While much of the conversation around resale involves womenswear, we can’t ignore that there’s a large potential market for menswear as well.
Vestiaire Collective
So it’s interesting that one of the global resale leaders, France’s Vestiaire Collective, has just launched menswear as a dedicated new category along with its first report on men’s circular fashion.
It’s a key part of the business’s strategic development to expand further into menswear, a category that has long had a presence on the site but that hasn’t been pulled out and given a starring role.
This comes as the men’s assortment has expanded by 88% over the past three years, making it one of the platform’s fastest-growing segments.
Since launching in 2009, Vestiaire Collective has become a major name in luxury fashion resale yet with a particular skew towards womenswear.
But it said that menswear now represents “a new frontier in resale, opening the door to a fast-growing — and often younger — audience”. Some 59% of its male customers are Millennials or Gen Z, compared to 50% of women, and it thinks this demographic shift “confirms the role of men as key drivers of the next wave of circular fashion”.
Meanwhile, the report takes deep dive into the “fast-evolving dynamics of men’s luxury resale”, uncovering how men shop and sell pre-owned fashion, looking at the brands and cult pieces they’re investing in, and mapping global menswear style trends.
And it’s interesting that the company said a massive 70% of men buy their luxury fashion with resale potential front of mind.
The report reveals that men go down the resale route for several reasons. Some 74% are value-focused, citing “good deals and affordability as their top motivation”.
But they’re also looking for exclusivity. The e-tailer said that “rare, unique, and limited-edition pieces are increasingly sought after, from Balenciaga’s AW2021 ‘Armor’ gloves to a brand-new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance in yellow gold, which are all available on the platform”.
Sustainability is also a concern, although it ranks lower than value with ‘only’ 39% of men citing environmental benefits as a key driver.
But as mentioned, buying new with resale in mind is a growing trend as the aforementioned 70% of men also report that “they care for their items knowing they might resell them, turning their wardrobe into a dynamic, circular asset”.
So just what are they interested in buying secondhand? The platform’s most viewed items are Louis Vuitton bags and Rolex watches, but rising brands include Ami (+300%), Zegna (+260%), and Jean Paul Gaultier (up 200% year on year).
Meanwhile the top categories sold are perhaps unsurprising — jackets, sneakers, and sweaters – “the pillars of the modern male wardrobe”.
Vestiaire Collective CEO Maximilian Bittner said:“Menswear has become one of our fastest-growing segments, reflecting a fundamental shift: men are now intentional luxury resale participants who value exclusivity, accessibility to luxury at better price points, and investment potential. This launch reinforces our multi-category strategy and positions us to capture this significant market opportunity.”
