What Can You Do With the Giant-Bag Trend During Self-Isolation?
Remember when we used to talk about It bags? Remember when we packed things into them and carried them off to work or to wherever? During the last two months, many of us have been hunkered down at home in sweats during self-isolation. As such, our own It bags, or any designer bags for that matter, have become nothing more than dormant objects in our closets. Our favorite totes, top handles, shoulder bags, and baguettes carried our lives and helped define our personal style before all of this—but right now, they’re basically just decor. And really, with the global crisis looming, who cares about bags anyway, especially those that were totally impractical or novel to begin with? Take, for instance, the ridiculously oversized carryalls that blew up on the spring 2020 runways.
The trend spawned a fan base of street stylers and influencers that tucked away their teeny, tiny little bags of fall 2020 and subbed in those of a more gargantuan size. No doubt the most fashion obsessed among us swooped up the torso-sized Bottega Veneta Intrecciato bag, or the oversized fanny pack at Alyx. The Jacquemus country sack is probably stashed away in a few closets right now too, as is the XXL Opening Ceremony bag that made waves online back in December.
The thing is, while we might not have any use for a Celine Triomphe or a Gucci Horsebit, these seemingly ridiculous big bags might actually have a purpose in quarantine after all. For one, they can serve as handy storage space—or even a sharper laundry bin. Use it to carry food and supplies back from your (hopefully) infrequent grocery store and pharmacy runs, or better yet, use it to deliver groceries to someone else who is older or has an underlying condition if you yourself are healthy enough to do so. If you have masks or want to deliver food to a local hospital, you can stuff a big tote full and carefully do a drop-off. When this is all over, maybe sell your big, beautiful bag and donate the money to those who need it most during and after the pandemic.
At a time when we’re all rethinking the value of things, perhaps we should look more closely at the bags we’ve amassed, especially those that fit the profile of a very specific, very timely trend. There is certainly nothing wrong with continuing to love and covet a beautiful accessory, even those that are born for a viral Instagram moment. In fact, we’ll want them when one day, hopefully soon, we will be carrying them freely out and about again. But maybe it’s time to think more deeply about the things we carry, the pieces, like hilariously giant bags, that can maybe take us a few steps beyond a trend to a more meaningful and, dare we say practical, place.
Photo: Gorunway.com1/4Jacquemus
Photo: Gorunway.com2/4Hermès