Until recently I worked in a large office tower and every morning I’d see dozens of women (including myself!) coming to work with multiple mismatched bags. A purse, a tote bag, maybe a lunch bag and a gym bag. We’d all stand at the elevator, smile at each other and roll our eyes as if to say, “Oh yeah, I know what this looks like, but honestly, I need all this stuff.” So it was with a song in my heart that I watched the SS19 runway collections featuring models on the catwalk carrying not one but several coordinated bags meant to be carried and worn together.
Chanel kicked things off with its two bag situation on the beautiful indoor seaside runway. Models in iconic Chanel suits wore quilted shoulder bags over each shoulder (and carried their beautiful Chanel slingbacks for another wink at reality.) Cynics complained that Chanel just wanted to sell more bags, but for many of us carrying more than one handbag isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity. So if you have to carry around a lot of bags, why not look good doing it?
Multi-bag choices aren’t limited to same-size bags, either. I was taken with Fendi’s approach to multiple bags. In a show appropriately titled “Urban Jungle,” models carried a large Fendi tote bag layered together with the small baguette. It seemed to me like a stylish version of the configuration most already carry, all rolled up into a stylish set that looks good on a shoulder, on top of a desk, or perched on a chair in a conference room.
However not everyone is a fan of the ultra-coordinated look, and like a little more variety when it comes to bags and accessories. In the course of a busy day, it’s not absolutely necessary to carry everything you own to everyplace you go. That’s why I am completely in love with Givenchy’s combo of a smaller handbag paired with a larger portfolio for work papers and maybe a laptop. This is because I spend most of my day running up and down the halls to meetings or just grabbing my wallet to get a latte or a snack from the bodega across the street. Tory Burch is ubiquitous in my workplace—and one of my first designer bag and shoe purchases—so it was nice to see my weekday go-to showing multiple bags in her SS19 shows that work together. Pairing a large tote and a medium-size cross-body with the smaller bags and wrislets I already own creates a co-ordinated but not matchy-matchy look.
Stylish doesn’t always mean just one style or a head to toe look—not in clothing and definitely not with handbags. Loewe’s pairing of hip length bucket bags with below the hip totes in a variety of fabrics and patterns also seems like another good solution for a commute that requires the movement of large items (laptops, yoga mats, extra shoes, books) from one location to another.
Designers have been creating and styling multiple bags on its models for a few seasons even though many of us have been working this look for much longer than that. However, they’re just beginning to seriously think how one person might wear several bags at once. Even if I scoop up all the new Givenchy coordinated bags, my takeaway from the SS19 runway looks is that I should approach my daily bag ensemble the same way I approach the rest of my wardrobe and that’s some exciting next level dressing for sure.
[Photos via Vogue Runway]
I mean… you gotta put your bankruptcy paperwork somewhere, right?
ROFL! Comment of the day! ?
I think they are reaching (desperately) far into ridiculousness with this…
I vehemently disagree with the multiple bag option. When men can get away with a wallet in the trouser pocket and get through the whole day unscathed, why do women need a large tote and a crossbody and a wristlet… Not only is the look very unbecoming and unprofessional (“bag-lady”) but the resultant spinal damage is often chronic. I refuse to carry anything heavier than 2-3 pounds on a daily basis and advise all my patients to edit their bags weekly to throw the C**p out if they want to maintain their spine health. so NO to this trend!
Me too! I use a WOC as my every day carry, I have not always, and I cannot believe I used to drag around a multiple kilo handbag with me every day! Ugh!
I have to ask though, as you seem very knowledgeable about these things, wouldn’t it be better to have the same weight on both sides (even if it would be a very light weight, think two WOC’s for example) than to carry the same weight as the two bags would have, on one side only?
yes. weight distributed evenly is better-I prefer to rotate the carrying shoulder every few hours than make it two bags 🙂 Backpacks with padded straps and fanny packs are both good for the spine. So the ugly fanny pack trend does have some health benefits! If you are doing a cross-body bag making sure the strap is not so long that it weighs down your shoulder is important. It should sit at waist level at the most. Avoiding bags with lots of heavy embellishments helps too as they add so much wasted weight to the bag. weighing the bag empty before you purchase is important, I recommend not to purchase a bag heavier than 2-3 pounds empty. Nordstrom provides the weight of the bag on their website which is super helpful (most online retailers don’t) -otherwise I recommend trying it on in person if you have a bad back. Bad backs can be joy killers on a daily basis and I see so many patients in my clinic where just lifting their handbag tells me where the root cause is.
Thank you so much for answering!
I have actually been thinking about getting a fanny pack for this reason only! I have a very bad back, shoulders and neck, and I thought that I should get one at least for the time you can get away with it by calling it fashion. Haha. I probably would not wear it in my home town, put it would be perfect to bring for a vacation when you want to be able to enjoy the days with not more back pain than necessary!
Even my everyday companion, my Gucci Dionysus WOC, weighs enough for me to have more pain in the end of the day than if I only use my pockets, even though I have pain regardless if I have carried a bag or not. I am thinking about adding a Chanel WOC as my next purchase as it seems to be a fairly lightweight option, while still fashionable, a highly ironic pro is that it is so tiny that you cannot pack it with any more than absolutely necessary! Haha.
I highly recommend fabric bags, they are lightweight and water resistant. I use ones by Lancaster and Tumi.
Looks like “designers”’have run out of ideas and thought, “what the hell, let’s throw this out there as something current and edgy”. Hands down the DUMBEST mess I’ve seen in handbag trend years. Gimme a break.
Absolutely Agree!!
The tribe has spoken.
What is the cost of these double bags….are they double?? Chanel is already pricey enough-lol!
Yeah, is this a two-for-one deal? haha
I loved the return of the Fendi Baguette in a ”normal” version and the duffles bags too, any news about their prices?
The thing about the “two shoulder bags clipped together at your chest” look is that it relies on you being fairly flat chested.
This is the silliest thing I’ve seen on the runway in a very long time. The models look like pack-mules. And by next season… wait for it… the hottest trend is going to be “streamlined.”
Chanel bags in the photo look kind of old and used. The blue sweater below caught my eye.
Same! Although I don’t believe you need Loewe to get the look. I had something similar from both rag and bone, all saints and banana republic.
Haha this is rather interesting:) obvious desperation to sell more more more! 😀
They think we are idiots.
I just thought it was a way to show more bags in their collection, or put more emphasis on their bags, in hopes it will draw our attention. I imagine they sell more bags on the whole, than their clothes. To me, it just looks rediculous.
Just say no.
This is just runway specific styling, not expected to be seen in public. The fact that people take it so literally is pretty stupid.
Designers can make tons of $ with mini bags + tote. To avoid neck and shoulder pain, I’ve learned to use a medium-sized crossbody bag as my every day bag. Then I use nylon totes by envirosax and RUME for any excess, great in Winter to stuff in accessories so they don’t get lost. This has worked for years, no overstuffing bags and having stuff fall out.
Would it kill them to design ONE bag that is practical for most commutes rather than offering multiple ones?
For work, I carry my essentials in a large handbag (I can’t carry small handbags) – something along the size of the LV Metis hobo or the Chanel GST. Then I carry my lunch in a Longchamp Le Pliage. So I’ve been double-bagging it for a long time. But I’m not going to carry my lunch in a more expensive bag that I can’t clean. That’s silly.
I like the Givenchy look the best follow with Loewe. But in real life, I just pack everything in one big bag. I’m not a small bag girls anyway. Just not practical. Only when travel that WOC and backpack come out together.