“Wonder if this is finally the year “big bags are coming back soon” becomes true?” a reader commented on our seasonal roundup of the bag trends we spotted during fashion month fall 2023. Far from wrong, the statement got me thinking; can big bags ever be as big as they were in the 2000s and early 2010s (no pun intended)? Or, have our collective mindsets toward bags and the items we deem daily necessities shifted so drastically that massive daily hailers have become obsolete?
Go Big or Go Home?
Another reader brought up a second valid point that COVID greatly changed our perspectives, and where once carrying our entire lives in our bags felt like a must, these days, not so much. While yes, in the last few seasons, specifically since fashion returned to its traditional fashion calendar, big bags have had a pretty big presence on the runways, the move from mini to massive on the streets hasn’t really taken off.
The decision lies in our hands, in the hands of the consumer. Spending power is a real thing, and no matter how hard designers try to push a specific trend season after season, if shoppers continue to pass on big bags, they’ll never truly be big again. This year, designers like Loewe, Celine and Saint Laurent continue to push larger, roomier shapes. Ultimately, it often takes a few seasons for a trend to really pick up, and eventually, the trickle-down effect will bring it to the masses, and time will truly tell.
Can Big Bags Comeback Big?
I do not see a seismic shift toward the massive bags that once ruled. Still, I do see us moving away from the micro bags and unrealistically tiny carries that won’t even fit our most needed item – our cell phone – towards mid-size bags that are more practical. The ones that can take you from day to night but won’t weigh you down.
What do you think?
