Bags are rife with gender and class symbols. What does the prevailing preference for containers overflowing with junk therefore indicate?
As someone who recently discovered a red pepper inside my bag while looking for my journal, I can say that I’m relieved that people these days accept and even appreciate an overstuffed bag. The French tuck or popped collar were once styling tricks, but this season it’s all about the bag that’s so full of stuff that it spills out like a doner kebab.
At Miu Miu, the bags were ajar and brimming with footwear, primarily high heels that were securely fastened to the sides. In the show notes, Miuccia Prada clarified her reasoning, stating that it was about “the joy of life” and the “embracing of unique characters.” Rolling up newspapers protruded from the large bags that were trotted down the Bottega Veneta catwalk.
Bags at Balenciaga appeared somewhat more bare, but chains of cards and keys hung off them like ornaments.
The vibe was invented by Jane Birkin. The late actor used to pack her Hermès Birkin so full that the handles became useless, leaving her to carry it around like a rugby ball waiting to be touched down. The actor gave her name to the most renowned and sought-after bag of recent history. There’s even a movement on TikTok that teaches people how to Birk-ify your bag. Model Irina Shayk recently inspired others by walking her dog everywhere in hers.
These enormous, crammed containers are a welcome diversion from the current craze for tiny bags, which ranges from the size of a debit card (useful only for those who can afford to float through their days) to the trend’s inevitable dumb conclusion, the 0.03-inch-tall “Microscopic Handbag.” They are a styling cue next to the preference for handbags that are obviously worn out but still extremely elegant.
Overstuffed bags are a result of everyday living rather than a stylistic choice in the real world. Since most people live in small houses and have large daily needs, bags must serve as a combination refrigerator, safety deposit box, and storage space. Does the emphasis on large bags in fashion give the ordinary something extra shine?
I imagine the visuals of a man carrying an oversized bag would be quite different. Despite her considerable experience, Friedman’s statement that “what comes to mind immediately is a trim finance guy on his way to the gym or an artist carrying his wares to the studio” demonstrates the power of our deeply ingrained brains.
Thus, the overstuffed bag is many things, as with everything. If you want to show that you know your Brunello Cucinelli from your Bottega Veneta, here’s an easy styling tip for you. This is just another instance of how high fashion elevates and glamorizes the ordinary. Furthermore, it is the lived reality of many.
Friedman enjoys traveling light because, in her words, “it’s freeing.” “You really aren’t burdened with anything.” Going through Satenstein’s is “like pulling a rabbit out of a magic hat; the abyss of stuff; a black hole of things.” She claims to be “back on the big bag train.” “In the end, the XXL bag is our reality and what women need to function within this world on a daily basis,” she acknowledges.