Bag Charms, and a Conversation on Individuality
Written by Natalia Zeise
One of my favorite trends as of late has been the “Jane Birkinifying” of handbags. Jane Birkin, actress and it-girl of the 60s, was the inspiration for luxury brand Hermés’ most coveted handbag: The Birkin. While these bags can retail from tens of thousands of dollars to millions, Birkin made sure to utilize hers to the fullest. She stuffed her bag full of papers and notebooks, a stark contrast to the lengths of preservation most Birkin collectors go to today. Most notably, Ms. Birkin attached a number of charms and bells to her bag, inspiring the “Birkin-ify my bag with me” trend on TikTok.
To “Birkin-ify”, one needs an oversized bag to embellish. Common accessories include necklaces, key-chains, teddy bears–attached sporadically onto the bag. It's cute; an assortment of trinkets one has accumulated to be proudly displayed. I have participated in this trend as well by tying a red bow to my favorite purse, and clasping a necklace I no longer wear onto the handles. Though intended to display one's own personality, the “Birkin-fication” trend has been at the center of fashion discourse surrounding individuality and personal style.
Pinterest and TikTok remain the main social media platforms for finding fashion inspiration. However, some critics are beginning to point out the fashion echo chamber we seem to be in, with consumers constantly asking the question, “What are we wearing this season?” When one types “Jane Birkin bag aesthetic” into the Pinterest search bar, most of the images are rather similar: a black or brown bag with lace ribbons, heart shaped charms, elegant pearls, and red accents.
They all fit very well with one another, a distinction from Jane Birkin’s original practice. Her bag accessories were randomly attached because, as she says, she liked to hear them “jingle and jangle” when she walked. Looking back at her bag in a 2018 CBS interview, the viewer can see it is not cleanly curated like its pinterest counterparts, but it is authentically hers.
Another qualm against some participants of this trend is the need for instant gratification–buying a bundle of charms on amazon or another retailer rather than accumulating things over time. Critics say that these bags should reflect your individual experiences and personality, in the spirit of Jane herself. In fact, commentators would argue that buying these accessories all at once sidesteps what gives this trend meaning. The question remains, what constitutes authentic individuality versus an unoriginal aesthetic?
I would argue that the debate surrounding individuality in fashion is as much of a critique on a lack of personal style as it is on hyper-consumerism. The frustration stems from the purchasing of a personality, and treating it as something so easily replaceable with the next Amazon order. Passion has been replaced by miles of landfill choking the earth as we continue to swap aesthetics and throw last month’s interests into the trash. It's not about being a poser, it's about mindless purchases that bring us ever closer to a dead planet. Fashion is fun, but at the end of the day, it is never just a bag.
Edited by Hana Razvi & Marlo Pulliam
