As the resale market continues to grow – 15x faster than traditional retail according to McKinsey & Company’s State of Fashion 2025 report – certain pre-loved fashion items are finding their stride as today’s must-have items all over again. And no one knows this better than eBay.
In its first-ever ‘Watchlist’ trend report eBay dug into the buying behavior of its 134 million users and 2.3 billion listings to reveal which pieces and brands are most coveted right now and what shoppers are searching for this spring. The report also included five key trends driving the resale space and shows how fashion is being reshaped by the market.
Notably, the release of the report comes with the announcement of Brie Welch’s appointment as the company’s new resident stylist. Welch, who informed the report, has experience styling high-profile clients including Katie Holmes and brands including Bulgari, Givenchy and Ferragamo. Welch’s role as resident stylist will be to serve as the brand’s fashion authority where she will identify trends, offer expert commentary and spotlight eBay’s pre-loved fashion.
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Key findings of the report include search trends. The term “vintage” was searched more than 1,200 times per minute in 2024 and eBay’s data shows that nearly 40 percent of all clothing, shoes and accessories were listed in pre-owned condition. The trend follows eBay’s continued championing of circularity in fashion, as seen with its Endless Runway at New York and London Fashion weeks.
“eBay has long been a cornerstone for where personal style and fashion history intersect — it’s a platform I turn to not just for sourcing, but for storytelling,” said Welch. “This year, we’re building on the momentum of last year’s Pre-loved Fashion Week with even more ways to discover, style, and celebrate pre-loved fashion.”
The report also reveals which brands shoppers are searching for. Specifically in luxury, Louis Vuitton is having a moment, topping all other luxury brands as the most-bought designer brand from January to March 2025. Following Louis Vuitton for top purchased luxury brands in 2025, so far, are Gucci, Burberry, Prada and Chanel. In 2024, the top purchased luxury brands were Burberry, Dior, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace.
Louis Vuitton also ranked as the most bought brand in the U.S. with the Omega Seamaster and Louis Vuitton Speedy leading the way as top sold items. The Louis Vuitton Speedy made the top five sold styles in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France and Italy.
The six most bought handbags from January to March 2025 are the Louis Vuitton Speedy, the Celine Triomphe, the Fendi Baguette, the Gucci Dionysus, the Dior Lady Dior and the Hermes Kelly. Additionally, the report calls out an update to the standard work tote with a surge in searches for bags including the Balenciaga Rodeo bag (+634 percent), the Bottega Veneta Andiamo bag (+204 percent), the Toteme T Lock bag (+98 percent), the Ferragamo Hug bag (+155 percent) and the Saint Laurent Le 5 à 7 bag (+87 percent).
Meanwhile, eBay’s data also revealed brands on the rise, which saw everyday lifestyle brands competing with luxury heritage brands. Birkenstock led in the rising brands category with a 61 percent increase in consumer searches on eBay from January to March 2025, followed by Altuzarra (+48 percent), Tombolo (+40 percent), Bulgari (+28 percent), Goyard (+27 percent), Tiffany & Co. (+27 percent), Patek Philippe(+27 percent), Paco Rabanne (+26 percent), Courrèges (+21 percent), and Alaïa (+19 percent).
In addition to calling out what’s hot now, Welch addressed the emerging trends that are shaping the fashion landscape, saying that these trends are “showing how seamlessly pre-loved finds can fit into a modern wardrobe.”
“EBay is my not-so-secret style hack for unearthing those one-of-a-kind gems that instantly add personality to a look,” said Welch. “Every pre-loved piece comes with its own little backstory, which makes curating an outfit feel way more intentional and fun.”
Stemming from search trends on eBay, the five key trends highlighted in eBay’s ‘Watchlist’ report are: “Modern Bohemia,” “Well Suited,” “Function First,” “Dyed in Dusk” and “Blue Hues.”
A new romantic take on bohemian style, “Modern Bohemia” cites searches for “a renewed love for free-spirited details,” including classic fringe bags (+41 percent searches) and Penny Lane jackets (+44 percent searches). Power dressing style is seen in the “Well Suited” trend with surging searches including cinched blazers (+209 percent) and oversized suits (+87 percent) and brands like Balenciaga and Miu Miu meeting mark. The “Function First” trend is a utilitarian spin on flair with searches surging for barrel jeans (+130 percent) and brands including Wrangler and Timberland experiencing searches of 37 and 20 times per minute on average.
Taking a look at color trends, “Dyed in Dusk” taps into shoppers’ embrace of softer storytelling in pastel tones and playful details. Surging searches for this trend include butter yellow dresses (+656 percent) and accessories related to childhood talismans like the Seiko Half Moon Watch (+430 percent). “Blue Hues” sees denim popularity in a range of washes and silhouettes with more versatility – surging searches are seen for jeans from Japan (+68 percent) and selvedge denim (+46 percent).
“Since our founding 30 years ago, we’ve been connecting people who want to refresh their wardrobes with those ready to pass on items they no longer need,” said Alexis Hoopes, vice president of global fashion at eBay. “We envision a world where circularity is the norm, making it easy for brands and consumers to engage with the circular economy. We want to both power preloved fashion and empower the entire circular fashion ecosystem.”
