Epilogue: In honor of the upcoming release of coffee table book extraordinaire, Fendi Baguette, I am resurrecting this post. My style mentor Katie was the first to acquire one of these babies right after Carrie Bradshaw immortalized it into fashion history. Black beading with a royal blue satin lining, it was spectacular. In the following years, I would follow her lead and buy 3 (I was a little excessive back then). Today, only one remains in my closet: midnight blue beading with a matching satin lining. I rarely have occasion to bring it out, but when I do, it’s always special.

Remember that the truly special bags, the iconic bags, never go out of style.

Do you own any variations of the following bags?

If you do, it’s probably not gonna come as a surprise that you own an ‘It Bag’. Chances are, you probably remember when, where, and how you came to possess the bag of that moment. With a few exceptions (Balenciaga and Chanel, mainly), you probably can’t remember the last time you carried your It Bag (if you haven’t yet sold it).

Readers of this blog know of my distaste for rules, and this sentiment extends especially to trends, and in this case, these bags. The reason It Bags come and go with such ferocity is due to overexposure. People get sick of seeing the same bag on every other woman on the street; Owners of these bags get even more sick of something they have to see every day. So they get put away, often sold, a reminder of a relationship that has run its course. New bags come into vogue (Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent and Goyard all had big hits in the last 5 years), more money gets spent, but you find yourself in the same situation again: saddled (pun intended) with something you’re not sure you is still relevant, appropriate or chic.

Screw.That.

In fashion, re-invention has a long and fabulous history. Trends cycle, styles get resurrected, done becomes chic again. All that you need to bring your bag back, is you. Pair your best new outfit with your (old) favorite bag and show other women that it’s okay to bring these bags out of the closet.