Obviously, age is not just a number anymore. It was a letter. Honestly, I didn’t even know I was considered part of Generation Z until I started writing this post. All these different labels — Gen X, Y, Z, Boomer, Millennial — are really just trendy ways to describe your age. But putting aside my age concerns, I think it’s time to start thinking about what our generation is wearing today, especially about our bags.
On my way to work, I pass Soho and Nolita, two of the trendiest neighborhoods that attract more than their fair share of skateboarding vloggers. Baguettes, designer belts, mini bags, nylon backpacks and saddlebags surround me. But while these bags have a modern look, their style itself is nothing new. And I realized that being Gen Z is about bringing the past into the present.
I was thinking about one of my favorite handbags (a blue-and-white monogrammed bag) Yves Saint Laurent baguette from the 1950s that my grandmother passed on to me) and what it went through: In 1954, it was housed in a wooden cabinet in a Back Bay apartment. In 1988, it was worn around my mother’s wrist on the way to our first date. And now, it’s 2021 for me, walking the streets of the West Village.
Being a member of Gen Z means we know how to revive a good trend. We take things for granted and use the past for inspiration. The baguette that hits the streets today, was designed by Fendi and popularized in the 1990s. Take a look at the nylon backpack created by Miuccia. Prada in 1984 was the next It bag, or even scrunchie bags, that revived the scrunchie’s 1960s invention and fad. All of our bags pay homage to those who made fashion history, and our generation is doing it again with a distinct 21st-century spin.
So my age is the last letter of the alphabet. And just like Gen Z about appreciating all the bags and mails that came before us, it’s also up to us to start the cycle again. When I think about Gen Z trends now, I realize that at the core of it all is unity. We are the generation that unites all generations, and I am quite proud to be a part of it.
Keep scrolling to see all the Gen Z handbag trends that are reviving the most wearable trends in fashion history.
