Every now and again, I have to pull myself deep out of a social media hole. Though I’ve tried to set a screentime goal for myself this year and stick to it, I still get caught up in the deep dark hole of fashion Instagram. It usually starts with seeing one item or outfit that I envy. From there, I’ll start clicking and saving and clicking some more until suddenly I’m looking at a random influencer’s friend’s cousin’s daughter who happens to be TikTok famous. I’m not proud of it, but during these moments, I find myself incredibly jealous of strangers on the internet and everything they have. Usually, I find myself the most enthralled by the bag collections of these internet-famous fashion stars. Occasionally, I have to remind myself to take a step back and remember that not everything you see on the internet is as it seems, but I digress.
When Did Fashion Trump Funtion?
Recently I came across a photo of an influencer’s handbag collection. It was chock full of tiny Chanel Mini Flaps, micro bags, and small shoulder bags. In passing, I quickly wondered what on earth could fit in those bags and where she stored her phone on nights (or days) out. I shrugged it off and didn’t give it another thought until today when it randomly dawned on me that it seems that fashion outweighs any semblance of function these days. It seems like designers are catering to the now and the wow versus what a handbag is really all about at the core: carrying your stuff from place to place. I got to thinking about the bags I own and the purpose they serve, and moreover, I realized (and I’ve said this here before) that I cater my things to my bags versus the other way around, and I wondered if I’m the only one who does this.
We give up a lot for fashion, and while I don’t think we should have to have to, I wonder if there really is such thing as the “perfect” bag. Maybe, we’ve gotten so used to our bags never being just right. I find that there is always some sort of pet peeve when it comes to the bag I’m carrying. Maybe the zipper is hard to get in and out of, or my things get lost in the bag’s big, open interior; maybe the bag is a bit heavy, or the strap is a bit too short, but I find that none of my bags are really completely flawless. What do you think?
