While the “It-Bag” has historical roots (one can argue it dates back to the 50s with Hermès Kelly and the Chanel flap), the true era of the It-Bag began with the Fendi Baguette, which was largely popularized by Sex and the City. A clear favorite of Carrie Bradshaw, the show featured multiple iterations of the iconic bag draped on the arm of the show’s main character and it was even referenced in the script as well. The show helped launch the bag to the masses, not just those in the fashion know, and to this very day few other designs have come close to amassing such a specific moment of pop-cultural fame.
The term It-Bag can be defined in a variety of ways but for the most part, definitions of the phrase agree that an It-Bag finds some kind of mass popularity, but in a way that reaches beyond just those privy to the what’s what in fashion. Not only do bag obsessors fawn and lust over an It-Bag, but a true It-Bag becomes a cultural phenomenon, an icon of sorts that is recognizable beyond just the scope of those in the know.
Since the late 90s when the era of the It-Bag began, there have been many cult-favorite bags that became the must-have accessory of the season, year, or in many cases a handful of them. You know, the thing that said to the world: “I’m here and I’ve made it. Look at me!”
In many cases, an It-Bag was an It-Bag only if most were unable to to get their hands on one. Take for example the Chloé Paddington, which was released in 2005 to much acclaim (Megs and Vlad spent a day driving across Germany to grab one). Characterized by its exaggerated lock and iconic slouchy shape, the Paddington was a beloved part of It-Bag history and left fans clamoring to get their hands on one.
The Louis Vuitton Monogram Multicolore Speedy, the Céline Luggage Tote, the Balenciaga Moto Bag, and many more were all once touted as the most of the moment bag at the time, and some went on to become iconic in closets while others are collector items and the popularity of others faded. But is the age of the It-Bag dead or is it still alive and well?
Sure, there are bags of today that have a pretty massive popularity, seen on celebs and influencers, and spotted on the streets of major cities (think the Dior Book Tote, Bottega Veneta’s The Pouch and Louis Vuitton’s Multi-Pochette), but few of these bags have moved beyond the larger fashion scope, and social media is in large part to blame. Did social media kill the age of the It-Bag?
Because of social media apps like Instagram and TikTok, popular bags or styles reach instant fame thanks to the broad reach of our phones and the ever popular drop-day tactic adopted by today’s big luxury players. A popular bag or style never has the time to truly reach icon status because by the time a bag has reached beyond the borders of those in the know, those exact people have already moved on to the next best thing. Influencers and content creators are constantly looking to create fresh content to remain relevant within the highly saturated social media market. And if the person or subset of people who popularized a particular item have already moved on to something else, a broader range of people are no longer going to want it. On top of that, there’s the notion of many consumers being turned off by the relationship of influencers and brands. To break it down further, social media has taken away the time needed to an item to truly develop It-Bag status.
Do you think the age of It-Bag is really dead?
I avoid the “it” bags. Things don’t seem special when they are too common.
I wanted to read everyone’s thoughts about the “it bag”, not read everyone’s edits of the original posting!
Have a little grace for your hostess, sometimes people have a bad day.
Blame the editor. This blog big enough I’d expect there to be a second editor/proof-reader. But I’d bet the writer/admin can update article if they want. no biggie.
Agreed w above comment – it’d be more interesting to read thoughts on topic not nit pickin’ quips ???
My 1st lux bag bought via eluxury first online source I found. Was Dior tote in brown. Loved it cuz was unique, no one else had it, and sense of finding/scoring it was huge. As tech gave us shop-the-world 24/7 all that went away but for controlled supply ie Chanel, Hermes, ie DeBeers and diamonds, which is actually great strategy.
For me, It factor diminished mostly by ubiquitousness esp if % out there are faux versions thereof.
I think It Bags continue, but It gets re-defined and def shorter term, given speed of spread/info/access via tech and online sales.
Maybe It reliant on true resale values as realized not potential (which rightly excludes 2ndary market inundation of speculative buying only to sell)
Do you have thoughts about the “It bag” or did you just come on here to criticize the critics?
When I first saw that there was over 20 comments, I thought people here had good thoughts on the topic, that a good discussion was happening here! But, no, they just wanted to edit the original post .
I think the influencers distort the market and style/fashion. It would be interesting to know what stylish people would pick if they didn’t get freebies or financial compensation for showing specific bags. I think it might be different that what we’re seeing from them now.
I’m sorry to be that person, but … roots, not routes.
Ooph. I let a lot of errors slide in this post. Apologies, I do need to get more sleep but, no excuse here! Fixing it with all of your help 🙂
And “ounce touted” should be “once touted”. ????
and a handful not a hand full
Yes, of course!! This is me.
“and some went on to become iconic in handbag lovers closets” should be “and some went on to become icons in closets”
???
That’s makes no sense
Correction is
…in handbag lovers’ closets.
