Micro-Bag Trend: Why We Love These Tiny Carefree Purses

The Spring/Summer 2021 runways proved that our bags are still shrinking and that the micro bags trend is here to stay.

With 5.2 cm long and 8.7 cm high (handle included), the mini version of the Chiquito bag by Jacquemus, unveiled in March 2019, went viral, especially the little snowball design. In addition, fashion designers hopped on the mini bag sky-rocketing trend in the spring-summer 2021 shows, giving their takes on the coveted micro bags.

Worn across the body at Ami, as a belt at Chanel, with your fingers at Dior or around the neck at Emporio Armani or Lemaire, the micro bag has become the most captivating fashion item of the moment. Without forgetting Fendi, which debuted this season with the Pico version (6.5 cm by 6.5 cm) of its cult Baguette bag.

“You can integrate them to your look just like a jewelry”

Axelle Royère, luxury, leather goods and shoes director of Bon Marché, says: “The XXS format is a clever way of attracting younger generations to luxury with more accessible prices”. A look-changer, this miniature accessory also has more than one trick up its sleeve. The idea is not necessarily to take advantage of its functionality but rather to play with its small look.

"These are accessories that are more aesthetic than functional," analyzes Thomas Zylberman, trends expert at the Carlin office. “You can accumulate them, integrate them into your looks like jewels, in short, have fun styling them. Hanging on a belt or wrapped around the neck, they play an important role in building a look". They also have another big advantage: they are highly instagrammable. As proof, the hashtag #minibag which accumulates nearly 1 million images on Instagram: the generation’s favorite social media platform.

Another benefit: its size which forces users to be the good students of the Marie Kondo method, by cutting out the junk and sticking to essentials. “We often tend to accumulate countless things in a handbag. With a mini design, you can concentrate on your essentials. This responds to a current desire for relief and freedom of movement, "insists Thomas Zylberman. But if the mini-bag feels liberating and enables mobility, it also recalls the nostalgia for partying, when we used to wear our fabulous dresses and accessorize them with chic and embellished minaudières.

As a result: "The mini bags matching evening outfits have changed status: we now dare to wear them during the day" concludes Thomas Zylberman.