Remember the strange days of fashion in the mid-2000s, when celebs and socialites – in large part prompted by Rachel Zoe – traded in trendy mini bags for massive bucket styles?
The idea went that if your sunglasses and bag were big, you’d look tiny in comparison.
So we donned bug-eyed lenses and paired our ‘boho’ style maxis with bulging leather totes.
Then small bags were back in style. Then it went back to big. Then small again.
Such is the cycle of fashion – a practical, medium-sized bag is rarely considered the peak of style, so we’ll cycle between teeny-tiny and absurdly large.
At the moment, the pendulum has swung back to mini bags. Yes, that means large bags might soon be the trend again, but you can rest assured that after another trend cycle, smaller will be better again.
That means that while a miniature bag – small enough to fit just your phone, card, and keys – ticks off a timely trend, it’s still an investment piece. You’ll just have to wait out any big bag hype on repeat.
So, let’s talk mini bags. They’re great. They appeal to our love of teeny-tiny things – micro pigs! Mini models of supermarket foods! Dainty tattoos! – and thus are adorable.
They’re not practical, and don’t allow for packing a book or an umbrella for your outings, but we can reframe this as a good thing. A mini bag shows you are the type of person who can adopt minimalism when needed, who doesn’t need an entire backpack of material posessions.
It also adds a sort of noughties bimbo aesthetic to any outfit, which is very cool right now.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up the best mini and micro bags to buy now, from the slightly small to the microscopic. Take your pick.
Mini crossbody bag with topstitching
Buy for £19.99 from Zara (available in blue, white, and lilac)
Givenchy Antigona Baby black leather cross-body bag
Buy for £450 from Harvey Nichols
Gessi Pico vegan crossbody bag
Buy for £47.50 from Matt & Nat
White pearl tube grab bag
Buy for £15 from PrettyLittleThing
Trinket box
Buy for £450 from Aspinal of London
Rectangle hand bag
Curve mini bag
Jacquemus Le Petit Chiquito mini leather bag
Truffle Collection micro mini grab bag with strap
Baby Roop bag in orange
Truffle Collection micro mini croc bucket crossbody bag
Adel micro vegan satchel
Buy for £48.75 from Matt & Nat
Neon orange mini bag
Buy for £7.50 from Jaded London
Iris Sage
Lavender micro bo
Buy for £130 from Wicker Wings
Blue faux suede triangle mini bag
Buy for £18 from PrettyLittleThing
Fabric bucket bag with bows
Satin knotted pouch mini bag
Mini cross-body bag
Mini Iris
Ego mini box bag in orange croc
Mini mini bucket bag
Buy for £395 from Mansur Gavriel
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