A stylist on the fashion ‘anti-trends’ that will stand the test of time

“If trend-based fashion is the quick fix, then anti-trends are the smarter, long term investment.”

It takes a surprising amount of willpower to resist the ever-flowing cycle of fashion trends. As someone who willingly consumed an entire cucumber every day because of that one guy on TikTok, I can say with certainty that the urge to succumb to whatever trend the algorithm spits out is often all-too irresistible. 

When it comes to fashion, these fads move at a rate faster than it takes to chop a cucumber with a mandolin, to the point where submitting to the trendiest items can feel both overwhelming and superfluous. Of course, some labels, like Patagonia, Tommy Hilfiger and Zimmermann, have a knack for crafting items with true staying power and are therefore worth investing in.

But for the most part, the prevailing trends taking over our For You Pages survive for about as long as my childhood goldfish. “These crazy trends are perpetuated by the ultra-fast-fashion mentality of buying at an alarming rate and the thought that fashion is thrown away,” explains stylist Amy Bannerman. Amy is the Pre-Loved Style Director at eBay, and is well-placed to speak to the exhausting pace of trends. She sees every day what happens to trending items after they hit saturation point.  

In one minute, out the next

For a trigger-happy buyer like me, a trend-focused mentality hasn’t resulted in the wardrobe I’d hoped for. Granted, I got some mileage out of the great skinny jeans ascendancy of ’09 (pause for collective shudder). But while they might still be stylish on some people, my personal style has moved on. Now, they sit collecting dust alongside that self-help book some TikToker told me I should read.

There lies the kicker of trend-based fashion. Both the fad and the fashion pieces it spawns are bound by a short lifespan, since what’s hot one minute is quickly forgotten the next. “Every month, you are told about a different trend you need to buy into, and this can make people feel like they’re getting it wrong,” Amy explains. “[We’re] told, ‘You need these jeans for one month’, but they’re not cool anymore the next month. Who wants to be getting it wrong constantly?”. 

For me, these trends, and the ultra-fast fashion industry that supports them, have resulted in overstuffed shopping carts that go regrettably under-used and also deviate from my true style. Conversely, my most-loved items have remained that way for far longer than a fad coming and going.

The alternative? Anti-trends

Fortunately, I’ve since embraced what is the ultimate antidote to this cycle of short-lived fashion: the anti-trend. Even more fortunately, there are growing marketplaces like eBay that support it, helping us resist a prevailing fad in favour of pieces that have stood the test of time.

If trend-based fashion is a quick fix, then anti-trends are the smarter, long-term investment. According to Amy, my shift towards this movement is part of a broader narrative that is starting to change within fashion. “We’re seeing more conversations around circularity and investment dressing, which is a positive shift,” she says. “The anti-trend doesn’t mean being unfashionable; it is quite the opposite. It focuses on timeless items that will always be cool, not just because someone on TikTok says so.” 

This has certainly rung true for me. When I think about it now, my most-worn items are, as Amy explains, those “investment pieces that stand the test of time, rather than items that cater to fleeting fads”. I’ve gotten far more wear out of the ever-stylish leather jacket I got on eBay than I have from a pair of sunnies I bought in the wake of Coachella (don’t judge me). 

According to Amy, a leather jacket – which she praises for “lasting for years with proper care” – is just one staple anti-trend piece that secures the longevity of your wardrobe. She also calls out denim (a big win for jorts apologists like me) as a “fabric that transcends seasons and fashion cycles” and basics like high-quality tees, since they “can be paired with almost anything and are a reliable go-to”. Handbags and shoes are also anti-trend items worth investing in, Amy says. 

Anti-trend marketplaces

Naturally, this focus on timelessness means pre-loved fashion is best poised to fulfil the criteria of anti-trends. Just as trends are supported by the fast fashion industry, anti-trends are increasingly facilitated by resale marketplaces like eBay. Scroll through eBay’s pre-loved fashion section and you’ll find a treasure trove of items that, by their very nature, have withstood fleeting trends and become staple wardrobe pieces. 

These marketplaces also support you in developing your personal style, since there’s much more that goes into finding an item than simply being swayed by a random TikTok video. To find the right pieces for you, you often need to search with intention. “Wearing pre-loved is all about creating a unique personal style and carving out individuality, something that mainstream trends verbatim don’t allow for,” Amy says. 

Pre-loved selling tips

As for how to sift through pre-loved items on eBay, Amy suggests adding search filters for fabrics or brands. If you’re on the hunt for cashmere or denim, for example, keep an eye on the brands best known for those fabrics, “so you know you’re getting quality items”. If you’re looking to sell some pre-loved pieces of your own, Amy suggests building an eBay listing around how you’d search for an item.

“Add keywords into your title like brand, size and colour to make your garment is easily searchable,” she says. Be sure to also take well-lit photos, include relevant measurements, and use eBay’s AI tools to pre-emptively answer any buyer questions and minimise the admin. 

Above all, you can hold your head up high, since you’ve resisted the temptation of a short-lived and quickly forgotten purchase. Soon, your wardrobe will be filled with enduring pieces that will never go out of vogue – pieces that align with your own personal style rather than that of the indecisive mainstream. Heck, if you fall out of love with an anti-trend item, you can always sell it on eBay (and promptly buy another timeless piece while you’re there).     

“It’s much less chaotic to find your style, know it well and shop around that,” Amy says of the benefits of anti-trend shopping. “I find comfort in the pieces I’ve had for years that make up my style.”  

And if you have fallen victim to trends, don’t beat yourself up. There’s a place for those on eBay too. With millions of buyers on the platform globally, there will always be someone who wants the pieces you’re looking to rehome. 

Anyway, I’m off to consume another cucumber, because at least food fads are sustainable (and delicious).

To begin browsing, buying and selling better, head to eBay.