Think you're buying vintage? You might be buying SHEIN instead

First, a quick reality check: vintage does not simply mean used. Vintage used to mean something specific: clothing that's roughly 20–25 years old, linked to a certain era, and often appreciated for craftsmanship or durability.

Today, however, the word 'vintage' gets slapped onto almost everything. On resale platforms, 'vintage' is increasingly used as aesthetic shorthand, more about the vibe than the age. Many sellers use terms like 'vintage style' or 'vintage dressing' to attract buyers, even when the item is just second-hand, or worse: brand-new fast fashion.

That grey area creates the perfect loophole: fast-fashion pieces can be resold as unique or rare, even when they're still widely available online.

The Kassa investigation started when a viewer bought a watch sold as vintage on Vinted. Once it arrived, the reality was obvious: shiny gold plastic, poor quality, and clearly not an older piece.

The editors of the program decided to test the problem themselves. They ordered six different items listed as vintage on Vinted and found that every single one was also available on fast-fashion sites like Temu, SHEIN, AliExpress, or Alibaba.

Besides being misleading, this also defeats the purpose for many buyers who intentionally avoid fast fashion for ethical or environmental reasons.

At first glance, this may sound like a small annoyance. But if you zoom out you'll see that it connects to a much bigger issue.

Textile consumption has a heavy environmental footprint. According to the European Environment Agency, textiles are among the largest drivers of environmental pressure in Europe, ranking high for raw material use, greenhouse gas emissions, land use and water consumption.

In 2022 alone (the latest published numbers), EU households generated about 6.94 million tonnes of textile waste – that's around 16 kg per person – and most of it wasn't even collected separately for reuse or recycling.

So when people choose second-hand, they're usually trying to opt out of that cycle by buying less, buying better, and stretching the life of clothes that, we've started treating as disposable. If fast-fashion items are simply circulating again under a vintage label, that intention gets diluted.

Resale platforms like Vinted rely on user listings, which means moderation is complicated. Vinted's own rules state that commercial selling, dropshipping-style listings, and counterfeit items are not allowed.

But in practice, it's difficult to distinguish between a genuine personal resale and someone flipping low-cost products bought in bulk. And as ultra-fast fashion grows, the lines blur even more: when millions of near-identical items exist online, they inevitably spill into second-hand markets.

So, what to do?

The good news: you don't need to be a fashion expert to avoid most mistakes.

1. Real vintage shows signs of life
Vintage clothing has usually been worn. That means slight fading or small signs of use. If an item looks completely new and untouched, there's a high chance it isn't vintage at all.

2. Check the quality closely
Look at stitching, seams, and fabric. Fast-fashion items often have rushed construction, loose threads, or thin synthetic materials, while genuine vintage tends to feel sturdier and better made. Of course, judging quality from photos – especially on a phone screen – isn't always easy, so don't hesitate to ask for close-ups or extra details.

3. Pay attention to labels
One surprisingly helpful clue: the label. Large, distinctive labels are common in older garments. If the label has been cut out, that can be a warning sign: sometimes sellers remove labels to hide the original fast-fashion brand.

4. Use Google Lens
When in doubt, reverse-image search the item. A quick scan with Google Lens can reveal whether the exact product is being sold elsewhere online, especially on fast-fashion websites.

Vinted and other resale platforms can still be a goldmine, but in a resale market flooded with fast fashion, buying consciously means looking a little closer. Happy shopping!