From Pashlis to PS1s, the 'It' Bags of the 2010s Are Staging a Comeback

3.1 Phillip Lim launched the Pashli bag in 2011. The sleek, structured satchel boasts expandable zippers, top handles and a minimal front clasp. As the designer puts it: "It was instantly recognizable without being overly branded."

The very first campaign for the Pashli was called "Girls on Bikes," and featured women in heels and trousers biking around New York City with the bag slung crossbody or in a front basket. To Lim, it was an ode to women on the go.

"We were just coming off logomania of the early aughts. From moms picking up their kids at school to the biggest street style stars of the decade, everyone was carrying one in the 2010s," he writes via e-mail.

3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli in street style over the years

The Pashli is just one of a class of "It" bags that dominated the early 2010s, a unique era in fashion when blogs obsessively tracked what celebrities were wearing and identified must-have accessories based on the outfits of the highest echelon. If it was photographed on the arms of Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller or Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen, it could become an overnight sensation.

It didn't go just one way: The designers creating these "it" bags would sometimes draw inspiration from these very trendsetters, like Marc Jacobs did with its Stam bag (launched in 2005, named after model Jessica Stam) and Mulberry with its Alexa (launched in 2010, named after Chung), giving customers the chance to buy into the looks of their style icons.

Fashion trends are known to move in 20-year cycles; adjusting for the fast-forwarding effect of social media, the timing is just about right for these late-aughts and early-2010s styles to become "it" again, with a new generation discovering them for the first time — either on the secondhand market or through the brands directly, since many still include them in their accessories assortments, or have reintroduced them.

"A lot of the interest does stem from nostalgia being such an important way for people to dress these days, looking to vintage as a way to drive personal style and seeing vintage bags on so many models and TikTok influencers," Kelly McSweeney, senior merchandise manager of women's for The RealReal, says. "The brands can really understand that the demand is there. Their merch teams are probably in the background quickly working to get these re-editions put out."

Any brand with an expert marketing team will see nostalgia bubbling up on social media and take advantage of the timely buzz, but the truth is that there's a sense of timelessness that has carried the most beloved, recognizable bags through multiple generations.

"Some of the most iconic 'It' bags haven't lost momentum since they were created nearly 30 years ago because they get better with age," says Rickie De Sole, women's fashion director at Nordstrom. "Take Gucci's Jackie Bag, a classic shape that's stayed relevant over the years, thanks to new iterations from Tom Ford to Alessandro Michele and now Sabato de Sarno. It looks fresh with every iteration, but the DNA of the bag remains the same."

The Jackie dates back to 1961. Back in September 2023, Gucci brought back a more recent style, the Gucci Horsebit Chain — which first debuted on Tom Ford's Fall 2003 runway for the brand — and has placed it on tastemakers like Dua Lipa, Dakota Johnson and Rihanna.

Fashion houses returning to and revising their archives is by no means a new concept. In 2018, Dior’s Saddle Bag had its moment, boosted by the brand's own marketing team. Y2K stars like Prada's Re-Edition Nylon and the Fendi Baguette have also staged their returns over the last few years; the former was even named "Bag of the Year" by Lyst in 2022, based on its popularity. More recently, the return of Phoebe Philo has not only sent fans clamoring over her namesake line, but it has also sparked renewed interest in her creations at both Chloé and Céline. "There's so much buzz around Pheobe Philo’s new line, we’ve seen a lot of the original Phoebe styles from Céline be really strong in recent days," McSweeney confirms.

In 2023, Marc Jacobs reissued the Stam, leaning into the nostalgia with a campaign starring Ashlee Simpson, Ashanti and Stam herself. As a result, searches for the Stam on The RealReal are up 30% YOY. Meanwhile, the once-ubiquitous Alexa remains a staple of Mulberry's collections, appearing most recently in the brand's 2023 holiday campaign.

Mulberry's Alexa, 2023 holiday edition

McSweeney groups shoppers into two categories: those who are looking for the original version of the "It" bag, which may have a lower price point at resale and come with more unique details, and those who want the newest version of the design. For example, in 2024, shoppers have their choice in Proenza Schouler PS1 — they can go for the original from 2009, either new or used, or they can buy into Jack McCollough and Lázaro Hernandez's reimagining of the bag's motifs as seen throughout their most recent runway collections.

Of course, the revival of all these quintessential "It" bags from the late aughts and early 2010s doesn't mean there won't be room for more recent designs, as the formula has naturally evolved for what makes something an "It" bag today.

"Smaller brands tapped into the zeitgeist and found ways to deliver a must-have bag at an attainable price, making them more relevant than ever — a departure from the bags of the past," says De Sole. (She cites Luar's Ana bag and Telfar's logo shopping bag as styles that define the current era, and hold their value without having to feed into a trend.)

Today, Lim still spots the Pashli in the wild and on Instagram, but he's also looking ahead to what "it" bag will define the next era of women on the go. (He's betting on his brand's latest launch: a revamped ID style.)

"There are always new trends, but the real 'It' bag is one that's timeless, one that grows with you and gets better with time," he says.

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