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Double bagging- fashion trend or RL?

Carla

Veteran

About a week ago I read an article about 'double bagging' as a runway inspired fashion trend. Googling around I found articles as early as 2012, but an increasing amount starting from summer 2015. The runway pics always show the model carrying two gorgeous leather bags - usually one large, one small in interesting colour mixes (like pic #1) I stumbled on an article that said the average weight of a woman's bag was 6 lbs (but they weighed bags from 1.5 to 15 lbs!)

This got me thinking about my reality (more like pic #2) and what I see everyday on my daily commute. Almost all the women double bag. The norm seems to be a tote (everything from the recycled plastic bottle bags, to stylish leather bags), and a satchel or shoulder bag. Some women opt for a backpack, and purse or bag and there are even a few who use small wheeled bags.

#3 and #4 are my bags. The gym I use in town has a towel service, and soap, shampoo, etc., and I keep running shoes at the office - so I just need a change of clothes, and a few toiletries. I use a smallish gym bag, That also fits my lunch bag (with recyclable coffee cup, and lunch items.) Everything else is in my Neo or one of my Fossil totes and includes a purple change purse (coffee money), yellow wallet, mini purse with emergency stuff like fem hyg, bandaids, etc., tissues, passes for train, account book, day timer, pen, lippy, keys, lanyard with pass key, cell phone, book.

I'm grateful there is no longer a diaper bag to schlep around!

How do you deal with toting the necessities of daily living? Have you ever double bagged? As a fashion statmnet? or necessity?

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32 replies

Latest reply was from Bijou

Anonymous

I double bag every single day of my life. Sigh.

Dee

Veteran

I have definitely double bagged! Usually it was a small messenger bag with laptop and work items, and a smaller handbag for personal items.

Lately, I take transit to work so the less stuff I have to juggle, the better. I now have a large tote that goes over my shoulder that fits everything (wallet, keys, lunchbag, sweater, coffee, etc). However, when I end up packing a laptop or other large items in addition, I still carry my lunch bag separately.

JAileen

Veteran

I see little kids going to school with a backpack and a zippered insulated lunch bag. I always wondered how they could stand that.

Anonymous

I try to single bag whenever possible. I'm ridiculously forgetful and absent minded, so the fewer items to keep track of, the better.

Sal

Veteran

I don't double bag often now but when working in an office in town I used to regularly, especially on public transport.

I normally had one medium sized handbag (wallet, makeup, keys etc) and then one tote (different shoes, umbrella, lunch, sometimes running gear etc..) I did not do it as a fashion statement only as a practical solution.

I am like Aliona and very absent minded so prefer to have as little to remember as possible.

I do wonder if the double bagging as a fashion thing is a bit like the coat worn as a cape or the stilettos worn in the snow......only for a picture or to sell more stuff?

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I like double bagging if it's a small bag like a clutch which goes inside a tote that can haul things you've shopped for. There has to be a reason for double bagging. I used to carry a purse and a laptop but it's been at least 10 years since I had an office job so now it's just a purse. In the 90s I would carry a leather womans briefcase, something from Coach. I put work files in it, just in case I had some spare time to go through some memos and routed reading material. OMG that was so long ago, things have really changed! Do people even use files any more?

At the moment I have a backpack and its contents keep growing and growing. I like keeping a bag at the 2 pound mark, my shoulders are happier. Time to switch bags again!

I wonder if double bagging comes from bloggers receiving status bags for free, or being paid to carry them. Carrying two is just a more efficient way to monetize your brand/blog etc.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

I can barely manage to carry one purse as a fashion statement, let alone two! I do have a big tote bag for work that I put everything in - work that I brought home, my lunch, ID badge, personal stuff, etc., and I have a small wallet/clutch (that I carry in the big tote bag) for when I run out at lunchtime or run errands after work. I love my tote bag - it has snaps on the bottom and snaps on to a rolling stand.

Diana

Veteran

The only time I double bag is sometimes when I bring a tiny purse that I put inside a big tote. The small one is used when going out for lunch, etc, but never at the same time as the big tote. I never ever actually carry two visible purses at the same time. I don't like the look, it makes me feel like a pack animal, it's uncomfortable, and I feel im just asking to leave one of them behind on the bus or subway.

I do carry a nylon shopping bag in my purse most of the time, for when I have to stop by the store on the way home, etc, and in an emergency it can be used as a second bag. But that doesn't quite count as double bagging, I think.

Anyway, I just carry one BIG bag (usually my Longchamp tote) if I have a lot to lug around. It fits my laptop (in a sleeve) and lunch bag, plus various other items.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

What about triple or quadruple bagging? I often have a full gym bag since I change and run in town before going home after work, a purse (wallet, cosmetics, phone, calendar etc.) and a lunch bag. When I carry another (!) tote bag as well, when I pick up office forms on the way to the office, I try to fit my lunch and purse into that tote with the paperwork, but often cannot. So then I have four bags!

Maybe a luggage cart would help me get stuff around.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I find #1 silly, but #2 and your way make sense to me, especially for commuters.

deb

Veteran

I double bag, one my purse, two my tote with my work stuff inside.

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

Yep, I double bag (more like #2) for work. I carry a black tote with my lunch bag, book/magazine, umbrella, sometimes shoes to change into at the office and I carry my purse separately. But I agree that two small purses is kind of silly.

