The Odd Phenomenon of Micro Handbags

I genuinely feel like everyone should express themselves however they want, and honestly, if you feel like rocking a wool vest with sweatpants and crocs, you do you! I love fashion and all its weird and shocking moments, but all fashion lovers have their least favorite trends that they feel should have never happened. I think for many of us, it is the micro bag trend.

It is the one fashion trend that I cannot quite get my head around. Micro handbags are so far one of the most ridiculous fashion trends I have ever witnessed. I am one of those people who carry a lot in their bags, so whenever I see a celebrity carrying a tiny little handbag, I can't help but wonder what on earth can fit into that mini bag.

Let's not confuse small bags with micro bags, though. I love carrying around small size bags as long as they fit all my essentials. Micro bags, on the other hand, are a whole different situation.

It all started when French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus introduced the micro purse to the world as a part of the 2019 Fall/Winter collection. The now-famous micro bag called Le Chiquito has received way too much attention ever since.

The original Le Chiquito bag is about 4 inches wide and comes with a tiny removable strap. That screams impractical, right? Well, it is super impractical, and it only gets worse. You can currently buy an even smaller version of the bag (Jacquemus Le Petit Chiquito mini bag) that measures 1,5in height and 2in width for... £190. Unreasonable is an understatement here. In a year when so many people lost their jobs and struggled to make ends meet, we promote something so senseless? It is almost like a megaphone for super-rich people to laugh by saying: "I can afford a tiny bag in which I can't fit nothing else but my pride."

These micro bags just don't make any sense. Especially now, in a global pandemic, when leaving your house without a mask or a hand sanitizer is a no-no, not even mentioning must-have items like a phone or a wallet. Isn't a bag supposed to be helping us carrying these? Do we really want to walk around with our pockets stuffed and our micro 2 inches fancy purse empty? Would you sacrifice losing your keys over rocking a micro handbag outfit at a grocery store? I hope not. It is safe to say that our relationship with fashion has changed since the pandemic. No one has the energy to walk around with a barely visible designer micro bag unless you are an influencer getting paid for it. Read the room fashion trend-setters.

Influencers and celebrities love posting pictures of unusual fashion accessories, and they often unwillingly create a whole new trend, that after a while, you can see almost everywhere.

At the 2019 American Music Awards, Lizzo walked the red carpet with a tiny Jacquemus bag for $258. Yes, the price is correct. After Lizzo's paparazzi pictures went viral, the bag has sold out immediately. The influence internet trends have, is pretty crazy. It sparked dozens of comments and articles about how ridiculous the accessory is but at the same time highlighting that it is a new trend in the fashion industry that some might find impossible not to try.

People spotted with tiny handbags often seem uncomfortable/awkward wearing them. That is not surprising at all. I mean, what do you even do with this little thing? You can barely fit a lip gloss inside. And since wearing two handbags at once is not what influencers do, the lip gloss and a phone in hand are all there is when you are a micro purse enthusiast.

I am glad to see the return of practical bags on the fashion market. Bottega Veneta is one of the designer brands that want to make their products more accessible and more in line with the current world situation. Big bags in, micro handbags out. No one really sits around thinking: "I want to buy a micro handbag for a few hundred dollars just so that I can take a cute Instagram picture with it." Well, hopefully, no one.

Fashion should be more accessible than ever these days. So, let's say goodbye to micro handbags once and for all. They are so 2020...