retrofitted – the tiny It bag

The fashion industry first coined the term “It bag” in the 1990s to describe the current best-seller of high-priced designer handbags. The bag everybody who’s anybody has to have.

Fendi’s baguette purse emerged in 1997 as one of the first It bags. This petite purse that nestles under the arm (the way in which you would carry a baguette) made an appearance on Sex and the City; soon after, it is rumored that over 100,000 were sold that first year.

Although Fendi’s reinvention of a the pochette style purse brought small back into fashion, it was not a new idea. In the 1950s, considered the decade of feminimity, a petite handbag implied beauty and sophistication. Especially popular were small Lucite boxes that functioned as purses.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, handbags grew larger. Literally. Unisex backpacks, handheld totes, and messenger bags. They became statement pieces, not fashion accessories.

However, just recently Louis Vuitton released a brand new phone case that it believes will rival the next It bag of the season. 

What does all this mean for us as we are curating our 2017 wardrobes? First of all, we no longer have to take up precious closet space with big, cumbersome handbags and totes. Small is back. We’re that confident, ladies. All we really need is our cell phone and possibly a tube of lipstick. Secondly, we don’t have to pay Louis Vuitton’s $400 – $1000 prices. There are plenty of nifty little iPhone wristlets out there that won’t break your bank.

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So in the true spirit of minimalism, let’s loose the baggage, ladies. Literally. Make a chic phone case the next It bag in your closet.