Are your discarded clothes worth thousands? How to turn Gen Z’s obsession with ’90s fashion into a fortune

Walk around any major city in Britain and look at what everyone is wearing. It feels like you’re going back to the 90s.

Then Hollywood stars were Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt; Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders were on TV in AbFab; and we listened to Madonna and the Spice Girls.

And what were we wearing? Slip dresses, cargo pants, slingback heels and combat boots are all back in fashion now. Those pieces in your wardrobe that you haven’t thought much about for the past thirty years – now called vintage ’90s clothing – could make you some money as fashion fans gobble them up at thrift stores and online.

Susie Nelson, from vintage boutique Modes & More in Westminster, said: ‘Gen Z and Millennials don’t remember the ’90s, but this revival of fashion from the decade means they can incorporate these styles from the past into their contemporary wardrobe. ‘

And this lust for ’90s designer fashion from Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier to Armani and Yves Saint Laurent could boost your bank account by several hundred, if not thousands, of pounds, experts say.

Elena Jackson of Ewbank’s Auctions says: ‘Look at what real people are wearing on the city streets. There are rainbows of smart fashionistas who have their own perception of what’s fashionable in places like London, Bristol and Manchester.’

For a free valuation of 1990s equipment, visit auction houses such as Lawrences Auctioneers in Somerset and Bourne End Auction Rooms in Buckinghamshire.

Redeem your old clothes

If you need some inspiration to start rummaging through your wardrobe, four months ago a red Yves Saint Laurent mac sold at Ewbank’s Auctions in Surrey for £485, after an estimate of £150.

The Italian brand synonymous with the 90s is Moschino, much loved for its funky designs and bold colors. Now a 1992 duvet jacket in patchwork colors and patterns costs £715 on online marketplace Etsy. The design looks a lot like the quilted fast fashion jackets now worn by Gen Z, so a vintage original will fetch a tidy sum online.

Chic: Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders

But if bold colors were never your style, Moschino’s bold, tailored pieces are proving popular too. A black double-breasted jacket sells for £1,033 on e-commerce site 1stDibs – not a bad return for an old blazer you’ve forgotten.

Also on 1stDibs is a cashmere wrap coat by Jean Paul Gaultier, priced at £1,938. A black Yves Saint Laurent cropped jacket sells for £545 online at London-based vintage clothing store Circa Vintage.

Vintage pieces from Armani will also be a hit with younger dressers. An early 90s woven crepe jacket with ruffles at the waist costs £175; a pair of brown pointed Armani kitten heels for £96; and a black Moschino slip dress for £155 on online marketplace Etsy.

High-heeled shoes fly

Young fashionistas also have shoes high on their wish list.

Chanel has always been synonymous with understated chic, but the leather combat boots from the autumn/winter 1992-93 collection are right on trend – and a knee-high pair sold for £2,200 at Kerry Taylor Auctions in Bermondsey.

Staple shoes from the 90s Dr. Martens are still trendy, but vintage Docs are hot. A pair of ’90s floral boots are one of the better designs you can find tucked away, according to Lynnette Hecker, who runs Lovely’s Vintage Emporium, based in Bath.

Some floral print boots go for more than £100 on resale websites such as Depop and Vinted, as young fashionistas rush to find a pair with a history. Not a bad return when a pair of Docs cost £45 in the 1990s, according to independent shoe retailer AG Meek.

Most pairs of Doc Martens from the 90s are proving popular on resale websites, so if there’s an old pair you’ve forgotten about, it’s worth digging them up. And don’t forget, says Lynnette, that all shoes are more expensive when they come in the original box.

Handbags are hot

According to Ms. Jackson, handbags are among the most lucrative ’90s pieces you can find tucked away. She says, “I can’t express this enough. Use them and love them, but take good care of handbags: keep all receipts and original boxes. Furthermore, handbags are suitable for everyone, so size is not a limiting factor in keeping them, as it is with clothing.”

Princess Diana with her Dior handbag at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London in 1996

One of the most sought-after is Christian Dior’s dinky black quilted Lady Dior Lambskin handbag. Made popular by Princess Diana and available in bright pink and red. While Dior still sells the bag for around £5,000, second-hand bags in pristine condition hold their value well. One sold at Ewbank’s Auctions last October for £1,560, including costs – hundreds more than the estimate. Online sites such as bella-ling.com sell them for around £2,950.

Even bags from trendy brands such as Kookai, Accessorize and GAP sell for £30 to £40 on sites such as Depop.

Favorites from the major shopping streets

Luxury brands such as Red of Dead, Evisu or Morgan are regular visitors on second-hand clothing sites such as Vinted or Depop.

A North Face Nuptse 1996 jacket is the perfect retro-inspired puffer

Ms Hecker says: ‘High street items have retained their value as well as haute couture. It’s all about quality because they will always sell even if they are over twenty years old.’

She believes a puffer jacket from high street label The North Face is a hidden gem. That’s because the brand now has a line – Nuptse 1996 – inspired by the retro jacket. One of these new puffer jackets retails for £315, but each vintage The North Face jacket can set you back £200.

Saint Michael is collectible!

If you were around in the 90s (and earlier) you might remember Marks & Spencer’s old St Michael brand as staid and rather old-fashioned, but it’s being picked up by Gen Z.

St Michael clothes are back in fashion as their popularity with Generation Z has risen

While selling these items won’t make you a lot of money, Emily London, a vintage fashion expert who runs a self-titled website, believes they will increase in value due to their continued popularity.

St Michael clothing has the year of production listed on the clothing label, so you can easily tell if you have a 90s vintage. Emily also mentions Wallis to increase in value. She says: ‘The quality of 90s Wallis jackets is hard to beat. Oversized tailoring, languid silhouettes and subtle finishing details ensure that items are easy to combine with modern pieces.’

How to really clean up…

Clothes are made to be worn, so some wear and tear is normal. But to maximize their value, make sure they are washed: invest in a steamer for just £25 from Argos and check all the seams and buttons.