The battle of the handbag: mini versus supersized

Remember handbags? We used to carry them everywhere before. They were made redundant in the past few months because most of us are just going for that trusty canvas supermarket shopping bag. But that needs to change for a number of reasons. First, a handbag, more than any other fashion item, is a smart investment. Then, it’s symbolic (have you seen the Youtube video where I tell you all about why and how I bought my Hermès Kelly bag?). It’s also a functional and utilitarian everyday item. Boy they have been missed!

But it’s not just the logo or price tag that make our eyes sparkle when it comes to a good handbag. It’s also its dimensions. Ever since Jacquemus’ Chiquito and Petit Chiquito, fashion seems to be obsessed with nano bags. Despite the internet frenzy and heated discussion, this teeny tiny (offensively useless?) bag was having a moment last year. Zero practicality if you ask me, but then again fashion doesn’t always have to mean convenience. Sometimes it is purely for fun.

Some of these tiny bags can’t hold anything more than a credit card and maybe, just maybe, some gum. You may think no one would pay more than 200 dollars for such a small-sized accessory but turns out lots of people do. What’s your take on this? The thing is, I love mini (note the mini here) bags, I think that they can really be liberating and just force me to carry less stuff. Freedom from having to carry stuff is power (men should know something about this). Limited handbag space looks like a simple, carefree way of living. And look how good they look with summer dresses!

But if nano and mini bags imply impeccable space management skills, extra-large bags give us the opportunity to carry the world around. Again, think of Jacquemus’ Le grand Baci – bigger than life itself! Or even this just as crafty Cult Gaia’s option I am wearing in this picture of the right. Besides they’re more in tune with our new lifestyles, realistically speaking. In short, if your favorite bag can’t hold everything you need to go outside (meaning hand sanitizer, yadda yadda yadda) it’s probably going to sit in your wardrobe for the foreseeable future. It’s the comeback of the massive carryall, I’m telling you. This straw one I have is sold out, but I have linked similar options in the carousel below.

But if the idea of carrying a slouchy shoulder bag makes you cringe, know that there’s already a whole market for great spacious handbags that don’t look like they were plucked from the early 2000s. Look at the options I gathered! Think of Bottega’s large Pouch or Coach’s tabby: so big it doubles as a pillow (I am always down for a power nap). I’ve seen them being carried under the arm, how nice is that for travel size emergency pillows? Fashion loves to be extra, it just loves some drama and I am here for it!