For as long as I can remember, I’ve always reserved my going out bag for one style: the clutch bag. My husband and I went out to dinner a few weeks ago and I styled my outfit with my favorite clutch. Not from a recognizable brand, but a deep purple colored leather clutch that I bought on a birthday trip to Rome a few years ago, which makes it very special and sentimental to me. One of my favorite bags, I was excited to use it on a date night. We moved to the suburbs recently and don’t get out of the house for nights out like we used to, so I couldn’t wait to have an excuse to use my treasured clutch. We went into the city for dinner and decided to get drinks at a trendy new bar downtown. Looking around, I felt very aware of how out of place I was with my clutch, a feeling I rarely get when using my bags. Scanning the room for everyone’s bags (a favorite hobby of mine), I spotted many beautiful handbags in action, but not a single clutch in sight. All I saw was mini after mini bag. Did I miss something? Are clutches on their way to being completely replaced? I knew mini bags were popular but I didn’t realize what a hit clutches were taking as a result of the mini mania.
I have dozens of photos from college where I’m quite literally clutching my favorite bag from my young adult years, a trusty Coach clutch, at every single party. I swear it was my most used bag from 2006-2010, I brought it with me everywhere. I see mini bags all the time, day or night, and clutches have traditionally been reserved for formal functions or nights out rather than daytime use, so the mini bag already has a leg up in the competition. It’s no secret that mini bags are the hottest thing in handbags right now, but I’ve said before that I can’t downsize to a mini bag because I carry too much stuff with me on a daily basis. While that remains true, I would be much more receptive to using one on a night out, in fact I think I would welcome it. My clutch has a longer hand strap that gets caught and wrapped around my wrist, which annoys me to no end. It really got me thinking, will there ever be a time I would opt for a hand held clutch over an easy on-the-go hands free mini bag? Maybe not.
[sc_ic_ad1]As more designers are opting for mini bags, which almost always come with a cross body strap or chain, it’s not hard to see why this trend has infiltrated the wardrobes of fashion lovers worldwide. Candidly, I find the mini bag to be overrated for everyday life, although I’m obviously in the minority on that since mini bags are dominating at an all-time high. I’ll admit it, the mini bag is definitely more worry free than a clutch. You just strap it on and call it a day, whereas the clutch you have to make sure you don’t put it down and walk away or forget it on a table. For that reason, I can certainly see the value in the functionality of the mini versus the clutch. I do tend to carry less on a night out, and after weighing the pros and cons, I’m even surprising myself a little bit by thinking I may need one for date nights or nights out with the girls. If you’re in the market for a new bag for a night out on the town, you’ll be spoiled for choices of mini bags, but good luck finding a solid selection of handheld clutches.
I probably won’t invest in anything too expensive since I’m usually at home on the couch on a Friday or Saturday night, but I think it’s worth having a mini bag in my arsenal. What do you think? Are mini bags causing the clutch to go extinct or is the style a classic that is here to stay?
The only time I could see myself wearing a clutch these days is on a very formal occasion! I’ve even worn mini bags to weddings that were not ultra formal, and I have not been alone doing that. But I never were a huge clutch person, I’ve just worn clutches a handfull of times even when they were the hottest thing. I don’t carry much, in fact, hardly nothing at all (I wear a woc almost daily now a days), but at those days when mini bags were not-that-hot I always dragged a huge tote with be everywhere I went. Even to clubs, cause it was “clutch or tote” and the not so elegant tote won most times. I refused to have a clutch in my hands that would make me one-handed, and the trouble when you were not standing right beside a table and had to use both hands and had to stuck the bag between your legs or on the floor to fix your hair, or whatever, oh god I get exhausted by even thinking about it, and also I am sure that I would somewhere along the night, a few drinks in, most certainly forget it somewhere, either at a table or in the bathroom or just drop it at the floor a million times as my hands seem incapable of holding things without letting go after a while even when I am sober. Haha. Yeah, I am simply not a clutch person.
Yeah there are not enough words to describe how thankful I am that the mini bag trend is finally here! I love, love, love mini bags and WOCs, the best trend ever, I hope that they never go out of style again! (Yeah totes are great too, when you need them, but 300 days out of 365, I don’t and I don’t want to carry the weight of them just to bring my keys and my wallet with me.)
I’ve been carrying a Loeffler Randall mini rider crossbody exclusively for a while now, for daytime and going out. I used to use larger bags but realized I only reached for a few things throughout my day (wallet, phone, keys and lipstick) and transitioning helped me pare down what I keep. Blame Marie Kondo and also blame my bad back. I’m also pretty petite and a mini bag is better proportioned to my height compared to a larger bag.
i find mini bags to be a phase and only certain individuals of a certain age body type can wear a mini bag, whereas a clutch is a classic that any one can wear.
A mini bag does not carry a label saying that only certain people can wear it. Clothes are just clothes.
I won’t buy a mini bag. The cost never equals the amount of leather in it and the bag can barely fit a phone in it. I feel this is a fashion fancy that will pass.
