The end of the microbag era
Remember when Jacquemus’ Le Chiquito went viral because it could barely fit a lip balm? Or when Lizzo pulled up to the AMAs with a Valentino bag the size of a keychain? Cute, yes. Practical? Never. But for the last five years, microbags somehow ruled the trend cycle, turning “impractical” into aspirational.
But here’s the thing: Fashion’s obsession with tiny is finally looking… small. The Fall 2025 runways were stacked with XXL hobos, oversized totes, and messenger bags you could camp in. Even Bottega’s cult pouches are stretching out again, Dior’s Book Tote refuses to shrink, and The Row’s slouchy shoulder bags are everywhere. September feels like a reset: Functionality is chic again.
And it’s not just about size, it’s also about mood. After years of minimal, meme-worthy bags, fashion seems to be craving bags that carry more than an AirPod case and a single mint. TikTok’s “what’s in my bag?” videos are suddenly interesting again, not depressing. The pendulum is swinging back toward bags that can actually live with you—commute, coffee, laptop, chaos and all.
The microbag had its moment. Now the only question is: Who is ready to carry the weight of what comes next?
Because let’s be honest: We’ve seen this before. The last time bags were this big was the mid-2000s, when a Balenciaga City bag could practically double as carry-on luggage and Marc Jacobs’ Stam was glued to every tabloid starlet’s arm. Paris Hilton’s Diors were not small, Mary-Kate Olsen’s hobo bags looked like they carried entire apartments, and “Gossip Girl” basically made the oversized tote a character of its own. Those bags were not about minimalism, they were about chaos. Receipts, lip glosses, flip phones, magazines, maybe even a Yorkie. Life, in its messiest, chicest form.
Fast forward to 2025, and the energy is the same. Oversized totes, Bottega hobos, even messenger bags big enough to double as weekender luggage are creeping back into closets. But this is not about irony, it is about craving the messy glamour of an era when bags carried actual lives, not just Instagram aesthetics. Big bags say: I have got things to do, places to be, and I am bringing everything with me.
After years of lockdown minimalism, “quiet luxury,” and fashion that fit neatly into a phone screen, there is something refreshing about a bag that refuses to stay small. September has always been fashion’s real new year, and this one feels like the season of excess—not in sequins or logos but in scale.
Oversized bags also tap into the current obsession with Y2K nostalgia. Just like low-rise jeans and baby tees, big bags carry a cultural memory: of chaos, of freedom, of going out without knowing when you would be home. They are not just accessories; they are artifacts of an energy people want back.
The oversized bag has never really been just an accessory, it has always been the outfit. A Dior tote can transform sweatpants into airport chic. A large Loewe Pebble bucket bag makes a jeans-and-tee combo feel editorial. Even the most beaten-up leather carryall looks intentional when it is thrown over a shoulder with attitude.
Unlike microbags, which shrink into the background once the novelty wears off, big bags demand attention. They swing, they slump, they dominate proportions. They do not complete a look; they create one. That is why no matter how many times trends cycle, the oversized bag always finds its way back.
The microbag was cute, a clever pop for an Instagram age. But the oversized bag has always been the real statement. This fall, it is not just back. It is taking up space, exactly the way fashion should.
