Back in the late 2010s, when I first started working at PurseBlog, awards show season was also known as all hands on deck.
The morning after an awards show, such as the Golden Globes or the Oscars, meant an inbox flooded with VIP dressing announcements from the PR teams at every major luxury brand. It also meant scouring the internet for links to an endless amount of clutches or playing bag detective and sleuthing through an attendee’s social media posts to identify the brand of an obscure sparkly pouch.
When it comes to waking up to find myself graced with an influx of e-mails, that hasn’t changed. What has changed is that each year, the number of outfits that showcase a handheld mini bag has become less and less.
In fact, this year, I sorted through at least 15 e-mails before I came across one that included a bag. From Gucci and Miu Miu to Dior and Louis Vuitton, some of the biggest names in luxury (that also happen to make some of the best bags) dressed stars for the show, yet the bags were MIA.
So what’s the deal?
Head Out Without?
Ironically, one of the early 2020s defining handbag trends was (and is) oversized pouches and plush carryalls that are meant to be clutched. Handheld bags certainly aren’t going anywhere; everyday clutches have been one of the biggest handbag trends of the last few seasons.
However, are the tiny, often hard-sized clutches that were the defining items of evenings out now out of fashion?
We’ve definitely seen a stray away from clutches in recent years. Gone are the days of swapping out our massive daily haulers for nights out in bandage skirts, peplum tops, and a going-out clutch. This can be attributed to the growing popularity of mini and micro bags, which many of us now use from day to night, which is a lot more savvy.
And while it’s unlikely that the evening clutch as we know it will ever really become folklore of the early days of fashion, I think the landscape of what we carry to weddings, parties, and fancy events is changing.
Personally, I’d definitely rather carry a Gucci Mini Jackie decked in crystals or a sequined Fendi Baguette than a clutch that reminds me of something my mother pulled out of the back of her closet to send with me to a friend’s bat mitzvah.
What do you think?
featured image via @ariellecharnas
I just think their assistants were holding their clutches. Award shows lean heavy on the dresses and I continue to see this with limited photos of bags.
I still carry an evening clutch when I go to formal/business formal events. I have to be realistic as I don’t have an assistance trailing behind me whilst carrying my things.
Hmm maybe for celebrities, wannabe celebrities, influencers, etc.
some of my older, favorite, pre-motherhood clutches no longer fit an iphone, and the current clutches that DO fit an iphone feel soooooooo big and clunky and appeal to me less. but if it doesn’t hold my phone, then it’s not helping me.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think people looked better holding an evening clutch. I feel like, even with all the posing that celebs (and regular people, thanks to social media) can do – they still look less awkward with their hands when they have something small to hold on to.
A clutch always looks sleek and chic.