Using the Forgotten Internet for Reselling

Fashion is cyclical.

(Yes, skinny jeans will make a comeback.)

It should come as no surprise that, as we move into the 2008–2012 aesthetic revival, indie sleaze and hipster fashion are making their return. This wasn’t just the era we left MySpace for Facebook; it was the moment the internet finally fit into the palm of our hands.

From left to right: Jag Lever (jaglever.com), Jen Allison (jisforjen.com), Ragini (curiousfancy.com)

Don’t get me wrong... the late ’90s to early ’00s is my favorite internet era (minus the dial-up speed). But 2008 is when we really saw social media take off. People didn’t just want to “surf the net,” they wanted to contribute to it. Before YouTube and Instagram influencers, there were WordPress fashion bloggers. These weren’t models. They were students, parents, corporate nine-to-fivers--just regular people showing off their OOTD in their bedrooms and neighborhood sidewalks. That’s what made them magnetic: they felt real.

Part of reselling involves predicting future trends and rediscovering forgotten brands. These blogs are still around. They’re fashion artifacts that can help you with both of those things.

Work Smarter not Harder

Whether you sell true vintage, ’90s, or Y2K clothing, you can bet there was a 2010 WordPress fashion blog for it.

But the real question is: how do you actually find them without drowning in the same Pinterest images and Shein dupes? Because if you’ve ever searched “2008 fashion” on Google, you know that’s exactly what you’re getting.

Here’s how to search more effectively:

Step 1: Define your search

Think about what people actually called trends back then. Nobody said “indie sleaze” in 2009. Instead, you might try “indie girl,” “hipster,” or even a popular brand like American Apparel.

So instead of typing “indie sleaze outfits,” you’d search: “indie girl blog.”

Step 2: Set the time frame

After your phrase, add: before:(year of your choice)

For example, if I search “indie girl fashion blog before:2014,” the results should be from 2014 and earlier. However, in recent years this has become less effective, because some older pages were updated later.

Which brings us to…

Step 3: Use the Image Search

Image results for "indie girl fashion blog before:2014"

Google Images is going to be your favorite tool for forecasting future trends.

When you use it with a time frame, the images shown are guaranteed to have been uploaded before that date. You can click on your favorite result and be directed right to the blog.

Search possibilities are literally endless.

You don't have to just search for blogs. You can find NYFW photos from 15 years ago, or look at original Juicy Couture ads from 2010

But wait there's more...

In 2014, people took 30 BILLION selfies? That same year, three hundred hours of YouTube videos were uploaded every minute.

Video result for "American Apparel before:2012." Video by Miss Louie on YouTube.

And YouTube search works the same way as Google. Try phrases like “American Apparel haul before:2012” and you’ll uncover early outfit hauls, styling tips, and even old MySpace “proof” videos. (Hot people had to prove they weren’t catfishing on MySpace. Yours truly never had that problem, lol.)

It's that easy

Now that you know, you can get ahead of future trends by digging into the blogs of the original influencers.