Double-Bag It!

A surprising runway trend that is rooted in real life.

I have to confess: I’m not really a bag girlie. I appreciate a beautiful bag, sure, but for me to actually buy a bag, it HAS to be functional. I have to be able to throw all my shit in it and leave it there for months because who has time to switch bags more often than that?! I hate switching bags almost as much as I hate moving, which makes it so that my bag is the most consistent feature of my entire look, for better or for worse (probably for worse).

My MVP of bags and by far my most-used accessory is a Steven Alan bag I bought wayyyy back in 2017/2018. It is admittedly not the most exciting or fancy bag, although I do love the shape and color, but it’s the size that makes it so hard to quit! My overly large wallet, my zipper bag of lipsticks, snacks for my son, a bunch of kleenexes, business cards, and usually some actual trash—it all fits in there perfectly! Here’s the exact bag on eBay for $150!

I have yet to find a size and shape that works as well for me, and I’ve tried. I’ve been cramming all my shit into a vintage Coach bag that I LOVE for a few weeks now (here are some nice ones), but I can’t stand how packed it is and I can’t wait to get back to my old pal, Steven Alan.

When Steven will not suffice—say, if I’m bringing my laptop around, or if I’m temporarily trying a smaller bag and going out to run errands—I double-bag it. Usually, my second bag is a canvas tote that I got at the 2013 Guggenheim exhibition for James Turrell, which I can’t find online for the life of me. (Here’s a cute current one from the museum, and MoMA has a bunch of good ones —side note: wow, museum stores! Maybe a good, unconventional place to shop??)

Double-Bagging on the Runway

I’d always been a bit embarrassed when I find myself carrying multiple bags around. It felt messy and immature, and I worried I would forget one somewhere along the way. But seeing the FW 2024 collections has made me rethink that. Bottega, Fendi, and Undercover all sent models double-bagging it down the runways, and carrying multiple bags has never looked better. Now, I pile on my bags with pride.

Unsurprisingly, Bottega does it best (all pics from Vogue.com). The raffia totes paired with leather is something to try right now as raffia pieces fly into the stores, and the mix of tones is intriguing. I’m especially into the olive color at the moment.

Top row is Fendi’s take, and Undercover is below (Vogue.com photos again). The bright tones with neutrals at Fendi makes double-bagging it a point of pride, and that leather pouch is such an interesting addition. Undercover’s take feels more ripped from real life, which I think makes it more poignant. The designer grocery bag isn’t necessarily new (see Jeremy Scott’s Thank You grocery bags-turned-clothing from 2011), but Undercover’s Jun Takahashi does it in a sophisticated, soulful way, celebrating real city life and how one moves through it over the course of a day.

How to Double-Bag It IRL

The best way to pull off this look is to choose bags that are different enough to be fun but not so different that they clash. And make at least one a neutral tone. The raffia bag is the perfect place to start, and there are so many beautiful ones in stores right now. (Everything I’m suggesting is under $500 btw.)

Clockwise from top L: Great cinnamon color from Madewell; wild and crazy from Cult Gaia; chocolate brown from Manebi; kind of the perfect classic one from Proenza Schouler; love the black outline from Demellier; cool shape from Staud; Loeffler Randall STRIPES!; BTB Los Angeles puffy handle

If raffia’s not your thing, try another larger bag as a base layer.

Clockwise from top L: Coperni beautiful shape, so chic; Proenza Schouler “capacious!”; suede gives texture from Loeffler Randall; Bottega knockoff from Naghedi; another Proenza but love the patent shine; Rebecca Minkoff very classic lady bag

Top it off with a smaller bag with some personality.

Clockwise from Top L: Knotted leather from Madewell; pistachio tone from Sezane; silvery shine from Simon Miller; Demellier teeny lady bag; nice texture from Callista; striking red from Veronica Beard; mini bucket from Mansur Gavriel; baguette shape from Cos

And here are some ways I’d pair them!

And there you have it, friends!

I’m off on a big trip for a couple weeks, but I’ll try to do a quick dispatch from London and Paris! Don’t hold me to it, though! I might be too busy running around with my best friend and our toddlers!

xx,

Joanna