eBay, one of the original pioneers of global online resale, made a significant move this year by appointing famed New York stylist Brie Welch as its Resident Stylist and debuting the first-ever eBay Watchlist, a trend report curated through the platform’s real-time marketplace data and Welch’s visionary eye for style. This development reflects both eBay’s leadership in circular fashion and the dramatic mainstreaming of pre-loved style in 2025.
The Watchlist: Data-Driven, Pre-Loved, Powerfully Curated
The eBay Watchlist is powered by insights from the behavior of eBay’s nearly 134 million users and its staggering 2.3 billion listings. Today, almost 40% of all clothing, shoes, and accessories sold on eBay are pre-loved. In 2024, global users searched for ‘vintage’ more than 1,200 times per minute, as the company noted in its release. The Watchlist’s curation and analysis—anchored by Brie Welch—spotlights the top trends, brands, and emerging stories shaping the recommerce landscape.
Key Trends: Function, Flair, and Fashion Nostalgia
Welch’s spring/summer Watchlist edition—and its real-time data insights—highlight the following movements:
- Function First: Utilitarian style takes a fashionable turn with barrel jeans searches up 130% and Wrangler and Timberland leading as the most-searched heritage brands.
- Dyed in Dusk: Pastel colors and whimsical details capture hearts; butter yellow dresses are up 656%, and playful watches like the Seiko Half Moon are up 430%, emphasizing fashion’s mood-boosting power.
- Well-suited: Power dressing is back. Cinched blazer searches grew 209%, oversized suit 87%, and brands like Balenciaga and Miu Miu are topping suit-related growth.
- Modern Bohemia: Romantic, airy silhouettes paired with unexpected, grounded accessories. Fringe bags (up 41%) and Penny Lane jackets (up 44%) headline this soft-edged, free-spirited microtrend.
- Blue Hues: Denim reigns supreme—searches for “jeans from Japan” are up 68%, selvedge denim up 46%, underlining enduring global interest in heritage quality and expert crafting.
Louis Vuitton was identified as eBay’s number one luxury brand for Q1 2025, with the Speedy bag among the platform’s top five most-sold styles in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, and Italy.
Circularity at the Core: A Global Movement
“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, VP 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.”
The report reveals that “the U.S. secondhand apparel market grew five times faster than broader retail clothing in 2024,” and online resale is expected to nearly double to a $40 billion market by 2029. This surge is driven by younger consumers, celebrity endorsements, digital-first “fashion hauls,” and growing sophistication among sellers and stylists.
Fashion Authority: Making eBay a True Style Destination
Welch’s role as Resident Stylist goes beyond curating for the Watchlist; she will also style high-profile events (like F1 Miami, with model Winnie Harlow) and help shoppers navigate the vast world of eBay’s pre-owned designer and streetwear. With such a vast assortment, today’s shoppers are looking for more than just options; they want help navigating them. By introducing a Resident Stylist and the Watchlist, we’re turning our vast selection into curated discovery, making it easier for buyers to explore, get inspired, and express their personal style. It’s how we evolve our marketplace into a true fashion destination.
Resale Power: Shopper Data Meets Storytelling
The success of pre-loved fashion on eBay is rooted in both data and narrative. Nearly 40% of transactions now involve pre-owned items, and category crossovers are at the core of eBay’s focus—bringing in “enthusiast buyers” who shop for both sneakers and vintage bags, for instance.
Final Thoughts
With the debut of Brie Welch as Resident Stylist and the data-powered eBay Watchlist, eBay is redefining how global shoppers connect with pre-loved fashion. The marketplace blends storytelling, style expertise, and real-time consumer data to make circularity stylish, accessible, and inspirational.
