I hate those days when all of my crap just will. not. fit. in my work bag. And I hate it more when needing all of said crap means carrying a bag that could also carry me. This is when the double bag speaks to me. It calls out to me in hushed, sexy tones. It feels like a forbidden styling choice to my financially-imposed minimalism. I may be minimal in my accessories but clearly not when it comes to all of my crap. Is this just secret hoarding? I am asking myself. Please do not answer. I do not want to know, thank you. This 2 bag written observation has been a slow work in progress because I fear I actually have no real point to make in it. It’s more that I’ve been seeing it and connecting its dots and now I want to tell you. Riveting stuff. I can hear you saying “please get on with it, I am dying to know why 2 bags instead of 1 might be the most realistic intersection of fashion and function, it is imperative I find out and see every single related image reference”. You’re in luck.
The first place I spotted the fashionable double bag hauler was in the highly-underrated 2001 film, Someone Like You. This film may also be called Animal Attraction though I cannot confirm. I just see two (confusing) options on my Apple TV. It is surprising that I had never heard of this film until this year given that it has a great cast and features two of my favourite film contexts - a pre-iPhone New York City and women who work in journalism between the ages of 25 and 40. I had to buy it through the iTunes Store, which is an app I may be single-handedly keeping alive through my film purchases. I cannot find it anywhere else.
The two male leads are played by Greg Kinnear and Hugh Jackman. Both are great in their characters. Both provide outfit references that I have since saved for menswear fashion inspiration1. But more importantly the protagonist is played by Ashley Judd with a pixie cut and accompanied by the always great Marisa Tomei as her token early 2000s best friend. Though far from the maximal style of her award-winning character in My Cousin Vinny, Tomei’s looks are still screenshot worthy. The two women dress in a way that feels utterly timeless and yet time-defining. Probably because style of the late 90s/early 2000s never seems to be “out”. Both women sport two bags each to their respective workplaces. If you’d like to know about the actual plot of the film, I suggest watching it. This is already a lengthy read.
Note that both Judd and Tomei’s characters carry all of their bags on one shoulder so as to stay connected on their flip phone conversation. The characters tend to reflect similar styling choices and behaviours throughout the film, solidifying their friendship as somewhat of its own secret but integral character. While Judd’s bags are more deliberately subtle for her character despite one being a patent Prada, Tomei’s bags consist of a large yellow Tod’s patent leather tote and a black Gucci Jackie. I like to think that the smaller bags are for client lunches and last minute drinks after work, whilst the shoulder-crushing luggers are for research books, papers, notebooks, gym wear, a change of shoes, snacks, a makeup bag, 4 types of beverage and a large zip wallet. The list could go on as long as it all fits in the bag. I loved spotting the Tod’s tote as I have been interested in the Tod’s resurgence since reported by
and you can probably do some digging and still find a decently-priced one online if you feel like carrying your life’s inventory into the office.Some extra notes about this film that I deem noteworthy are: It was directed by Tony Goldwyn - best known on TikTok for making audiences question why he is not married to Kerry Washington, but also known by normal people for a whole lot more. The costume designers, Michelle Matland and Ann Roth, have also worked on some of my favourite fashion films that are not actually about fashion, a.k.a the best kind of film. Examples include The Only Living Boy in New York, Julie and Julia and Working Girl. Ellen Barkin stars as the classic empowered boss who may or may not have a job contract that specifies she must wear at least one inappropriately slinky black dress to the office - see also: Lana Jong, the magazine boss lady character in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
After watching that film twice in one week to make sure I hadn't missed anything, I started seeing 2 bags on 1 person everywhere. And not in a hallucinatory way. In Nancy Meyers’ The Intern (2015) Anne Hathaway’s character carries 2 bags into her company office. In the unintended prequel, Devil Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway also plays Andrea Sachs and has a whiny, realist boyfriend who expresses confusion and unsolicited concern about women needing more than one bag. Given that he does not work in an office and is in fact a prep chef or line cook or whatever they call the one that makes sauces, it is understandable that he would never need more than his collection of knives, a pack of cigarettes and a lighter and so of course a need for any number of bags evades him. Also, I’m pretty sure he just doesn’t like women that much??? Let me not start writing a critical essay about him.
