Why playgrounds are dripping in vintage

As a kid, wearing someone else’s hand-me-downs was never considered cool — at least it wasn’t back in our day.

Today’s parents, however, are flipping the script on what’s considered hot on the itty bitty fashion scene: For a new generation of kids, vintage and secondhand clothes are in vogue, per The Financial Times.

The secondhand market for children’s clothes is expected to be the fastest-growing segment of the booming clothing resale market, according to a 2024 World Economic Forum report.

For sale: baby shoes, well-worn

Parents are seeking out hand-me-downs from resale sites like Vinted and Depop, and on Instagram and TikTok from sellers via DM. For in-person shopping, several sellers have also opened physical locations.

• British brand Sol Kidswear opened its first studio in May and is already eyeing an expansion to New York and Paris, citing growing customer bases.
• NYC-based La Fefi, a high-end vintage brand for kids, launched last fall on Instagram and offers in-person shopping by private appointment only.
• French brand La Manotte’s monthly drops sometimes include items that date back to 1900.
• In March, Elemeno hosted the first all-kids vintage popup market in Los Angeles, which saw 17 sellers and 2k+ shoppers over one weekend, per The Los Angeles Times.

Why?

For most of the same reasons millennial parents are buying secondhand for themselves.

The pieces are unique and can be more affordable — one shopper told FT she found a baby Burberry jacket and matching pants for ~$30 — which is important when considering how kids, famously, grow up so fast.

Plus, it’s more sustainable than buying new.

• Many older threads are made with natural fibers like cotton; meanwhile, several children’s clothing lines from fast-fashion brands have been recalled due to high lead volumes.
• Some parents are hoping to pass on their eco-conscious shopping habits to their kids.

Nostalgia is also an element: Many millennials are dressing their kids in clothes reminiscent of their own childhoods and baby photos, whether that’s a shirt featuring ‘80s and ‘90s IP like the Rugrats or a lace-trimmed dress fit for a Victorian doll.

BTW: One Elemeno organizer told the LA Times that much of the vintage he sees today is returning to the US from countries in Asia and South America, where they were likely sent decades before as donations.

Fashion really is cyclical.