Petite
Local designers, retailers shrink handbag offerings as consumers look to carry less
“It's gotten out of style,” said the Hampden resident. “I'm a single woman in my late 30s. There's really no place to put it. It's a hassle.”
Take a recent morning, for example.
“I grabbed my wallet and stuck it in my bra and then went out,” she said.
Duran's approach reflects a growing trend, according to market analysts and fashion industry experts. The days of the oversized Louis Vuitton totes and larger-than-life Hermès Birkin bag appear to be a thing of the past. Instead, customers are opting for smaller handbags, wallets and other accessories.
Local designers and retailers have taken note and followed suit, producing and stocking more clutches, wristlets and crossbody bags.
“There is a demand for a bag that can carry a phone and not much more,” said Koren Ray, owner of Annapolis-based accessories brand Hobo International.
Ray said she first noticed a shift 18 months ago and saw it take full effect during the holidays.
“Smaller crossbodies are huge for us right now,” she said. “Even our wallets are getting smaller. With Apple Pay and everything on our phone, women are needing to carry smaller essentials. We are all looking for simplicity — a way to lighten our load.”
Shopping habits — particularly among millennials — account for most of the shift, according to Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group, Inc., a global information company.
In the past, buyers were driven by a collectible approach, especially when it came to designer shoes and handbags.
“The shift occurred as millennials tried to make their money stretch longer,” he said. “Practicality is ruling out over collectability.
“It's not about the status anymore. It's about the functionality. We are spending more practically and purchasing more products, but spending less money on them.”
Experts attribute the change to a societal shift focusing on a more simplified lifestyle, coupled with the growth of mobile technology, which has led for less clutter and hence the need for smaller accessories.
“All a woman needs is lip gloss, phone and credit cards,” said Duran.
Sales of money accessories other than wallets increased 13 percent to almost $23 million in 2016, according to The NPD Group.
A desire to be “organizationally focused” and have an active lifestyle has also driven the shrinkage in size, according to Cohen.
“These bigger bags are not right for this active look,” he said.
Duran points out safety as another reason why she'll carry a smaller crossbody bag when she's not stuffing her wallet in her bra.
“I wear it over the shoulder,” she said. “It's easier for someone to grab [a] purse and run. Nobody is going to grab it from my boob.
At Handbags in the City, owner George Sakellaris has seen an upswing in the popularity of smaller crossbody bags — particularly from Tory Burch and Marc Jacobs. While he still sells plenty of totes, he estimates that smaller handbags account for 30 percent of the inventory in his Harbor East store — up 10 percent from this time last year.
“They are trying to downsize so that their hands are free,” he explained. “Designers are even putting straps on the larger bags. It's more secure and close to the front of their body.”
And handbags aren't the only products be affected by the recent lifestyle shift.
Sam Feldman, owner of CardBuddy, a College Park-based company that specializes in accessories geared toward cellular phones and other electronics, capitalized on the trend by unveiling a new product.
His CardBuddy and CardBuddy Delux — plastic and leather card carriers that can be attached to the back of cellular phones — have sold more than 15,000 combined units since December 2014.
“It seems obvious that society is moving toward smaller things,” said Feldman, an Owings Mills native and University of Maryland College Park graduate. “The amount of times that you'll need that card isn't often. Plus, it makes your pants a little less comfortable to carry around.”
Other local accessories designers are embracing the shift, too.
Linell Jackson, the Columbia-based designer of the Linell Ellis handbag brand, has always incorporated a lot of clutches and crossbody bags in her collections.
“The clutch has always been our most popular bag,” she said. “People are using it more. It's primarily more for evening wear. Now it's being used for daytime and casual occasions. The clutch has become a go-to.”
Jackson first noticed more designers making smaller handbags and accessories about two seasons ago.
“Women want something that they can wear on them or carry,” she said. “It's more toward their lifestyle. For the Linell Ellis girl, they want to be able to go from day to night.”
Smaller accessories are particularly popular, according to Danielle DiFerdinando, owner of the internationally sold Danielle Nicole brand of handbags and accessories.
“When I am on air on HSN, I hear a lot of feedback from my customers,” said DiFerdinando, an Ellicott City native who is now based in New York City. “They want function to meet fashion.”
DiFerdinando has added special wallet compartments, smaller wristlets and phone sleeves into her handbags over the years to accommodate the need to carry “just the essentials” like phones, identification, credit cards, cash and makeup.
The smaller bags and colorful clutches are also a subtle way for women to show off their personality. DiFerdinando recently launched a collection of Disney-inspired clutches and handbags in the shapes of iconic characters such as Tinker Bell, Sebastian the crab from “The Little Mermaid” and Snow White.
“It's a fun new way for them to wear color,” she said.
Ray, of Hobo International, agreed.
“Women are recognizing that it is a great way to wear a trend without out a big financial investment and fashion investment,” said Ray, whose collection ranges from $88 for wristlets to $168 for small crossbody bags. “There is a way to play with trends without that look taking over that fashion story.”
Whatever the reasons for the shift in consumer preferences, the forecast is clear, Cohen said: “The smaller bag business is going to continue to grow.”
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