Anonymous

I double bag for work. Never knew it was fashionable to do that, though!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

My SIL double bags daily to work (takes the tube and lives in London). She has a regular bag and a bag with lunch and extra footwear in it.

Some of my clients double bag too - large work tote and small crossbody or clutch.

I don't double bag.

Echo

Veteran

Regardless of runway trends, I don't think it is ever "fashionable" to double bag. However, at times it IS necessary. If one carries a slim computer bag, then it isn't easy to carry a smaller clutch inside it because it won't fit. My choice is always to tuck a clutch inside a larger tote if possible, so I can carry the clutch by itself at lunch or on errands. But like you said, life happens, and I wouldn't want to put a clutch in a gym bag, so I would double bag in that scenario. I think in most cases it is a necessity and not a fashion statement.

kkards

Veteran

i double bag, but I make it look like a single...that is, I put a small bag into my tote that carries my lunch, Ipad, and shoes if needed.
I work with a lot of young women who carry 3 or more bags each day (handbag, gym bag, lunch bag)....personally, it would drive me crazy...i'd just get bigger bag and put my lunch into it...

Renee P

I tend to double bag when I'm on vacations, but not my every day life.

rachylou

Veteran

Not if I can help it!!

Aida

Veteran

I don't need to tote much on a daily basis, so it's just the one small bag for me. If I had to lug more stuff around I'd still find a way to do one bag, and probably just pop my everyday clutch within that larger bag.

EDIT: Ok thinking on it that's not quite true. I do have a gearish looking backpack which holds all my work computer stuff as well as loads of printouts (yes Denise, I still work with lots of paper files!), but it gets carried only to and from my car for a very short walk. Many days I don't need all the peripherals so I will carry my laptop just in its little sleeve. But again, just a short walk to and from my car.

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Anonymous

I gave up double bagging, commuting into the city. For one thing, there is not that much room on subway and GO train for them. I don't want them on my lap. They also make me arms and neck ache.

So I am the frumpy backpack woman. My bag contains wallet, keys, phone, tiny bag of lipstick tampons etc, lunch bag. Once or twice a week I stuff my laptop in to do work from home. I often wear shoes I can commute in and stay all day in (is restrictive on shoe styles). Right now I am slowly dragging in shoes to wear over winter , a black , grey, a winter nude, burgundy etc so I don't have to take every day. It's tedious frankly, but I can't find any other options.

Once in a blue moon I use a nice over the shoulder bag but end up double bagging and my neck aches so I switch back to the backpack.
Anecdotally, I see the more senior women ( as in level, not age) using two very expensive bags but never a backpack, I do wonder if I should worry about style over comfort

abc

Veteran

I double bag often but the practical person in me puts the little one inside the bigger one. It's for necessity not just for looks as I assume the runway and fashion slant does.

Marilyn

Veteran

So, this isn't about grocery shopping.

I suppose I would if necessity called for it. I certainly wouldn't do it strictly as a fashion thing. I know my daughter double bags for work as she needs a separate tote for laptop, lunch bag, etc. When I go shopping I sometimes carry a small Lululemon bag in addition to my purse to put purchases in. But that's a practical thing and certainly not a runway look.

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

I double or triple bag, depending on the workout. On a light day, I'll carry a small purse and a large leather tote; medium days, small purse and knapsack; heavy days, small purse, knapsack and gym bag. In each of these instances, I'm carrying the minimum. I could consolidate everything into a large, hiking knapsack, but I want to keep my metro card and wallet easily accessible, and separate my electronics from gym weight plates. On the rare occasions when it happens, I feel so free just carrying my tiny purse (it's about as big as a large iPhone). I've resigned myself to this pack-mule existence because it's unavoidable unless I stop going to the gym.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh my gosh, yes. All the time. I try to do it as fashionably as I can. Actually, I try to get away with a tote alone or a fashion backpack, and often do. But sometimes that's just not enough room. When I am travelling I take a tote with a clutch or cross body inside so I can wear two different types of bag on the trip.

But I wouldn't carry two status bags. Then again, I don't carry status bags, period, unless Longchamp is a status bag.

anne

Veteran

RL. If I take the bus to work I take the bus to work I have a backpack with gym gear in it, plus my handbag with my wallet, phone etc in it on my shoulder.

Recently though, I have been cycling to work and just taking the backpack with my wallet in it. Left the phone at home since it doesn't work much when I'm not at home anyway! (and i can't call anyone on it anyway)

Colette

Veteran

It's RL. I used to double bag when I worked in an office; purse and briefcase/tote.

plonkee

I often double bag if I'm carrying clothes as I don't want to fish out my wallet and pull out something else with it. I prefer to double bag my two nice leather bags (one large, one small) as I think they contribute to an outfit, but sometimes a backpack is more practical.

Anonymous

I have a gym at the office, so on my workout days, I bring a gym bag in addition to my regular purse.
Lots of women at my office double or triple bag. I'd say a single bag lady is the exception:-)

Mander

(website)

Veteran

I've seen a few people in fashionable areas of London do this, but they were always the type of people who are very obviously Fashion People and not just going to work in a regular office.

Aside from that I see lots of people carrying a tote bag or similar plus their nice stylish bag, but I presume that's for practical reasons rather than wanting to show off that they shop at Daunt Books and Asda, or went to an industry conference in 2010.

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