Why People Are Upset as Women Turn Hermès Makeup Bags Into Purses

Makeup bags as everyday purses

Some luxury fashion enthusiasts object to women carrying makeup bags as everyday handbags. The items include Hermès Bride-a-Brac pouches and Bolide cosmetic cases, as well as Chanel makeup bags.

The Bride-a-Brac was designed as a wash bag or travel pouch. Its structured canvas body and wide zippered opening can hold everyday items such as a phone, keys, sunglasses and lip products.

Luxury bags have varied origins

The Louis Vuitton Noé was originally made to carry champagne bottles. Both bags are now among the best-known luxury bags, illustrating how an item's use can change over time.

The debate and class signals

Ishmael argues that calling the makeup bags “tacky” points to class politics within fashion. Luxury goods and knowledge of unwritten style rules can act as signals of belonging, she writes.

She recalls a fashion editor questioning why she had not invested in a “real designer bag,” despite her $400 Coach purse. Ishmael says the exchange left her feeling that fashion and personal style had a price tag she was not meant to meet.

Personal style and improvisation

Women have long repurposed clothes and accessories, Ishmael writes, citing belts worn as necklaces and oversized shirts used as dresses. She sees improvisation as part of fashion. Her view is that a bag can serve as a purse if it carries belongings and its owner enjoys using it. She says women do not need others’ approval to wear items in the way they choose, and that the dispute is not especially serious.