Fashion is a industry where things are often taken to their logical extremes. While some women are likely still paying off their orthopedic bills from the enormous bag trend of the late 2000s, things have now swung back firmly in the other direction; brands of all types are now making bags that are small enough to be considered decorative accessories for other bags.
For brands, the upside to these tiny bags are twofold. First, they provide entry-level customers a way to buy one of the brand’s bags without quite hitting the price tag of a normal-sized designer purse, but they don’t do the kind of damage to a brand’s air of exclusivity that monogram canvas bags at lower price points tend to. It’s a “special little piece,” not a less-expensive, logo-covered canvas bag.
Second, these bags provide a new product tier for the highest-end customers. If you’re already a devoted buyer of Fendi bags, for example, then why wouldn’t you buy an adorable little miniature to hang from the new spring bag you’re already buying? At a certain consumer level, adding another $1,500 to a purchase price doesn’t make people blink, especially if it makes a customer feel like she’s getting something extra and ultra-fashionable.
For the consumers who fall in between those two groups, though, these bags are just bags, and that means they’re all intended to carry stuff in some way, shape or form. At this size, they do that with varying levels of success. Because my ultimate arbiter of whether or not I can carry a bag is if my enormous iPhone 6 Plus can fit inside, that’s the rule I used to measure all of the ultra-tiny bags below. It’s 6.22 inches tall, so that’s where I drew the line.
(Side note: If you’re trying to decide between the 6 or 6 Plus, my advice is to go big or go home. I have super tiny hands. You’ll get used to it.)
Cambridge Satchel Company
$105 via ShopBop
Length on the long edge: 6.25 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: With .03 inches to spare.
Chloé Mini Suede Shoulder Bag
$750 via LUISAVIAROMA
Length on the long edge: 7 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: Maybe? Curved bags require more math than I remember from 8th grade geometry.
Christian Louboutin Sweet Charity Spikes Bag
$1,594 via MATCHESFASHION.COM
Length on the long edge: 6 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: If I cut a little off, yes.
Diane von Furstenberg 440 Micro Mini Bag
$158 via MATCHESFASHION.COM
Length on the long edge: 6 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: Let’s be honest, it’s always in my hand anyway.
Dolce & Gabbana Jeans Dauphine Shoulder Bag
$1,195 via LUISAVIAROMA
Length on the long edge: 7 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: Yes! But nothing else. Just the iPhone. Good luck to me on getting back into my apartment.
Fendi Micro Monster Baguette
$1,400 via Nordstrom
Length on the long edge: 5.5 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: I mean, physical space is a construct.
Fendi Micro Peekaboo Bag
$1,550 via Nordstrom
Length on the long edge: 6 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: Yes, assuming I used this as a bag charm on a larger bag that actually held my phone.
Furla Candy Bon Bon Mini Bag
$148 via ShopBop
Length on the long edge: 6.25 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: Are you sure about those measurements, ShopBop?
MCM Rabbit Print Canteen Bag
$650 via ShopBop
Length on the long edge: 6.25 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: These curves are really harshing my game here.
Moschino Mini Quilted Backpack
$1,121 via MATCHESFASHION.COM
Length on the long edge: 6 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: I could probably wedge it in there.
Moschino Mini Quilted Shoulder Bag
$795 via LUISAVIAROMA
Length on the long edge: 2.56 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: LOL.
Mulberry Mini Lily Bag
$590 via LUISAVIAROMA
Length on the long edge: 5.9 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: Nah.
Rebecca Minkoff Mini Love Crossbody Bag
$195 via ShopBop
Length on the long edge: 6.75 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: Probably!
Saint Laurent Mini Cassandre Crossbody Bag
$1,550 via Nordstrom
Length on the long edge: 6.5 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: Hedi Slimane doesn’t care because all of his rockstar muses have people to carry their phones for them.
Tory Burch Robinson Shrunken Boxy Satchel
$250 via ShopBop
Length on the Long Edge: 5.5 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: Not even close.
Valentino Mini Lock Bag
$1,895 via SSENSE
Length on the Long Edge: 6.5 inches
Would my iPhone 6 Plus fit: I don’t care, I’d rather have a Valentino bag than a phone.
Thanks for doing the math, Amanda. It’s a sad day when handbag manufactures sell bags so tiny they are not usable and charge such huge prices. But, buyer beware. I find nothing at all appealing about the tiny bags. Status symbols or symbols of women who have more dollars than sense?
Love the measurement commentary, thanks for the giggles. As far as the bags, I just can’t imagine spending $1500 on a bag that holds nothing.
Haha. I really liked this post, very funny!:)
Great post! You make a very good point – people forget that the celebrities who carry these tiny thingys probably have staff carrying other stuff for them. The only justification for these tiny purses is that they are meant to be charms for your bigger bags.
May everything in our lives be a charm x
I could possibly justify one of the cheaper ones (i.e. <150, maybe 200) as a (Boozy) Brunch bag – where let's be honest, all you need is your ID/Metro card, phone and $40. And of course prayers that your make up stays put and your lips moisturized.
I agree, but only at that price!
I like small bags because I too suffer from the side effects of the 00’s bag trends. I have both the DvF 440 Micro bag and Furla bon bon bag. But when I got my iPhone 6 (not even the 6+) last month, both bags are (almost) useless lol. Unless I carry my iPhone in my hand, I’ll probably never use those bags again. Well, it’s time to get some new bags 😉
what do you put in these bags?! CONDOMS?!
… and a toothbrush. A folding one.
And tampons.
