THE LARGE PROBLEM WITH TEENY TINY BAGS

There are very few things that are better smaller. Case in point the ever shrinking size of chocolate bars. And unless perhaps the working week could be made smaller, diminutive usually connotes disappointment. Yet, as ever, fashion is at odds with practical thought.

Recently, there have been a slew of miniature accoutrements being the accessories of choice by many an influencer/celeb. Much like the Balenciaga multi hyphenate duvet/coat; the teeny bag of Jacquemus is gaining the same traction due to the shared impracticality of both. The functionality of the pieces are totally inverted, one being so enlarged as to make it unwearable in most circumstances, and the other so minute as to make its very purpose (i.e to carry ones possessions around) an impossibility.

As ever, fashion is ironic. And what could be more subversive then a bag smaller than a child's pocket? For many women a bag of some sort is an absolute necessity. Allowing one to tote around whatever deemed essential to the survival of one's day. In a world of filters and 'I woke up like this' perfection, being able to carry around the requirements to freshen up throughout the day is a great comfort. No one can deny the relief felt when a panicked fumble reveals the very thing needed to avert potential and absolute disaster.

And being able to present things to appease someone else's nightmare, is the stuff great friendships are built on. Let us not forget one of the great lessons taught us by SATC, as Carrie guarantees herself entrance into the current 'it' spot in exchange for providing the hostess, i.e 'the most powerful woman in Manhattan' with a tampon. Alas, the golden ticket to soaring social status lay at the bottom of her bag.

Social standing aside, there does appear to be a historical/cultural/stereotypical expectation of women and their instinctual preparedness to combat all manner of daily mishaps. There is an assumed ingenuity to women, that the ability to carry stuffs around aids in upholding the idea of. Unexpected rain shower - umbrella needed; new shoes - plasters stat; summer cold - tissues and that old packet of Lemsip; popped button - safety pin; rip or tear - small sewing kit; the list is endless and exhaustive. It is a feat requiring the multi-tasking capabilities of an octopus and the survival skills of Bear Grylls.   

Just the very convenience of having ones possessions to hand is a comfort most would be reluctant to forgo. However, also to most a seemingly pointless handbag wouldn't incur such a tangent. I myself am surprised with the trajectory this post has taken. Yet I can't shake the feeling that a handbag hardly big enough to house air pods, is endemic of a society enthralled by non-existent perfection.

Of course this theory is reliant on the thought that stuff is required to maintain ones day. Whether that be to maintain one's physical appearance, whether it be lunch prepared the night before, or a book for escapism. This teeny bag smooths the edges of what it means to be a functioning human. It is the equivalent of those who commute in trainers and don heels once entering the office. It is a daily mundanity hidden as a means of maintaining a particular facade. The teeny bag is similar, hiding the fact that life is messy and problematic and often requires stuff to resolve and restore normality. 

Without the ability to carry basic necessities and those non-necessities, one is left with a purely ornamental, non functional accessory. And whilst freeing (quite literally as one can go hands-free) the comfort of stuff is negated completely and replaced by the purely aesthetic. The redundancy of function upholds the unrealistic ideals of 'I woke up like this and walked out the door in only the clothes on my back' perfection. Something capitalised on by the Kardashian/Jenner clan who coincidentally have zealously supported the teeny bag, what with it being in sync with their particular brand of unattainable perfection.

The teeny bag is an assertion of carefree and the price (especially when considered in terms of actual square meterage) is a mascot of riches. Myself being without a specific bag-carrier to facilitate this fad bag, plus my commitment to toting around all the stuff and an unwillingness to forfeit payment of my bills, I choose to retain the comfort offered by an actual human scale bag. So I guess I was wrong. This teeny bag doesn't just have the capacity to house air pods, it holds a myriad of problems too.
  

(Images via : cools.com, harpersbazaar.com, purseblog.com & humourandstyle.com)