25+ High Quality Vintage Fashion Labels to Look Out For

If you’re on the hunt for high quality vintage fashion but don’t know which labels to look for, this list of brands will be your guiding star. Whether you’re trawling charity shops, exploring curated vintage boutiques, or shopping online, you’ll want to search for these brands.

I’ve pulled together 25+ designer and heritage fashion labels — from luxury names like Karl Lagerfeld, Escada and Louis Féraud to under-the-radar gems that deliver timeless tailoring, quality fabrics, and that unique vintage magic.

This guide will help you build a wardrobe of pre-loved pieces that are built to last, with style, substance, and sustainability at the core. If you love the idea of shopping sustainably and looking for preloved options, vintage is one of the best ways to curate a truly unique wardrobe.

Much of the fast fashion made these days hasn’t been designed to last (it’s a term called planned obsolescence within fashion, where pieces are made to fall apart to keep you buying replacements) – so when I shop preloved, I mainly focus on finding vintage gems that will last for decades and make my style unique.

Why Vintage Designer Brands Are Worth It

• Craftsmanship: Many vintage pieces were made to last — think natural fibres, lined tailoring, and precision cuts.
• Sustainability: Shopping second-hand extends the life of garments, reducing waste and consumption.
• Unique Style: You’re unlikely to bump into someone else wearing the same piece.
• Better Value: Premium fabrics and construction for a fraction of the original cost.

How to Spot Quality When Vintage Shopping

Even without a label, look for:

• Natural fibres like wool, silk, cotton, or linen
• Fully lined garments
• Made in Europe/USA/Japan tags
• Heavy zips, metal clasps, hand-sewn hems

UK HIGH QUALITY Vintage Brands to Look Out For

These British heritage labels are known for quality tailoring, durable fabrics, and timeless silhouettes.

• St Michael (Marks & Spencer) – An iconic UK label. Look for wool coats, skirts, and classic suiting from the 70s–90s.
• Jaeger (pre-2000s) – Well-made tailoring and knitwear, especially in wool and cashmere blends.
• Aquascutum – Renowned for outerwear and trench coats, often overlooked but of excellent quality.
• Viyella – A go-to for cotton/wool blend shirts and separates, often ideal for layering.
• Burberry (vintage) – Focus on “Made in England” pieces, especially trench coats and classic check tailoring.
• Laura Ashley – Known for romantic, floral prints, prairie dresses, and feminine blouses. Vintage Laura Ashley is highly collectable and often made in the UK using natural fibres like cotton and linen.

US HIGH QUALITY Vintage Brands Worth Finding

Elegant, structured, and made to last — these American labels were department store staples in the 80s and 90s and still hold up today.

• Albert Nipon – Best known for skirt suits and well-cut dresses with a ladylike silhouette.
• Anne Klein (vintage) – Especially during Donna Karan’s early design era — great for power suiting and smart basics.
• Dana Buchman – Silk blouses, smart separates, and timeless workwear.
• Ellen Tracy (1980s–1990s) – High-quality, office-ready pieces in natural fibres.
• Oleg Cassini – Glamorous vintage evening wear, loved for its old-Hollywood aesthetic.

European Vintage Designer Fashion Labels (France, Italy, Germany)

Luxury heritage brands offering high-end tailoring, bold shapes, and impeccable craftsmanship.

• Escada (Germany) – Power dressing at its peak: bold colours, gold buttons, premium knits.
• Louis Féraud (France) – Parisian couture vibes with playful yet elegant tailoring.
• Valentino (Miss V / Roma) (Italy) – Feminine tailoring in luxurious fabrics.
• Max Mara / Sportmax (Italy) – Timeless coats and well-structured separates.
• Gianfranco Ferré (Italy) – Architectural silhouettes and statement design.
• Chloé (pre-2000s) (France) – Dreamy fabrics and soft tailoring with French flair.
• Lanvin (vintage) (France) – Polished, understated elegance.
• Jean-Louis Scherrer (France) – Elegant tailoring with a couture feel.
• Courrèges (France) – Known for 60s mod fashion and minimalist cuts.
• Basler (Germany) – High-quality fabrics and sharp tailoring.
• Mondi (Germany) – Sophisticated tailoring with bold 80s appeal.
• Mila Schön (Italy) – Milanese refinement in clean lines and smart tailoring.
• Laura Biagiotti (Italy) – Rich textures and soft knits in luxurious Italian style.
• Etienne Aigner (Germany) – Leather goods and elegant separates with enduring quality.
• Trussardi (Italy) – Premium Italian craftsmanship, especially in leather and outerwear.
• Carven (France) – Feminine cuts with a Parisian edge, often great vintage coats.
• Guy Laroche (France) – Sleek, strong tailoring with a touch of drama.
• Karl Lagerfeld (vintage) (France) – Look for 80s and early 90s pieces under his own name — sharp shoulders, detailed collars, and signature romantic-meets-structured tailoring

