Handbags are back out of hiding
Remember handbags? With pubs reopening and picnics to dress for, they’re about to stage a comeback, says Caroline Leaper
Where have all the handbags gone? Long time passing – has it been 16 weeks now? Along with occasionwear and high heels, the handbag, on first glance, looked set to become one of lockdown’s sartorial casualties.
I once was a person who liked handbags a lot. I’ve got 37 in my wardrobe, an obligatory lockdown tidy up reminded me. My newest acquisition, a navy top-handle bag by Korean label gu_de, never even got the chance to see daylight, and waits stuffed with the tags on. The only style I’ve carried in the past three months (aside from a Sainsbury’s “bag for life”) is a trusty old crossbody messenger, which makes getting ready to leave the house feel like gearing up for a mission, and leaves two hands free to push the trolley with gloves on.
Yet, despite the fact that the majority of the UK’S handbags had seemingly gone into hiding, retailers say sales of bags are up on
‘Buyers are making investment purchases which are timeless and have longevity’
this time last year.
From practical, timeless crossbodies to summer’s favourite whimsical basket bags, shopping has still been happening behind the scenes, driving record sales for certain brands. The bestselling styles are diverse in their appearance, but all have a “medium” size in common (none are bigger than 25cm nor smaller than 12cm) and they are all “casual” bags suitable for a multitude of summer occasions (or non-occasions, as the case may be). The only things that no one wants are a giant work bag, or a glittery party clutch.
“Customers are currently making considered investment purchases which are timeless and have longevity,” explains Natalie Kingham, buying director at Matchesfashion. Perhaps surprisingly in the midst of an economic downturn, the retailer is selling plenty of iconic designer styles with price tags of £1,500-plus, all of which hit that medium-size, maximum-versatility sweet spot. Kingham cites Loewe’s Hammock and Puzzle styles as top performers and says sales of Gucci’s vintage-inspired Horsebit 1955 shoulder bags are up 30 per cent over the past four weeks, while styles from Saint Laurent have boomed 94 per cent.
The story is the same at Net-aporter. “In early April, bags experienced an 84 per cent increase year-on-year,” says Elizabeth von der Goltz, global buying director. “We are all beginning to look for the perfect summer bag now the weather is heating up.” Elsewhere in the pre-owned market, sales of vintage bags have increased by as much as 500 per cent year-on-year, according to the luxury resale retailer Handbag Clinic.
People are, it seems, using the time in lockdown to plan ahead, to dreamily browse online, and to consider which bag they might want to carry in the future.
It has also been, against the odds, a great time for smaller brands. Some new names to note for the summer 2020 season include Folklore, a Korean brand with pastel leather styles, and Natasha Barrault, whose checkered sack bags are very Winnie the Pooh with a bindle – the season’s unexpected picnicking fashion muse.
The British accessories retailer Doda had, unluckily, just launched a few months before the coronavirus crisis began. Grace Wright, its founder, says that her business has still managed to get off to a strong start, though, after adapting to the situation and promoting her onlineonly styles.
“It has given people the time to browse and discover independent brands and stores, which they may not have before,” Wright observes. “People are making more considered decisions when shopping and choosing items they want to invest in. Someone shopping or buying a bag currently is looking for a special piece they can look forward to receiving, and plan on wearing in the future.”
For those who, like me, have plenty of bags in their wardrobe that they haven’t touched in months, it’s now time to get reacquainted. With pub gardens set to reopen, and socially distanced picnics to get to, we might finally need to carry more than just our keys again. You’ll unlikely need to pull out a party clutch or a minaudière for a while yet, but summer bag season is Go.
Winter leather styles should be stuffed and put back in their dust bags, making way for light colour leathers, fabric bags and basket bags.
Fashion repairs service The Restory, which recently reopened its doors, has seen a flurry of people taking in bags which they had recognised needed some TLC while in lockdown. To protect your bags when you are not using them, you should stuff them and keep them in dust bags,” advises Emily John, The Restory’s co-founder.
“Leather has a memory and creasing or folds can be difficult to rectify so simply put a cushion or an old towel into your bags to prevent this. If you haven’t stored them like this before, now is the perfect time to start.
“You can wipe your leather bags down with a damp cloth and apply an appropriate leather cream such as carnauba. But don’t use this on suede, nubuck or veg leather. To clean wicker and straw baskets we’d recommend using something with bristles to get into the grooves –a soft toothbrush would work. Dry-brushing should get rid of most of the dust and dirt accumulated, but be gentle. If your basket is malleable, you can try steaming it.”
The one thing you should never do to clean a grubby summer bag?
“Please,” urges John, “avoid babywipes at all costs.”
‘People are looking for a special piece they can look forward to receiving’