A $20 viral handbag that's an affordable take on the 'quiet luxury' trend was just named the hottest fashion item of 2023 so far
Uniqlo.com
- A $20 Uniqlo bag that went viral on TikTok has been named the hottest product of the year so far.
- There are more than 87 million views of the "Uniqlo bag" on TikTok.
- This bag is an affordable take on the "quiet luxury" trend that is dominating fashion.
A $20 Uniqlo bag that went viral on TikTok has been named the hottest product of the year so far by the fashion search platform Lyst.
This low-key, and relatively low-cost, shoulder bag — officially called a "Round Mini Shoulder Bag" — is the cheapest product ever to be included on Lyst's ranking, which typically features handbags from household luxury names like Gucci and Prada.
It comes in multiple colorways and has fallen in and out of stock over the last few months as the buzz around it on social media has intensified. There are more than 87 million views of the "Uniqlo bag" on TikTok, for example.
Though TikTokers are praising the bag for its deceptively roomy interior, another part of its appeal is its minimalist zip-top design. The bag falls neatly into the quiet luxury — or stealth-luxe trend — that has become a major talking point in the fashion industry in recent months.
Quiet luxury is the antithesis of the flashy "dopamine dressing" that dominated the fashion cycle after the pandemic. The trend encompasses high-quality clothing that is both timeless and understated, Thomaï Serdari, director of the fashion and luxury MBA program at NYU's Stern School of Business, recently told Insider's Avery Hartmans.
Most recently, it has been best characterized by the costume choices of the main characters in HBO's series "Succession" where $600 Loro Piana baseball caps and $700 Tom Ford jackets are the norm.
To the untrained eye, low-key pieces without logos might look frugal, but in reality, it is all smoke and mirrors.
The uber-rich are buying understated products "but not leaving the price tag on (metaphorically speaking) so only those in equally wealthy positions would recognize the monetary value of the item," fashion business consultant Dr. Carolyn Mair told BBC Culture. It's the sense of: "If you know, you know," the BBC wrote.
Fashion experts say this trend is partly a reaction to the current economic climate.
"When huge bits of the population are struggling to hang onto or heat their homes, flaunting extreme expressions of wealth looks tone-deaf," Lorna Hall, director of fashion intelligence at trend-forecasting firm WGSN, told Insider in an email.
"Right now, we are living through times that call for that more pared-back approach," she added.
And this pared-back approach is now tricking down into mainstream fashion.