In fact, I’m planning to buy a new clutch soon.
I’m mid-forties, and I’ve gotten on board with the mini for nights out. I have a simple Chanel black woc. It does the trick. And it leaves me hands free which is great. It hold the necessities including my iPhone Xs Max which is huge. I don’t have occasions for ball gowns. That would be a stretch, and I would probably temporarily revert to a clutch. But for a nice dinner or cocktail party, it’s fine and super easy. For days, I’m all about big bags. So an event where I don’t need to carry an arsenal of “life stuff” is a treat.
I’m mid-forties, and I’ve gotten on board with the mini for nights out. I have a simple Chanel black woc. It does the trick. And it leaves me hands free which is great. It hold the necessities including my iPhone Xs Max which is huge. I don’t have occasions for ball gowns. That would be a stretch, and I would probably temporarily revert to a clutch. But for a nice dinner or cocktail party, it’s fine and super easy. For days, I’m all about big bags. So an event where I don’t need to carry an arsenal of “life stuff” is a treat.
I’ve never been a clutch girl – just didn’t feel like me. I still have a black leather pochette (essentially) from Coach that I use – it has a strap long enough to sit high underneath the armpit. Perfect for me for nights out. I think I still like it more than my Chanel WOC….
I’ll only take a clutch to a formal event, and when I know I will have a relatively safe place to put it down. I cant use mini bags in my day to day life because I don’t travel light, but they are my go to for a night out when I know I will want to be hands free. I couldn’t bear to have to hold a clutch all night long. So annoying.
I’m fortunate to have a husband whose job gets him invited to a lot of formal, semi-formal, and cocktail events. I just can’t see myself carrying a mini bag to those as I find them far too casual. I also can’t see myself carrying a clutch as an everyday bag (anyone remember the day clutch trend). I have quite a few mini bags which I only wear to certain casual places like sports events/concerts/museums and maybe to church.
I think that clutches still have their place. A lot more even come with a strap to make them functional.
Only for formal …..tiny and sparkly, placed on the table, almost like a decoration. I have some others but I rarely use them. Who wants to place their bag on top of a bar (ick) or on the floor (double ick)? Mini is the way to go.
Well, I hope clutches do not become the old fogey bag, because I purchased my first Chanel in a clutch. I thought I would get a WOC, but after renting one from Bag, Borrow & Steal, I didn’t like using it at all for special evenings out. I adore my Chanel clutch. It really looks so elegant with a dressy outfit I don’t think a mini would work as well as my clutch with my best outfits. For regular evenings out, I do use a mini, but never for a high end evening out.
While I love mini bags, I can’t stand wearing them crossbody, and will only wear one on my shoulder when I’m out running errands or shopping and have my hands otherwise full. I just don’t like the way the strap looks over my outfits. I love clutches because they add so much to a look without having an annoying strap across your chest distracting from the outfit. Also, I kind of have a large chest and don’t like adding more bulk to that situation.
I agree with that! I can’t use a cross body unless it’s on my shoulder!
This is a great discussion, Lucy! How do you (and all of the commenters) feel about a clutch with a removable strap or chain? And if you’re into that, would you prefer it to be shoulder length, crossbody length, or adjustable? Personally, I like the removable strap/chain approach because I can’t be bothered to hold anything in my hand all night. That would drive me bananas.
Thoughts?
Great question! I personally don’t own a mini bag yet so the clutch with a removable strap sounds like it could be preferable for me, especially since clutches usually hold a lot more than a mini bag. But that being said, I think I’m going to invest in a mini bag soon since I don’t go to many formal events. I think it may fit my lifestyle better!
Gotcha. Which mini bags are you considering?
This is a great discussion, Lucy! How do you (and all of the commenters) feel about a clutch with a removable strap or chain? And if you’re into that, would you prefer it to be shoulder length, crossbody length, or adjustable? Personally, I like the removable strap/chain approach because I can’t be bothered to hold anything in my hand all night. That would drive me bananas.
Thoughts?
Have you seen the micro Birken or Kelly mini? Or the Fendi Peekaboo! They are utterly adorable! I ran across them while on Pinterest last night. But too me, they don’t look elegant enough for a fancy cocktail party, because they are just so darn cute? Know what I mean? But for any other going out activity, they would be perfect.
To me, mini-bags are the jeans of the evening bag world. They are comfortable and fashionable and easy, and fine for a smart casual night out, but when you are looking for elegance, go with a beautiful clutch. Also, nothing ruins the lines of a beautiful dress more than a purse strap.
I only wear clutch for formal. Well, a funky oversized one may work for days that I carry less. But like you said, a crossbody strap is great especially when you have a kid running around. I do take my kid with me to weddings and everything so wearing a mini or WOC is much more convenient. But I do love my fancy whimsical clutches. I just don’t get to wear them often anymore.
Probably not, but I would welcome it. I hate clutches! I need to be able to use my hands, so they’re not right for me in a practical sense, and aesthetically I don’t prefer the way they look.
Clutch all the way! I hate straps!