Recently, I came across a Tik Tok of a well-known influencer completely murdering her stunning new Gucci tote, precisely the Jackie Hobo Bag. As she was slamming it aimlessly on her pavement steps, each throw to the bag made me cringe a little more. It was this particular moment that made me realize we sought after vintage, antiquated items but without the age and wear to them. We want the old, but not the baggage it comes with.
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One way to actually make an item look used, is to well… use it. Now, to each their own with their belongings, but trashing brand new products does the exact opposite of what we have been preaching since the rise of sustainable fashion over the past couple of years. As this influencer trashed her brand new Gucci tote, I thought of all the perfectly used and charming designer bags waiting to be worn and purchased from any second hand reseller or quant vintage store, one that has been worn in because of love, and not throwing it around in your backyard.
The Birkin bag is the world’s most coveted tote, proving that the luxury item is now a fashion staple. So much that the word Birkin has become an adjective. Jane Birkin wore her very own Birkin in an assortment of ways, giving the term “tote” a run for its money. She would do so much as carry it under the arm as the straps were too small for what was being held inside the bag, may that be books, groceries, trinkets, clothes, your first born child. Not only was the inside used for it’s purpose but the outside of this iconic tote, well in my opinion, is what made it iconic. Accessorized with ribbon, keychains, stickers, and jewelry the Hermès bag was anything but “clean”.
In today’s world, many fashion followers and purse enthusiasts have “birkified” their own bag, symbolizing a sense of uniqueness in such a copy-cat world. While Jane wasn’t just a fashion icon, actress, and singer, she left her mark on this world with how she used her Birkin. Decades later and we are still following her lead. In a society of overconsumption, fast-fashion, and the rapid trend turnover rate; being able to reuse an old bag by adding your own personal touch to it can feel intimate and special.
Admittedly, I used to “save” items in my closet to wear for that perfect moment, delaying gratification. In reality, it would reside in my dresser, dusty and forgotten, because that “perfect moment” never surfaced. The item would end up in to donate pile. So, if there is anything you get out of this, it’s to wear your clothes!! Use your things! Don’t “save” them after you buy them! Your clothes were meant to be worn and loved (not smashed into the hot pavement steps).
Recently, I touched up my own black leather work bag with a few keychains I had laying around. Yellow paint mark is done by the construction painter on 28th and 11th ave. as I was unnoticeably standing under the dripping street light, I now thank him.
Recent inspo I found on Pinterest: