FashBlog.com

By Brandi M. Seals

Why is it that giant, shiny bags are taking over in the world of purses? I cannot even call these bags "purses." They are too big. One could fit a medium sized dog in there; or an outfit, makeup, and other items that would have previously required a gym bag to be transported.

Why does anyone need that much space? I know I do not. My purse is already bigger than it needs to be and it is less then half the size of most the new purses out there. I always keep on hand my wallet, pepper spray, a small notebook, a few pens, feminine hygiene products, assorted chapstick and makeup. Clearly I have a lot in there and I still have extra room. I would not know what to do with the added space a bigger bag provides.

It seems that young teens are attracted to the humongous bags. I guess they just see that they are really popular with celebrities. I have seen Paris Hilton, the Olson twins and several other supposedly hot young celebrities toting these things around. Of course, their giant bags are far more pricey than the ones most of us can afford. But, our knockoffs can still cost a pretty penny. I guess all that extra fabric raises the cost.

The non-teens who are rushing out to get the bags are either really in touch with what is in style now or are reminiscent of the giant bags that were big during the 80s. There is nothing quite like a blast from the past to get everyone to dive back in to old fashion mistakes. Giant bags are not the only thing trying to sneak back in. The skinny jeans, long shirt dresses, and I have even seen an occasional leg warmer out there.

I remember only a few short years ago when the ultra-tiny bag was the hot item to have. Barely anything fit in there. One could carry around a lipstick and a wallet. Nothing else would fit. I avoided that trend, opting for a bag just a bit larger. This time I have noticed to size of my everyday purse slowly increasing. It will never be the Texas-sized bags that everyone else seems to like, but I will attempt to bridge the gap.

I guess that is all anyone can do. You either cling whole heartedly to a new trend that is so different from the everyday life, or you adopt the concept of it in a small way. By not going full force into a new trend you can maybe avoid wasting money if the trend goes out quickly.

Think back to those tacky mesh or lace gloves that Lindsey Lohan tried to resurrect a couple of months ago. Some places began selling the gloves. Other places avoided them, knowing that the public was not willing to bring back that 80s Madonna-esq fashion statement. Those that avoided the gloves were happy. They did not catch on. Anyone who sunk money into them is probably wondering what they can do with them now other then donate them to a second hand store.

I do not know about the giant bags. It seems like they might be here to stay - at least for the next couple of years. I might even break down and buy one if they manage to hold out that long. I just know that I do not want to go drop money on one only to have it be tacky within a couple of months.

This is exactly how I felt about flair pants. I was convinced no one would get into flairs. I waited, they did not go away. In fact they took over the stores (at least in the juniors department). They were around for over a year before I tried a pair on. I avoided the giant flares but pretty soon I owned mostly flair legged pants. That worked out well for me as the pants style stayed on for so long.

When trying to decide whether or not to jump on the bandwagon of a new trend you can either dive right in or sit back and watch. If you are on a budget, I highly recommend the sit back and wait method. That way you can save your money if the trend does not pick up. If it is a resurrected trend you could try to find something comparable in a good second hand store.