My heart was pounding outside my chest as I read the words ‘millennial birkin.’
How dare any bag try to oust the coveted Hermès Birkin from its tanned leather thrown? For decades, the Birkin has been a symbol of high fashion; exuding elegance, power, and class with its near-transparent finish, inaccessible price point, and growing army of A-list fans. A birkin, after all, is not just an accessory, it’s a marker of the luxury lifestyle.
If there was another bag that could carry such a significant influence over society, I had to know everything about it. What I didn’t realize, was the fact that I already know everything about it. The bag in question is the slouchy, puffy, minimalistic everyday shoulder bag from the Japanese designer, Uniqlo. A sling I’ve seen thrust across the shoulders of influencers on all of my social media accounts, carried by a good portion of the Lower East Side’s trend-setting pedestrians, and often staring back at me from the window of Uniqlo’s 5th Avenue storefront. The bag came out in 2020 and immediately flew off the shelves, causing supply shortages. Last year, Lyst named the bag the hottest product of their first quarter — and the cheapest to make it on the list. Four years later, shoppers are still rushing to get it.
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The $19 Round Shoulder Mini Bag is neither exuberant nor expensive, but it is a perfect emblem of my generation — not millennials, but Gen Z. The unpretentious pouch is genderless, spacious, lightweight, and functional, marked by a worn-in texture that sharply rejects the concept of lavish newness and shaped to fit an active lifestyle, with plenty of room for a smartphone, wallet, and large water bottle. Some have nicknamed it the ‘banana bag,’ for its uniquely curvy crescent build.
The ‘banana bag’ might seem like a slap in the face to some of its more elaborate boomer bag predecessors, but the shoulder bag has spoken: designer bags are aging, and casual cool is in.
The ‘Millennial’ or ‘Gen Z birkin’ is constructed to reflect the values and lifestyle led by Gen Z consumers
We like big serviceable bags. It’s a fact. Form may have topped function in decades past, but Gen Z has put that methodology in reverse. Comfort and wearability come first, always. Contrary to what some may think about our generation, twenty-somethings still have an incessant urge to get off the couch and do things, perhaps since we spent our early twenties cooped up during the pandemic.
We shop for items that reflect our dynamic lifestyles. Consumer data by GWI Luxury shows that 68% of Gen Z respondents reported wearing athleisure clothing a few times a week. These shoppers are looking for items that conform to their active lifestyle — understated pieces that can be worn-hands free — like Uniqlo’s Shoulder Bag, which is also water-repellent, and large enough to fit an assortment of essentials.
While comfort is paramount, younger shoppers also look for fashion as a means of expressing their identities. Unsurprisingly, Gen Z is also 33% more likely than other age groups to purchase items that can be customized. Uniqlo has tapped into this desire by offering customization at various locations. In Scotland, customers at the new Edinburgh store can have their bag embroidered with a can of the country’s famous Scottish soda. The Shoulder Bag is also available in a sea of neutrals and pastels, plus seasonal prints, and patterns.
Why social media loves these bags
Any bag that survives in the Gen Z climate has to be up to par with social media standards. TikTok has become the breeding ground for fashion trends, and the app is also generating billions in e-commerce sales. Gen Z adults are over three times more likely to purchase through TikTok Shop than other adults, according to market research by Emarketer. Affordable fashion products like the Shoulder Bag from Uniqlo seem to perform exceptionally well on the platform.
Back in 2022, creator Caitlin Phillimoore posted a video of herself unpacking an assortment of items from her Uniqlo Shoulder bag: perfume, cookies, keys, headphones, a camera, and even a life-saving epi-pen. She provided just one direction to her followers: “Buy this Uniqlo bag.” The clip went viral overnight, with hundreds commenting on the astounding space-saving capacity, many comparing the girl to “Mary Poppins,” suggesting that the bag must have some magical quality.
Uniqlo’s marketing team has capitalized tremendously on social media content, often resurfacing viral posts through its lifestyle magazine, LifeWear. The publication aims to engage consumers with Uniqlo’s philosophy of designing, “simple, high-quality, everyday clothing with a practical sense of beauty ingenious in detail.” The most recent issue highlights styles that respond to “climate change and social conditions” — mirroring many key interests of younger Gen Z shoppers.
So, while I will never say that the ‘Marry-Poppins-Banana-Millennial-Gen-Z-Birkin-Bag‘ could displace the Birkin from its esteemed position, I will say that it might just be the next, fresh-faced ‘it bag’ that is here to stay.
Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag
“To me, UNIQLO is the perfect brand for someone looking to buy high-quality basics at affordable prices, Phillipore said in her feature on LifeWear Magazine. “They also have all kinds of unisex items, but most of all, the styles aren’t swayed by the times. The way I see it, having UNIQLO in your wardrobe takes the headaches out of fashion.”
The Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder bag is now offered in nine base shades, including neutrals and pastels. Seasonal drops are also available, with additional patterns and prints. The cross-body strap is completely adjustable, and the durable polyester fabric is dirt-resistant and water-repellent.
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