The corporate use of the double bag also appears in a few episodes of Will & Grace when Grace Adler is on the set of her own interior design office. Though not much work gets done, many bags are present. There are a lot of leather briefcases on that show.
I am not intending to promote corporate life but I also won’t shun it completely. It just so happens that the functionality of 2 bags is very useful when working. And bonus points if both bags are cute. There can be romance to discover in a 9 to 5 just as in most mundanities. For example, getting coffee is always romantic to me. Even when it’s from the scary office coffee machine that steams milk like it’s about to launch into space. I particularly like when characters get coffee in films and tv shows. Notably, the coffee walk-and-talk scenes in Sex and the City, the episodes of Friends that primarily take place in Central Perk and watching Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee when I’m drinking my morning coffee at the weekend. You say obsessive, I say world building.
Of course, working in an office can also be devastating, like when your pitta breads get thrown out unbeknownst to you and your soup burns in the microwave and you secretly cry in mourning of what could’ve been a decent lunch. A lunch that you may or may not have been waiting hours for. True story. But other times, a desk job is great because you get to be the star of your own 1990s/2000s movie. Have I realised a little too late that this is potentially too mundane to dedicate this many words to? Yes. Do you need to possess a level of delusion to achieve this feeling? Absolutely.
In the first Sex and the City movie, the better of the two if you can believe it, Carrie carries (sorry) 2 bags to eat Pret sandwiches in a park gazebo on her outing of forgiveness with Miranda. One is a big leather brown tote and the other is a mini Chanel flap with the typical chain handles. The big bag is for her sandwich, the little bag is for her sympathies towards Miranda.
Gradually, this functional fashion choice became noticeable in my real life observations too. I remembered that Coach had presented giant carryall bags on their FW24 runway. The lugger, now aptly named the Empire, was host to many a bag charm, one of which was actually just a smaller Coach bag with a quilted Chanel flap-esque design. This week I saw a 2 bag combo on Instagram fashion girl Maïna Suarez in the form of a nylon Prada bowling bag and a small yellow mini bag. The latter of which is captioned as the holder of her lip combo. So even though we might be inclined to buy less these days, at least now we can hold everything we own across our 2 bags and all on one shoulder or in one hand.
In a similar universe of accessory maximalism, the iconic Lori Hirshleifer displayed for us a Matryoshka doll unveiling of her “carry on” bag. And while I’m not sure her and I are ever flying on the same kind of plane, let alone with the same airline (if any), it was an unbridled joy to watch 2 emerald Birkins un-nest from a behemoth Loewe puzzle tote. I’ve also caught more glimpses of bags as protected art after spotting a couple of women forego the common purpose to “hold all” and instead carry laptops and books separately in-arm, either because the bag is new and precious or because it is simply too small for things and too exciting to leave at home in a dust bag.
You may have noticed I have neglected to speak further on the shoulder pain related risks of 2-bag lugging. You should know that this is just part of the experience and I will not speak on it further because orthopaedy2 bears no romance. That may be one mundanity that I cannot romanticise. Though I do recommend switching up the shoulders and maybe carrying a bag in hand or in the crook of the arm if you’re expecting an important call or want to stay on the line with your equally stylish friend.
I feel the need to disclaim that I have a funny feeling I saw a Substack piece on the two bag thing a little while ago but I couldn’t find it again despite extensive searching. I never read it but hopefully it doesn’t seem as though I have plagiarised their work, which I’ve noticed is a common experience on this platform as of late. If they too had their office pitta breads thrown out then it is sheer coincidence and I send them my sincerest condolences. I know such pain.
Thanks for reading. Especially if you made it this far.
I’ll be back sooner this time. Maybe with something shorter oops.
See you then.
It is possible I have made up this word.
Please keep these long form. ♥️
Tiny bag lovers rejoice! I can finally bring more than a chapstick with me and still wear my very expensive too little purse I impulse bought last year