Haha… If tampons then delete condoms.
You are effing hilarious, Amanda!!
you can now shut down purseblog. this is the post post ever. EVER
Love this post! Made my day!
Hysterical post, Amanda. Love the running gag about your iPhone. (BTW, I still have the 5s, and I have small hands. Now I’m craving the 6 Plus!) As for mini-bags, I own precisely one: a little colorblocked Jason Wu Daphne that I bought at an unbelievable markdown in 2013, when I first joined tPF and became corrupted. I only carry it in the evening, when I don’t need much more than lipstick, a tiny mirror, a credit card, driver’s license, and tissues. I rely on The Hubster to carry a cell phone, house keys, and car keys. But if I had a spare $2,000, I’d seriously go for the Valentino.
That’s what I’m missing–a hubby to carry all my important stuff.
Maybe Amanda needs to do a post on The Hubby as the ultimate bag accessory?
Not a fan of these teeny tiny bags. They appear to belong in a chest full of dress up clothes.
When I worked as a bag designer, I designed a teeny bag which had a front zip section with a keyring, slip in pocket and ID holder. The back was an open compartment, with a flap. It could hold a few folded dollars, a lipstick and a box of Tic Tacs. This was pre-cel phone – it wouldn’t have had room for even the smallest one – and the company I worked for sold THOUSANDS of dozens,to store from Bloomingdales Catalog all the way down to Walmart, and most everyone in between. I have an affectionate spot for minibags!
Lol loved this post.
I love the idea of the minibag, personally. I keep tiny bags like the Pandora wristlet for when I’m just running out on an errand and only need keys, phone and wallet. But I love the idea Fendi has of attaching these to a larger bag — instead of needing to fish around a huge bag for my cell phone and wallet, keeping those in a micro bag that I can reach into and out of without opening my entire bag seems convenient. I have a Chanel evening bag with a little pocket where you can slip your phone on the outside, but most of my bags don’t have these outside pockets, and frankly, they can look a little clunky on most bags, so the mini bag is a unique solution.
Amanda, spot on !!! I have done the rounds Vienna and I could not believe the amount of mini bags – every designer has them !!! Add to your list Ferragamo’s mini-Fiamma , McQueen’s mini Heroine and quite a few more mini Saint Laurent .
LMFAOOOOO!!!! Slide 7 – I Know right??!!! . I do like the trend though but ONLY if my iphone 6 would fit (and the bag was a gift, haha!). I simply HATE the idea of carrying my phone in my hand because it is most likely to be left somewhere. I mean, how ironic is it to be carrying a “bag” that your phone cant fit into? lol. Great post Amanda, you’re a natural!
This post was great! Reminds me of around 2002 when I carried the LV mono pochette as my bag!! My Motorola StarTac fit in there with room to space -now I use that bag as a makeup bag & I’m not entirely sure my 6+ would even fit. LOL! As cute as they are, between having a large phone & a ginormous pair of sunglasses, mini bags will never be for me, even as cute as they are! =)
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The bags are cute in theory, but I have two kids. This is just not functional, and I find that they take away from a bag when they’re attached on the outside of it. It was, however, a cute post.
Your comment is hilarous!!!! 🙂
And yes! I’d love to have a Valentino handbag, too. 😉
Realistically though, the smaller I can get is something that will fit my bi-fold wallet, a 1-inch-thick card case, an iPhone 6 (well, it fits better for me. I prefer my iPad for the browsing thing), a moleskin notebook, an a pen. And it can’t be too snug fit. The thought of no space left to spare just freak me out.
Haha! So glad someone else has to make buying choices based on their 6+. It’s a pain, but I have no regrets.
While I’m REALLY glad that the trend of “suitcase masquerading as handbag” seems to be on the wane, the pendulum is swinging to far with these bags. I refuse to buy any bag that won’t hold both my iPhone and my sunglasses without crushing them. (I can always slide my ID, credit card and cash in an inside pocket so I don’t HAVE to have wallet space).
Bags are fashion but they still have to have some function.
They are so so so cute and adorable! But the trend of “making bag charms more expensive than the bags” is getting bigger and bigger now, soon I will have a charm that’s only half the size of my bag and costs twice more!
Even though they’re really cool, I think of them as really expensive wallets.
Great post had me and hubby chuckling away. Thanks!
I think Chanel was the first to attach micro/mini bags to their Jumbo’s in the 80’s/90’s. And I recall a mini-Kelly Chanel attached with a gold clasp to a bigger sized Kelly. i happened to have kept both, so together with the mini-scarf tied to a bag, this is trend is ‘new’ again 😉
I think these bags are adorable but I would never purchase something my phone couldn’t fit into (6+ club here too)… I think this was something designers should have considered
Love this post. As I was reading it, Dillard’s delivered the Furla Mini Bon Bon that I ordered. This is my second one and I love it for rainy days. Also, with the price and the material, I never worry about denim transference like a do with my other cross bodies.
My absolute favorite mini is the Celine Nano. It is cute and holds a ton. Unfortunately the price is very close to the larger models, not much of a break there.
That’s awesome. Made me chuckle. If the iPhone 6 plus doesn’t fit I don’t need it. Surprised I don’t see a micro from Dior.
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sad story, I received my Fendi micro mini baguette and immediately put it on my BOYY bag…looks great. the sad part is that after a few days the corners of the flap are slightly bending outward. I guess I’ll bring it back to Nordie and carry my keys and phone in my pockets. though for a short time my phone and keys traveled in style.
Too early to call favorite post ever?
Oy the Louboutin — totally hideous.