How to Spot Authentic HIGH QUALITY Vintage Designer Labels (and Avoid Fakes)

Before you get too excited over a £30 vintage “Chanel” blazer in a charity shop, there are a few things you should know about spotting genuine designer pieces — and understanding brand sub-labels that are 100% authentic but often overlooked.

The overall quality, stitching and seam allowance, attention to detail inside the garment, and inner care labels are the first things I look at. Genuine designer labels always have a lot of care information inside; fabric composition is often the biggest giveaway.

Everything about a genuine designer garment will have high-quality finishes: the buttons, the quality of the zip, and the visible stitching will be perfect, in addition to the brand logo label being attached with impeccable precision. There will always be plenty of seam allowance unless the item has already been altered (which can often be the case).

Check out this video by the BBC on how to spot a fake when shopping the preloved market.

Know the VINTAGE FASHION Sub-Labels (They’re Often Real!)

Some of the best vintage designer finds come from diffusion lines or sub-labels. These were legitimate secondary collections, often more affordable at the time, but still made to a high standard.

Look out for:

• Valentino Miss V or Valentino Roma – sub-labels from the Italian fashion house, often made with silk, wool, or linen. Beautiful cuts, slightly more wearable than couture pieces.
• YSL Variation – A licensed line from Yves Saint Laurent with elegant tailoring.
• Burberrys (with an “S”) – Not a fake! Prior to 1999, Burberry was officially known as Burberrys of London. If the label says “Burberrys,” and it’s well constructed, check the stitching and the interior – if all looks excellent quality, it could be a vintage gem.
• Chloé Sport – Vintage athleisure-style cuts, still made in France and often of great quality.
• Givenchy Nouvelle Boutique – A ready-to-wear line from Givenchy, made under licence but still highly regarded.
• Christian Dior Monsieur – Vintage menswear line; beautifully made and sometimes reworked into unisex pieces.

TIP: Don’t dismiss an item just because it doesn’t have the mainline label. Sub-labels often offer incredible value, especially for tailoring and workwear.

Final Tips for Treasure Hunting high quality VINTAGE fashion

It might be controversial, but I believe that clothes are meant to be worn and loved and tweaked to fit their owners, even vintage. Keep the true essence of a vintage item where you can, but don’t be afraid to make alterations to sections that could fit you and your lifestyle better.

Don’t skip over the men’s department for blazers, shirts, cashmere jumpers and wool coats!

If you love an item, but the dress, for example, is too big or would work better as a 2-piece, or a blazer might look more premium if you swapped the buttons, I still recommend you go for it.

I’ve recently converted a vintage Jaeger blazer that I purchased online into a 2-piece, cropped blazer with a matching corset. I collaborated with the Loom app to find a designer in London to help me bring my vision to life.

Most of my blazers are vintage – the tailoring often exceeds the price I pay for the original item. For me, that’s what sustainable luxury looks like: quality materials, heritage, and paying for the finishing touches to make it a perfect fit.

When I work with my clients, I often find them unique vintage pieces or give advice on how to reimagine items they already own, or have inherited.

Want to know where to find these vintage gems in London so you can try before you buy? My Sustainable Shopping Map of London is a great place to start.

My advice is to find the brands that work best for your style preferences, values and body shape by putting the work in up front, in person. Once you know what your go-to brands are and sizing, it’s much easier to shop online in the future.

If there are any Vintage experts reading this, please do let me know if I missed any brands that make great quality luxury pieces.