Japan is underpinned by significant societal trends, including fashion revival, rising prices, and the widespread adoption of social media.

Specifically, buying, selling, and sharing information through platforms like Mercari and Instagram have become prevalent, making vintage clothing more accessible.
For those wondering, "Why is vintage clothing trending again now?", this article clearly explains the reasons behind the expanding vintage clothing market, popular genres, and future trends.
Reading it will provide insight into the essence of the current vintage clothing boom and offer criteria for deciding whether to buy or sell vintage clothing in the future.

 

Why the vintage clothing boom is resurfacing

The current vintage clothing boom is more than just a passing trend.

While there was a vintage clothing boom around 1997, today's market is significantly influenced by social media, flea market apps, and changing values, unlike then.

Especially since the pandemic, the idea that "buying new is the norm" has shifted, and vintage clothing has become a more familiar option.

Here, we organize the reasons for the resurgence of vintage clothing into three categories.

Increased demand for unique items

One reason for the popularity of vintage clothing is its scarcity (difficulty in obtaining).
While new items are mass-produced, vintage clothing is typically one-of-a-kind.

The appeal of vintage clothing lies in these three points:

・Less likely to be seen on others

・Many discontinued items

・Designs unique to specific eras

Vintage clothing, in particular, tends to increase in value.

Furthermore, there is a 20-year cycle theory in fashion.

This is a phenomenon where trends from approximately 20 years ago return.

Examples:

・1997 Vintage Clothing Boom

・2020s Revival Boom

Old clothes appear fresh to the younger generation today and are being re-evaluated.

Increased demand for vintage clothing due to rising new item prices

Recently, the prices of new items have risen considerably.

The main reasons are these three:

・Increase in raw material prices

・Yen depreciation

・Increase in logistics costs

For example, the difference in prices makes this clear.

With the same budget,

1 new item = 3 vintage items

is sometimes the case.

Moreover, with flea market apps like Mercari making it easy to check market prices, purchasing has become much simpler.

This "price advantage" is a significant factor in the growth of the vintage clothing market.

Spread of sustainable consumption

Today's younger generation is not solely driven by "cheapness."
Their environmental awareness is also growing stronger.

Reasons why vintage clothing is chosen:

・Can be reused instead of thrown away

・Reduces waste

・Can be worn for a long time

The difference between new and vintage clothing can be summarized as follows:

Especially since the pandemic,

・Buying only what's necessary

・Using things for a long time

・Choosing what you truly desire

This consumption behavior has become stronger.

Vintage clothing aligns well with these values.

Vintage, in particular, is seen not as "old clothes" but
as valuable clothing.

This is the biggest characteristic of the current vintage clothing boom.

Reasons why social media is boosting vintage clothing popularity

The big difference between the current vintage clothing boom and the trend around 1997 is the existence of social media and flea market apps.

In the past, you could only find vintage or one-of-a-kind items by visiting vintage shops, but now they appear daily on Instagram and TikTok.

Furthermore, flea market apps like Mercari have significantly lowered the barrier to purchase.

The spread of information, sharing of trends, and ease of buying and selling.

The combination of these three factors has led to the vintage clothing market expanding more than ever, with its popularity accelerating, especially among the younger generation.

Vintage outfit coordination easily spreads on Instagram

A major reason why Instagram has accelerated the vintage clothing boom is that its visual nature makes it easy to convey appeal. Vintage fashion has unique fades, textures, and silhouettes not found in new clothes, making it highly compatible with photography.

Especially among the younger generation, there's a growing trend of searching for trends on Instagram rather than search engines.

The process of searching for vintage clothing has changed as follows:

Reasons for Instagram's popularity:

・Easy to understand styling examples

・Actual sizing visible

・Trends can be followed in real-time

・Desired items can be found quickly

In particular, hashtag culture such as "#vintageootd" and "#vintagefashion" is driving market expansion.

The current popularity of vintage clothing is heavily influenced by the spread of information via social media.

Increase in vintage clothing haul videos on TikTok

TikTok is further accelerating the expansion of the vintage clothing market.

The reason is the power of "video."

Information that is difficult to convey through photos can be communicated through video.

For example:

・Fabric texture

・Size and fit

・Silhouette when moving

・Wearing image

Haul videos are particularly popular.

Common video content:

・Vintage store haul

・Flea market finds haul

・Outfit rotation videos

・Price comparison videos

The reasons for the spread of vintage clothing on TikTok can be summarized as follows:

Since the pandemic, the habit of gathering information without going to stores has become established.

As a result, interest in vintage clothing has rapidly expanded.

Flea market apps lowered the barrier to buying and selling

The biggest change in the vintage clothing market is the emergence of flea market apps.

The spread of Mercari, in particular, was a major turning point.

