What’s New: Why We’re Wearing Small Bags

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What’s New: Why We’re Wearing Small Bags

Words by Mr Jim Merrett

27 March 2019

Bags have gone from superfluous to must-have accessories, and shrunk in the process.

No matter how hard you try to KonMari your life, the reality is that being a man in the early 21st century comes with a lot of baggage. Your smartphone might have rendered your notebook, Walkman and physical Pokémon collection obsolete, but you’ll still want to hang on to your watchwallet and keys, even if it is up to these tasks, too. Regardless, smartphones only seem to be getting bigger as we demand ever larger screens to prod with our greasy digits. In all, it amounts to a lot of stuff.

The emergence of what Off-White’s Mr Virgil Abloh has coined “accessomorphosis”, the fusion of accessories and articles of clothing, has led to an explosion of pockets on our outerwear. But in truth, pockets will only get you so far. And as anyone who has had to hurriedly empty out every last item from the numerous forgotten recesses of their vesture into a plastic tray while an unimpressed airport security officer glares impatiently at them will know, it pays to keep your personal effects together in one place.

The rise of the small bag, then, should not come as a great shock. Essentially a means of sub-contracting out the heavy lifting that your pockets traditionally take on, the belt bag has been at the forefront of this shift. Worn across the body like a beauty-pageant sash – or the strapping strap of a messenger bag, so as not to enrage your delicate masculinity any further – this stylish and practical method of carrying items has gained traction not just on fashion-show runways but on actual people IRL. This is, however, far from the only mode at your disposal.

Below, then, you will find an array of carriers – from pouches to wash bags – that have just landed on site. And while they might be diminutive in proportions, they will hold their own when it comes to holding what you own.

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