Enough straw baskets and lumpy bags. It's time for a proper handbag | Jess CartnerMorley
At first I thought it was just me showing my age. I found myself yearning for a proper handbag, you see. The kind of bag a lady would carry. I'm tired of straw baskets, indifferent to fancy pockets. I want something sensitive. I'm tired of rummaging through a lumpy bucket bag or tote, and now yearn for structure and internal pockets. I don't want a shoulder strap that rolls up my jacket, I want a bag to slip elegantly under my arm. In other words, I want exactly the kind of bag I've always thought I was too cool for.
But it turns out I don't. haven't aged to covet it Bags; on the contrary, the It bag has grown. The hottest bags this season are the ones that haven't been in fashion forever: the traditional handbag. A simple, streamlined shape designed to fit snugly between the elbow and rib cage. Proper closure, so that what's inside is carefully protected from prying eyes and light fingers. Big enough to hold a small umbrella but tucked away enough not to overpower your outfit. The kind of bag that looks like it has hand sanitizer and tissues and a spare ponytail band inside, rather than the kind you might use for, I don't know, pieces of rose quartz or a retro Polaroid camera or whatever.
Could this be the first trend to pay homage to the queen? These Launer square handbags have been everywhere for the past month. The Queen's signature snap-fastening bag had accompanied her for most of her reign, but achieved an extra aura of magic this year when a marmalade sandwich appeared at a Platinum Jubilee Tea with Paddington Bear. Even in the Queen's very last known photo, taken in front of her Balmoral home fire two days before her death, the Queen has a black handbag on her left wrist as she rests on her cane.
Open a glossy magazine now and you'll see Kendall Jenner with the boxy Jimmy Choo Varenne Quad, which has a flap closure and traditional gold chain bracelet. Wandering through a Céline boutique – where the Trapeze design sparked a craze for bags with unusual angular shapes that made them instantly identifiable even from afar – is to be seduced by the sobriety of a boxy Triomphe , all in smooth and pebble calfskin. smooth outlines. All around this month's fashion shows, influencers proudly sported Loewe's new-season update on its bucket bag, which has been streamlined into a shallow oval profile and given a new firm posture and with a convenient pull-tab closure.
The high street took note: head to M&S for a classic style in stitched leatherette with gold hardware (£35). Bags like these don't date. They will be as desirable in five years as they are now. Until recently, that would have made them less of a must-have, but now that many people who spend on fashion do so with an eye on resale value, that makes them more appealing than less.
The resale economy revolves around premium classic styles and brands. The gold standard is the Chanel 2.55 bag or the Jackie bag from Gucci, both of which have held their value. The rise of resale as a key factor to consider when spending money on clothing and accessories has put a new focus on what feels desirable. Suddenly, all the cool kids want a feminine handbag. So am I.
Hair and Makeup: Carol Morley at Carol Hayes Management. Model: Mei Mei at Body London. Bag, £79, johnlewis.com. Sweater, by Iris & Ink from theoutnet.com. Polo collar (underneath) £30, boden.co.uk
At first I thought it was just me showing my age. I found myself yearning for a proper handbag, you see. The kind of bag a lady would carry. I'm tired of straw baskets, indifferent to fancy pockets. I want something sensitive. I'm tired of rummaging through a lumpy bucket bag or tote, and now yearn for structure and internal pockets. I don't want a shoulder strap that rolls up my jacket, I want a bag to slip elegantly under my arm. In other words, I want exactly the kind of bag I've always thought I was too cool for.
But it turns out I don't. haven't aged to covet it Bags; on the contrary, the It bag has grown. The hottest bags this season are the ones that haven't been in fashion forever: the traditional handbag. A simple, streamlined shape designed to fit snugly between the elbow and rib cage. Proper closure, so that what's inside is carefully protected from prying eyes and light fingers. Big enough to hold a small umbrella but tucked away enough not to overpower your outfit. The kind of bag that looks like it has hand sanitizer and tissues and a spare ponytail band inside, rather than the kind you might use for, I don't know, pieces of rose quartz or a retro Polaroid camera or whatever.
Could this be the first trend to pay homage to the queen? These Launer square handbags have been everywhere for the past month. The Queen's signature snap-fastening bag had accompanied her for most of her reign, but achieved an extra aura of magic this year when a marmalade sandwich appeared at a Platinum Jubilee Tea with Paddington Bear. Even in the Queen's very last known photo, taken in front of her Balmoral home fire two days before her death, the Queen has a black handbag on her left wrist as she rests on her cane.
Open a glossy magazine now and you'll see Kendall Jenner with the boxy Jimmy Choo Varenne Quad, which has a flap closure and traditional gold chain bracelet. Wandering through a Céline boutique – where the Trapeze design sparked a craze for bags with unusual angular shapes that made them instantly identifiable even from afar – is to be seduced by the sobriety of a boxy Triomphe , all in smooth and pebble calfskin. smooth outlines. All around this month's fashion shows, influencers proudly sported Loewe's new-season update on its bucket bag, which has been streamlined into a shallow oval profile and given a new firm posture and with a convenient pull-tab closure.
The high street took note: head to M&S for a classic style in stitched leatherette with gold hardware (£35). Bags like these don't date. They will be as desirable in five years as they are now. Until recently, that would have made them less of a must-have, but now that many people who spend on fashion do so with an eye on resale value, that makes them more appealing than less.
The resale economy revolves around premium classic styles and brands. The gold standard is the Chanel 2.55 bag or the Jackie bag from Gucci, both of which have held their value. The rise of resale as a key factor to consider when spending money on clothing and accessories has put a new focus on what feels desirable. Suddenly, all the cool kids want a feminine handbag. So am I.
Hair and Makeup: Carol Morley at Carol Hayes Management. Model: Mei Mei at Body London. Bag, £79, johnlewis.com. Sweater, by Iris & Ink from theoutnet.com. Polo collar (underneath) £30, boden.co.uk
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