Previous vintage clothing purchases:

・Required visiting a vintage store

・Limited number of items

・Difficult to understand market prices

Current vintage clothing purchases:

・Can search on a smartphone

・Can choose from nationwide options

・Easy to compare market prices

The differences can be summarized as follows:

The strength of flea market apps is not just buying, but also selling.

For example:

"Sell vintage clothes you no longer wear"
↓
"Generate funds"
↓
"Buy new vintage clothes"

This cycle is revitalizing the market.

In the current vintage clothing boom, people want items they see on social media and then buy them on flea market apps.

This natural flow is now established.

This is the biggest characteristic of the modern vintage clothing market.

Popular vintage clothing genres right now

Even as the vintage clothing boom resurfaces, certain genres are particularly popular.

In today's market, it's not just any old clothes that sell; demand tends to concentrate on items that combine trends, scarcity, and practicality.

Denim, sports vintage clothing, and military-style items, in particular, were popular during the 1997 vintage clothing boom and are being re-evaluated through the 20-year revival cycle.

Furthermore, with styling ideas spreading on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, their popularity has accelerated, especially among the younger generation.

Here, we will organize the currently trending genres in the vintage clothing market and the reasons for their popularity.

Denim popularity is resurging

Among vintage clothing, denim consistently remains highly popular. Despite fluctuations in trends, denim has always been supported as a fashion staple across eras. Denim was particularly popular during the 1997 vintage clothing boom, and now, with the 20-year revival theory, attention is returning to it.

The reasons for the popularity of vintage denim are these three:

・Enjoyable fading and aging

・Unique silhouettes not found in current products

・Tendency to gain vintage value

Particularly popular denim brands:

Levi's 501 series, in particular, is highly popular in the vintage market, with significant price differences depending on the era.

For example:

・1990s → Relatively affordable

・1980s → Value increasing

・Pre-1970s → Tends to be high-priced

Denim is also referred to as "clothing to grow with," developing character the more it's worn, leading more people to choose vintage over new.

Strong demand for vintage sports apparel

In recent years, vintage sports apparel has seen a rapid surge in popularity. With street fashion trending among the younger generation, the demand for vintage sports brands has grown stronger.

Reasons for high popularity:

・Sizing tends to match current trends

・Logo designs are distinctive

・Easy to mix and match

Examples of popular brands:

Especially on Instagram and TikTok, sports vintage outfits are easily disseminated, allowing trends to spread quickly.

Appeal of vintage sports apparel:

・Comfortable to move in

・Easy to create a trendy look

・Relatively affordable

It is also an easy genre for beginners to start with vintage clothing.

Military vintage clothing is gaining attention

Military vintage clothing has also seen a rise in popularity in recent years.

Military vintage clothing refers to garments actually used by the military or items designed based on them.

Reasons for popularity:

・Highly practical

・Durable fabric

・High design quality

Representative items:

The high market value of military vintage clothing is due to its limited supply.

Many military surplus items are no longer produced, making them rare.

Particularly popular eras:

・US Military 1980s-1990s

・French Military Vintage

・German Military items

In the vintage clothing market, items with a strong balance of "practicality" and "scarcity" tend to maintain their popularity.

Military vintage clothing is expected to have stable demand in the future.

Band T-shirt market is expanding

Among vintage clothing, band T-shirts have seen a particularly noticeable price increase in recent years. While they were once primarily purchased as concert merchandise or fan goods, their popularity as fashion items has rapidly surged.

The reasons for the popularity of band T-shirts are these three:

・High design quality

・High scarcity

・Tendency to gain vintage value

Especially band T-shirts from the 90s to early 2000s are highly compatible with the vintage boom's revival and are gaining popularity, especially among the younger generation.

Genres with concentrated popularity:

The reason band T-shirts are strong in the market is that they are "not reproduced."

For example:

・Limited edition items from past tours

・Sold only at venues

・Discontinued models

Such items have limited circulation and tend to increase in value.

In the vintage market, 90s band T-shirts are particularly popular, and their prices are rising.

Furthermore, band T-shirt outfits are spread on Instagram and TikTok, further expanding their demand as fashion items.

Even people who don't know the band are buying them because "the design is cool."

This is a characteristic of the current vintage clothing market.

Band T-shirts, as a strong genre combining fashion, culture, and scarcity, are likely to continue their popularity.

Reasons why the vintage clothing market will continue to grow

The resurgence of the vintage clothing boom isn't just about current popularity.

In fact, the vintage clothing market is highly likely to expand further.

This is underpinned by increasing overseas demand for vintage items, changes in domestic market prices due to the depreciating yen, and the growing participation of younger generations.

A significant factor is also that the widespread use of social media and flea market apps like Instagram and Mercari has made buying and selling vintage clothing a daily activity.

Here, we will clearly organize the reasons why the vintage clothing market will continue to grow, from market trends and societal background.

Strong overseas demand

One of the major reasons for the growth of Japan's vintage clothing market is the expansion of overseas demand. Particularly, vintage clothing circulated in Japan is highly regarded for its excellent condition. This is because Japanese people tend to handle clothing carefully, resulting in many well-preserved items.

