If you’re considering high-end fashion as investment pieces in 2025, let’s dive into how bags, shoes, and watches stack up — what’s working, what to watch for, and how to pick smartly.
👜 Bags: The Classic Luxury Investment
Why they’re strong
- The resale market for handbags is booming. For example, one report notes that certain classic bags retain around or above 100% of retail value.
- Heritage brands with limited availability and iconic designs command strong demand. For instance: Goyard achieved ~104% value-retention in one report.
- Bags often have wide appeal (women & men, various markets) and are “wearable assets” — they combine style and investment.
What to look for
- Iconic styles and heritage models (for example: the is an ultra-premium example).
- Limited editions, rare materials or colours.
- Brands that show consistency in resale retention.
- Condition, authenticity, provenance matter.
Risks / caveats
- Not all bags hold value equally — many drop significantly. One study showed that even well‐known bags only appreciated ~2.8% per year on average, underperforming inflation.
- Costs (maintenance, storage) matter.
- Market trends shift: what’s “it” this year may not hold so strongly later.
Verdict
Among the three categories (bags, shoes, watches), bags are very strong contenders for investment when chosen carefully — especially for the iconic heritage pieces.
👟 Shoes: The Emerging/Speculative Play
Why they’re interesting
- Sneakers and certain luxury shoes have gained popularity in resale and “fashion investment” conversations, especially among younger consumers.
- They’re more accessible entry-points (lower cost) than high jewellery or ultra-luxury bags/watches.
What to focus on
- Collaborations, limited editions, hype-drops.
- Heritage models from brands that have strong cultural/passion fandoms.
- Condition is key (unused, boxed, limited release).
Risks / drawbacks
- Much more volatile and trend-driven than bags or watches. What’s hot today may be forgotten tomorrow.
- Resale margin may be more modest; costs of maintenance/storage still apply.
- Fewer “heritage” high-fashion shoes with decades of value track records (compared to top bags/watches).
Verdict
Shoes can offer upside and fun in the “investment” sense, but they’re higher risk and less proven as stable value-retention assets compared to bags and watches. If you love them anyway, they can be part of a diversified fashion investment portfolio, but I’d caution against relying on them alone.
⌚ Watches: Classic “Wearable Asset” Investment
Why they stand out
- Certain brands/models are globally recognised, highly collectible, and have limited supply. For example: the and the are cited as strong investment pieces for 2025.
- The pre-owned luxury watch market is growing steadily.
- Watches combine functionality (you can wear/use them) with collectibility (limited runs, heritage).
What to select
- Iconic models from top brands (e.g., Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet).
- Limited editions or models with scarcity or discontinuation.
- Excellent condition, full box & papers, service history.
- Consider market trends (material, region demand).
Risks / realities
- Entry cost can be very high (many models costing tens of thousands USD).
- Not every watch holds or increases value — many depreciate, especially mid-tier brands. Reddit commentary warns that:
“99.99% of all watches … don’t hold their value.”
- Condition, service fees, authenticity risk matter a lot.
- Market can fluctuate — some reports show certain watch resales down in recent years.
Verdict
For serious investors with budget and patience, watches can deliver excellent long-term value. They’re less accessible than bags (for some) but can be among the most stable “investment wearables”.
📊 Comparison Summary
| Category | Typical Cost Tier | Value-Retention Profile | Risk/Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bags | Mid to ultra-luxury | High (with right brand/style) | Moderate |
| Watches | High to ultra-luxury | Very high for top brands/models | Low to moderate |
| Shoes | Entry to mid-luxury | Variable — trend-driven | High (more speculative) |
🔍 My Recommendation for 2025
If I were ranking “investment-wise” for someone who wants to pick one category:
- Watches, if you have budget and are comfortable with collecting.
- Bags, for stylish, wearable value that balances usage + investment.
- Shoes, for enjoyment and potential upside, but treat as a speculative side-play rather than the main “investment”.
Also: diversify. If budget allows, blending a top bag + a watch can give you both style and value upside.
Would you like me to zoom in on specific model picks for the Asian/Singapore market (with estimated resale values locally) for each category? I can pull up recent resale data in SGD for bags, shoes and watches here.