Why absurdly enormous bags are here to stay

With the rise of the ready, giant tote attitude and the recent popularity of the Birkin dupe, we take a look at the evolution of the IT bag and ask what bag choice reveals.

If you are someone who likes to be prepared for every eventuality when leaving home, you are in luck. Think huge, huge holdalls and totes that are perfect for packing your makeup bag with makeup bags, phone chargers, water bottles, books, umbrellas, and whatever tools you need to see you throughout the day. please.

Designers aren’t always known for prioritizing practicality, so this feels like a welcome moment for a fashion meet feature. At the Spring/Summer 2025 catwalk shows, models from Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and Hermès ran down the catwalk in sensible, roomy doctor’s holdalls, while at Proenza Schauler they carried giant totes. Last fall, Yves St. Laurent launched its latest arm candy, The Volime Y. Now a celebrity favoriteincluding Angelia Jolie and Bella Hadid.

Large bags have been emerging as a trend for several years now. In fact, Matthew Macfadyen’s character, Tom Wambegans, is a woman’s “comically stubborn” handbag in the TV drama Inheritance. The life of the super rich – someone who doesn’t need to be hurt by anything For themselves. “What’s even there?” asked Tom. “Subway flats? Her lunch bucket? That’s a huge thing. You can camp in it. You can slide it across the floor after your bank job.” Inherited Billionaire may not have approved of the huge carryalls, but the fashion industry begs to be different.

While it might be nice to think that the high-end fashion world is more aware of the average woman’s needs, it’s likely all part of the cyclical nature of the industry. dominant micro bag Just a few years ago (after all, one of this season’s other big trends was Bag inspired by the shape of a sausage dog). As soon as you pack your bags, you’ll have a new style on the block. And while modern designs may offer more practical solutions for women, the truth is that a handbag’s desirability rarely boils down to simple practicality. Bags, especially designer ones, do more than just carry things. It can also be a status symbol, an item of self-expression and personal identity, or an object of desire.

Although the term “It Bag” became prominent in the 1990s, the concept dates back several decades. In 1955, Coco Chanel created a quilted leather bag with a long chain. The 2.55 was designed to be carried over the shoulder, which was revolutionary at the time and offered women greater freedom than clutch bags or top-handle totes. 70 years later, it’s still one of the most desirable designer bags.

In the 1950s, Hermès renamed one of its bags after Grace Kelly (the actress became famous for holding a bag over her stomach to hide her pregnancy). In the 1990s and 2000s, more bags arrived. Dior saddle bag, Chloe Paddington, Prada Galleria.

Jane Birkin once told Vogue: “I don’t like to look like everyone else, so I always hang things in my bag.” In early summer 2023, TikTok was overwhelmed with tutorials on how to “Birkify” your bag Add trinkets, stickers, ribbons, and beaded strings. And later that year, overflowing bag It has become the accessory of choice – Spring/Summer 2024 Miu Miu models carry stuffed bags on the catwalk and call to mind “British women have gone crazy” An aesthetic embodied by the chaotic movie character Bridget Jones.

The Birkin is an extreme example, but exclusivity is what has made so many IT bags, whether it’s price or limited stock. desirable – and ambitious. Those who can’t afford a full designer wardrobe may be able to splurge by saving on an expensive bag that they can wear every day and mark themselves as a Chloé girl, a Chanel lady, or a sweetheart. yeah. Mulberry’s Alexa (inspired by British model Alexa Chong), or lady dior (princess diana), rub them.

So are the days of IT bags over? What’s not true is that the must-have bag has moved from high-end fashion to something more attainable and utilitarian. Uniqlo’s curved crossbody bag and Lululemon’s Everywhere Belt Bag are ubiquitous on city streets, while Tiktok made Baggu’s Nylon Shopper Bag a sensation and COS quilted bags are beloved by the fashion set.

To revive interest, some designers are running through old classics. Last year, Balenciaga revamped its motorcycle bag, a Kate Moss favorite from the early 2000s. Now named Le City Moss is back to help sell it. Priced at $2,900 (£2,377), it’s a relative bargain in today’s world of luxury handbags.

Perhaps a sign that affordability and practicality, coupled with a classic design and some brand recognition, is what people want in a bag right now is the lightweight, foldable bag first launched in 1993. The recent resurgence of Longchamp’s Le Pliage, a tote. It’s not the sexiest. armwear, but General Z defeated it hardsales are soaring for $155 (£127). Also, another cozy tote. Big bags are really back, at least for now.

Perhaps even more interesting than the bags we carry are what’s inside them. Hence the huge popularity of videos where people spill their content, whether they are social media influencers or not. Vogue A-listers (Florence Pugh has a bottle of hot sauce on her). In that case, let’s hope big bags and everything we can fit in them stay here.