Reasons for high popularity overseas:

・Good condition

・Strong desire for authenticity

・High scarcity

Particularly popular genres:

For example, vintage Levi's and 90s band T-shirts are seeing increased purchases not only domestically but also from overseas buyers.

Market characteristics:

・Domestic demand + Overseas demand

・Decreasing circulation

・Market prices tend to rise

This trend further enhances the value of the Japanese vintage clothing market.

Domestic market prices are changing due to the depreciating yen

The depreciating yen is also significantly impacting the vintage clothing market.

Yen depreciation means that the value of the Japanese yen becomes weaker relative to foreign currencies.

For example, from the perspective of overseas buyers, Japanese vintage clothing appears cheaper than before.

The result:

・Increased overseas purchases

・Decreased domestic inventory

・Rising market prices

Here's a breakdown of the trend:

This impact is particularly strong in the vintage market.

The rarer the item, the more likely it is to attract overseas demand.

In other words, going forward, the market is likely to be one where:

"Buy when you want it" is key.

If you put it off, the price may increase.

Increased entry of younger generations

The core demographic supporting the current used clothing boom is the younger generation.

Specifically, the purchasing behavior of those in their teens and twenties is driving the market.

There are three main reasons for this:

・Good compatibility with SNS culture

・Easy to express individuality

・Good cost performance

The influence of Instagram and TikTok, in particular, is significant.

The purchasing flow of used clothing for young people:

See
↓
Want it
↓
Search on Mercari
↓
Purchase
↓
Post on SNS

This cycle has formed naturally.

Difference from past used clothing booms:

This change has significantly accelerated the market expansion.

The entry of the younger generation into used clothing culture has facilitated the emergence of new trends, leading to the revitalization of the overall market.

The reason the used clothing market will continue to grow is that this new purchasing cycle is hard to stop.

If you're starting with used clothing, choosing your suppliers is crucial

With the used clothing boom reigniting, more and more people are looking to start selling, not just buying. Especially among the younger generation, selling used clothes through flea market apps like Mercari has become commonplace, with many starting it as a side hustle.

However, in the used clothing market, profit and ease of sale vary greatly depending on the supplier.

If you only source based on popularity or trends, you are more likely to fail. In the current market, "where to source from" is as important as "what to source."

Here, we will clearly organize easy-to-start sourcing methods for beginners and ideas for efficiently finding best-selling items.

Assorted sourcing is efficient for beginners

For beginners just starting to sell used clothes, sourcing is the most difficult part. The used clothing market has a significant difference between popular items and items that are hard to sell, making it difficult to select items one by one from the start. That's where assorted sourcing becomes efficient.

Assorted sourcing is a method of procuring used clothing bundled by genre or style. This makes it easier for beginners to build a balanced product lineup.

Benefits of assorted sourcing:

・Less effort in product selection

・Shorter sourcing time

・Easier to learn best-selling genres

・Easier to prevent inventory imbalance

The difference is clear when comparing them.

Especially in the current used clothing boom,

・Sportswear

・Denim

・Band T-shirts

・Military

It's easy to source these popular genres in bulk.

For beginners, it's crucial to first grasp the "sense of what sells."

Assorted sourcing is also a good practice for understanding market trends.

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👉 Click here if you want to select and source your favorite items (pick)

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Warehouse sourcing allows you to see popular items all at once

If you want to increase efficiency in used clothing sourcing, warehouse sourcing is also a powerful method.

Warehouse sourcing is a method of directly selecting products from a large inventory of used clothing.

It offers quite a few advantages:

・You can check items in person

・You can compare popular items

・It's easy to get a feel for market prices

・You can see trends directly

Differences in sourcing methods:

Especially in the current used clothing market, trends change rapidly.

Items that become popular on Instagram or TikTok often sell out quickly.

With warehouse sourcing, you can check:

・Currently popular items

・Items likely to grow in popularity

・Rare items

All at once.

Precisely because the used clothing market is experiencing a resurgence, choosing the right supplier can directly impact your profits.

Especially for beginners, it's crucial to choose a sourcing method that minimizes initial failures.

👉 Click here if you want to select and source your favorite items directly at an actual used clothing warehouse (pick)

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Summary

The used clothing boom is experiencing a resurgence not only due to the revival of trends, but also significantly influenced by high rarity, rising prices of new items, changing values due to the pandemic, and the widespread use of SNS and flea market apps like Instagram and Mercari.

The current used clothing market is gaining popularity as valuable fashion, not just "cheap used goods."

This is a summary of the key points of this entire article.

What's particularly important is that the used clothing boom is not a temporary trend but has become a permanent market force.

Understanding current trends and market characteristics will help both buyers and sellers of used clothing make better decisions.

Understanding the current used clothing market is a major key to your next action.