“And if the person or subset of people who popularized a particular item have already moved on to something else, a broader range of people are no longer going to want it.”
I was taught in grammar school to never start a sentence with And.
Because we write more conversationally, I believe starting with “and” is ok here. However, if I were writing a paper for school, it would have gotten a red mark – you’re right!
All of this! These grammatical errors made it difficult to appreciate the article.
Let’s not forget that when you emphasize “It-Bag”, it should be done the first time the term is mentioned. Not in the middle of an article.
Thank you, had to look that up myself to teach myself that rule, but appreciate it!
Megs is a mother of two very young energetic children, and is always humble and gracious about constructive criticism. Yes, this is a very “happening” successful blog and proofreading is critical, but given the pleasure I derive out of this blog, I don’t feel strongly about the typos. It’s not like she tried to throw around pretentiously rare words and misspelled them.:)
Ladies and gentleman, now I present to you American English 🙂
I think the It-Bag concept has just shifted due to a rise in Influencer culture. Gone are the days of coveted, hard to get bags, because that kind of behavior doesn’t work for the masses. Now any bag seems like it can be an It-Bag as long as the right stylish girl with enough followers wears it on IG. I also think because we live in the World of Options, where there are 1200 choices of toilet paper at one grocery store, that several It-Bags can exist at once now, each to suit a different demographic
Yes, agreed. Aside from some limited edition bags (think LV capsules), many bags are being gifted or placed on influencers. I think many feel differently about someone going out and being able to track down and buy a bag versus it being gifted to an influencer to post about it. And fully agree – there are far too many options in every aspect of our lives!
Interesting comments… I usually get a lot of hate when I point out Kaitlin’s errors…
Totally agree about the delivery!
You have examples? ?
Like if they preface the correction with “I’m sorry to be the one to point this out, but…”?
I never mind anyone pointing out errors. I know I make plenty in all facets of life. I think delivery is always key, especially over the internet because we can’t see you or know how you intend something to be said. But, this post had way too many errors, I apologize!
I only read the title before saying “yes” to myself. I go out of my way to find bags that aren’t popular. I also hate it if I buy a bag and it gains a lot of online traction later on (e.g. I purchased the YSL Uptown Clutch before it gained a lot of online traction and now I am considering selling it because I see it everywhere).
I’ll never understand the appeal of the Paddington.
You guys and the grammar comments, I can’t lol Who cares?! But I totally agree with the whole it-bag being lost in this social media crazed generation, it’s sad really. Mostly upsetting for the people who save for a while to possess one of these “it bags” and then by the time they get it it’s like old news and 5 it bags later.
I am not a fan of social media or so called influencers but realize im in the minority – I don’t want to see unboxing on YouTube or Instagram posts to buy a bag – I can see a bag in a TV show, movie or on the streets of Manhattan and go to the store to make my purchase!
I’m with you. Too many SoMe “influencers” are self-involved, heavily photoshopped poseurs throwing compliments at products that they gifted with (or loaned) for free. With the exception of a few youtubers, I don’t trust either their images or their words. I get far more inspiration and useful insights from PB and TPFers — plus what I see with my own eyes while out and about.
Is it just me, or do some “influencers” make it kind of fuzzy about the bags being freebies for promotion, as opposed to having bought them with their own money?
The amount of English teachers on this post with so much free time to correct other people’s writing has me worried that teachers don’t have as much actual work as they claim to have.
I’m not a teacher, I’ve just been educated in english from a young age and went to university. Don’t make this about dedicated, overworked individuals that are in an under-appreciated profession. They deserve more credit.
😀 😀 😀
I really do think the whole Influencer/Brands relationship is a total turn-off. Usually people carry the bags due to a genuine love for it but now it seems like it is being shoved down our throats because the influencers were gifted these items.
Seeing bags on 20-something influencers has exactly the opposite of the intended effect on me – I run in the opposite direction. I’m at an age where I want anything I purchase to hopefully be timeless. I don’t have time or energy to be constantly rotating bags or chasing trends.
🙂 I fully agree! 🙂
By “timeless” do you mean a bag and manufacturer that have been around forever, like an Hermès Kelly, or just a style and color that you think you’ll want to wear forever?
I totally agree
Same here!
Sadly, I sold all my iconic “IT BAGS” 🙁 Now, I regret doing so.
So great to see people on here who know how to think and can correct the usage of English language. I know it’s petty, but what will we do if yet another thing – language and grammar rules – is lost? As for the “It Bag,” I have had a few and still rotate them. I buy a bag that I love, however, not because a bag is “popular.” Full disclosure: that might not have been entirely true when I was amassing a Balenciaga Bag collection . But it rocks to see that my daughters are carrying some of them now. 🙂
I’m here for the bags and the story. I think the “It-bag” phenomena has been destroyed in part by influencers and the generational change that comes. A lot of generationally younger people than I are into ‘fast fashion’. An ‘IT-bag” was something that would transcend fashion seasons and wasn’t considered ‘fast’ in terms of fashion. p.s We are all human and make errors, and we all do not have the same level or understanding of the written word. Sometimes we may be tired, under time pressure, or just overloaded and miss things on a proof read. Pretty much anything I write will be littered with the aforementioned horrors of the grammatical type. it is in my opinion, hardly such an issue that requires so many folk to pile into the comments section grammatically picking apart the entire article triumphantly announcing the errors they’ve spotted like some warped superiority competition. Some people need to just get a grip and focus on the big stuff in life.
