Big Bag Fashion Trends for 2008
The Pros and Cons of Oversized Designer Bags
Nothing screams celebrity more than an oversized bag. This chic clutter-carrier is a must-have for would-be fashionistas.
A big bag is a dramatic way to make a style statement and is instantly slimming at the same time. What more could a woman possibly want!
This season, supersized designer bags continue to be in vogue. But this is not the only reason to love them. Even if you are not a real "bag lady", there are other arguments in their favor.
The Pros
Slimming Effect
- Big bags have the effect of making most women look slimmer. Unless you are extremely petite, oversized bags make their owner look delicate in comparison. Katie Holmes touts a Hermès Birkin bag “which is almost large enough to fit her inside”, quips In Style Magazine’s newsletter of 3 January 2008. The Hermès Birkin is also favored by another mini mum, Posh Spice.
Most Practical Accessory of 2008
- The big bag is practical rather than precious. It gives the average woman some street-cred, but not at the expense of becoming a slave to fashion, with tiny, impractical clutch purses.
- For women with young children all those pockets and compartments provide great storage for items they can’t leave home without!
- For lugging around a vast array of electronic gadgetry in addition to cosmetics, books and other paraphernalia, the big bag enables women to carry one single item. "These supersized bags are not only big enough to carry a cat, they have enough room to swing one too," says the Daily Mail’s Claire Coleman in her article of 22 December 2007, "Rise of the Killer Bags".
- Oversize bags are perfect for traveling; Cameron Diaz is often seen at airports lovingly sporting her oversized Chanel Denim Cabas, a mere snap at around $1,300.
- Big bags spell versatility. They are just as much at home in the office as at the supermarket. Teem them with jeans or a business suit.
Celebrity Street-Cred
- Cathy Feldman, contributing editor of Designer Handbags 101.com says “Big bulky oversized bags are casual and are often associated with younger individuals…. Down-to-earth, lower-maintenance women would carry this type of bag.” However, add the magic word "designer" and this bag instantly becomes one of the most sought-after fashion items of the high-maintenance female too.
- Whilst logic tells us that oversized bags will swamp a small frame, tiny celebrities such as Mary-Kate Olsen and Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) "actually use theirs to draw attention to their size-zero status," according to Claire Coleman of the Daily Mail.
The Cons
Despite their popularity, not everyone is a fan of big bags, however.
Oversized and Overpriced
- In her article "The Year of The Rip Off" (16/12/07) Liz Jones, the Daily Mail's fashion guru says, “If you ask me, most handbags are not only ludicrously large, but shockingly overpriced.” It seems the bigger the bag, the bigger the price tag.
Big Bags are Bad for the Back
- Big bags may mean big backache. The larger the space inside, the more inclined women are to fill it. Carrying around three or four kilos daily undoubtedly takes its toll on your health.
- According to the Daily Mail’s article "How Heavy is Your Handbag" (03/01/08), “extra pressure on backs and shoulders could lead to severe long-tem skeletal and muscular damage….The ideal weight is said to be no more than 1kg, or 2.2lb.”
- The contents of an average woman’s handbag is now around 2.5 kilos. Amazingy, "How Heavy Is Your Handbag" reports that recent research carried out by the Daily Mail found the contents of many women's bags weighed somewhere between 2.5 to 5kg.
How to Wear Your Bag
- Grace and poise is likely to go out the window. It’s hard to look demure when sporting a bag that is almost half your size, not to mention the weight equivalent of three house bricks. This is all very well for celebrity icons with a stretch limo at their beck and call, but for most women it’s a question of getting from A to B without dislocating a shoulder.
- Carrying it by the handles, over the shoulder or in the crook of the arm are three possible options. The healthiest way is to actually spread the weight of the bag diagonally across the shoulders and chest. However, with dimensions like Chloe's Maya Large Shoulder Bag, this is probably impractical to pull off.
- "Balancing the equivalent of a small suitcase in the crook of your arm is the least advisable", according to the Daily Mail’s Claire Colman. This puts more strain on the body as it is further away from the center of gravity. Combined with tottering down the street in a pair of this year’s trendy rainbow-colored, four-inch stiletto statement shoes, this is a sure way to wage war on your back!
Bag Trends for 2008
This season, handbag designers are pushing larger bags in all shapes and sizes, from satchels, messenger and totes to vintage-style doctor bags.
Be sensible when buying a bag. No matter how much space you have, try not to be tempted to load it more than you actually need. An oversized designer bag may be large and trendy but that does not mean that it needs to contain everything but the kitchen sink!
The copyright of the article Big Bag Fashion Trends for 2008 in Handbags/Luggage is owned by Gill Hart. Permission to republish Big Bag Fashion Trends for 2008 must be granted by the author in writing.
