It’s 2004—you’re simultaneously applying sparkly pink lip gloss from a Juicy Tube while updating your Top 8 on MySpace. Britney Spears’ new song, “Toxic,” plays in the background, and you’re thinking about what you’ll wear to see Lindsay Lohan’s new movie, Mean Girls, later that night.
You start with your bag, which is obviously the most important part of your outfit, and go from there. Why, of course, you’ll carry your new favorite bag: Juicy Couture’s Terry Cloth Barrel Bag.
I often cite my Dior Saddle Pochette as my first bag, and sure, if you’re talking about designer bags, then yes—my tiny little Dior Oblique shoulder bag was my first. Still, long before her—okay, maybe just a few months before—one little bag, now entirely questionable, ruled my life.
Yes, I’m talking about the Juicy Couture Terry Cloth Barrel Bag. I got the bag for Christmas earlier that school year. I was in eighth grade, and it matched the baby-blue UGG boots that were also on my wish list that year. I wanted it so badly, and I begged my older siblings for it.
If memory serves me, I pestered them so much that the bag wasn’t even a surprise when I opened it on Christmas morning. Still, I was in awe when I opened the package and could finally lay a hand on my new baby in all her terrycloth glory, complete with a gaudy chain strap and an obnoxiously large “J” to boot.
I didn’t realize then what a cultural relic I was holding in my hands. The bag epitomized Y2K fashion, and over two decades after I opened one of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever been given, Juicy Couture has worked its way back into the fashion lexicon, apparently immortal.
Juicy Couture Is Back
The brand’s tracksuits have re-entered the chat, capturing the attention of a new generation. With them, the brand has even revived one of its most popular bags from its OG days—the Day Dreamer Tote.
In Remembrance of a Bygone Era
While I don’t think I’ll be participating in the Juicy comeback tour—some things, like my exposed Victoria’s Secret PINK thong, are best left in the past—I do revel in the nostalgia of it all. I look back on that bag with fond memories of worry-free days and the naivety of my youth.
Sadly, I got rid of it long ago, tossing it aside in favor of my first Coach bag and my little Dior Saddle bag. Wherever she is, though, I hope she’s happy.
Do you remember the OG Juicy Couture bags?