Calm down! I don’t feel that anyone that addressed grammatical errors did it to feel “superior”. The irony is far more people posted about the critics, but they are doing exactly what the critics did i.e. pointing out errors. When something is so obvious that it creates a distraction then it should be brought to the editor’s attention. It would benefit you to take your own advice and “focus on the big stuff in life”. ????
I hardly ever comment about spelling errors or typos — the occasional mistake doesn’t bother me. But on a Polène post, I very briefly mentioned that the name of the bag’s color was incorrect and simply provided the correct name. Shortly after posting that comment, I was treated to a similar pious, virtue-signaling homily about tolerance etc. LW is demonstrating the self-same “holier than toi” attitude she/he claims to be against.
And there is the superiority I was referring to ?
You really should look up the word “superiority” because the only one that’s demonstrating that is you.
I’m actually turned off if a bag is too popular on social media or seen on too many influencers/celebrities And what better way to scream nouveau riche than to carry an IT bag. No thanks. I’ll stick to my understated classics, and my late mother’s (now) vintage collection.
I don’t buy bags that influencers promote. I usually only care about the information on bags I’m interested in. The fact they are only promoting a bag they got for free or at a deep discount to me is disingenuous.
Let’s not forget the LV Multicolore line, which was popularized by Madonna and Jennifer Lopez, among other celebrities. Before social media, they were influencers. You couldn’t get those bags to save your life.
🙂 I beg to differ.
I don’t think that social media will ever kill the REAL it-bags.
One of the problems we’re confronted with is that the big designer houses – i.e. LV, Dior (all one company) – mass produce new so-called it bags almost on a weekly basis and distribute them to more or less everybody who knows how to strike a pose (just my humble opinion). As one commenter said – that make me not want that bag at all! But there seem to be guys and gals out there who will immediately run to the (online-) stores and buy, buy, buy, just to be able to post their newest bag on social media. However, that does not make the bag an iconic it-bag.
Maybe its my age, but I believe that a true it-bag needs time to turn into a classic icon. So I’d rather stick with my vintage bags and keep saving my pennies for a true icon, such as a CHANEL bag 😉
Happy 1st of May to all of you out there! 🙂
I have always known that luxury companies spend exorbitant amounts on marketing. Still, the way the celebrities and “influencers” are gifted these pricey bags irks me in a certain way. It’s like “you can have the same bag for a few thousand dollars too, the same bag that given to us for free!” During Sex And The City days, an It-bag wasn’t pushed onto us for the purpose of artificial It-Baggification. Carrie carried something on her arm and it looked so amazing on her that people wanted the same thing. I am sure there was some sort of product placement involved, but it seemed a lot less brazen. The way I see it, an It-Bag is BORN, not made by throwing hundreds of them on all the influencers’ arms to be photographed.
I think social media has ruined designer handbags for people who truly love them. When I see some “influencer” with a new bag, I immediately get turned off by it. In a span of a few days everyone suddenly has the bag and is doing an unboxing and raving over it, only for it to be shoved away and never seen again. I don’t trust most YouTube reviews anymore either. They are going through handbags like people go through toilet paper now. It’s like a rat race just trying to keep up with the next new bag. For me, buying a designer handbag is a special achievement that I reward myself with from my hard work. Designer handbags have turned into fast fashion thanks to social media.
“Influencers” don’t influence me in the least. Some of the crap they push (Senreve) is just plain awful. I buy what I like and don’t care about their gifted bags. However, this marketing ploy seems to be working because designers are flocking to them. IMO “followers” seem desperate to be a part of something and lack their own identity.
The designers should pay attention to Purseforum. It has been influencing my shopping decisions greatly. There may not be a single TPFer who is a major influencer, but the collective influencing is very real! 🙂
I think it bags are over because we no longer have “mass culture.” Everything is pretty specific.
In the 80s and 90s there were tv shows and entertainment events you could be sure that mostly everyone had taken part in. Everyone watched Jurassic Park, Pretty Woman, Titanic, Friends, the Super Bowl, the Grammys. Everyone knew the new Michael Jackson or Mariah Carey song. It was hard to escape the pop culture moments.
Now there are no such moments. A tv show does well if it gets 20% of audience share. In the 90s the top show would have 50% or more of the audience.
I don’t see it bags coming back because nothing holds such a big share of attention.