We’re still big. It’s the handbags that got small. And they’re only going to shrink further, according to a piece in the Daily Beast today. As designers continue to unveil eentsier and weenstier iterations — like Kate Spade’s 5.5” x 7” x 3” Mini Maise, sported by Anna Kendrick in the brand’s holiday ads, or Louis Vuitton’s Petite Malle Malletage, which comes in at 7.1” x 4.7” x 1.6” — the miniaturization race is on. Elle even shot a Tyler Alexandra bag next to a similar-size teacup pig in its September issue. That doesn’t mean that costs have gone down with the decrease in bag square footage, however — the Vuitton version, about the size of an iPhone 6, comes in at $5,500. Some aficionados are even using them as glorified paperweights. Said Bryanboy, “The petit Malle is a great conversation piece and prop on top of my coffee table books!” He bought two. (He has a lot of coffee-table books to weigh down, presumably.)
Another (unexamined) factor in the itty-bitty accessory’s appeal: A microscopic bag says, “I have people to carry things for me.” Think of red-carpet regulars with their trailing retinue, or street-style stars and their Polly Pocket–size clutches and cross-bodies. Still, anything beats the days when we labored Olsen-style under the weight of huge glorified laundry sacks.
