There’s nothing like a military-inspired trend to highlight the glorious ridiculousness of the fashion industry. And I say that with the greatest affection, of course. Items that were previously created for their utmost functionally are deconstructed, reconfigured and. fashionified until they emerge transformed, like a butterfly from a chrysalis, into objets that come prefixed with adjectives such as “cute” and “brunch-ready”. There are aviator jackets rendered in space-age silver, cargo trousers that come with a “nipped-in” waist, and flight suits that stay very much grounded.
But be that as it may, we can’t deny that many of 2024’s “utility” trends are actually quite, well, utilitarian. The return of the cargo bag is the perfect case in point. Riding the wave of the Noughties renaissance, the multi-pocket cargo bag started to make its presence felt on Miu Miu’s spring/summer 2023 catwalk, where large-pocketed belt bags were slung across prim, pleated midi-skirts. It was during this same season the brand released its Pocket bag, a boxy shoulder style that quickly became an It-girl favourite. Unsurprisingly, by the time the spring/summer 2024 runways rolled around, the silhouette had extended itself into the collections of Acne Studios, Fendi and Simone Rocha, to name but a few, and I have no doubt that many others will soon follow.
Identifiable by its boxy silhouette and multi-pocketed design, not every cargo bag is the ultimate functional fashion piece, but after many years of doggedly squeezing our iPhones into postage stamp-sized micro bags and losing our house keys in the endlessly capacious depths of XXL totes, we can’t deny that the mid-sized, no-nonsense appeal of the cargo bag is filling a hole we didn’t know existed in our accessories capsule.
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So where should we be looking for the gold standard cargo bag this season? As always, our first port of call is resale sites, as you can find some seriously good unbranded Noughties styles at very reasonable prices. Mulberry’s Roxanne is also a great archival search term to explore, with the brand’s online pre-loved category packed full of stylish iterations to explore. When it comes to new styles, meanwhile, Miu Miu’s Pocket bag and Fendi’s Maxi Multipocket baguette are both clear winners, however those of us on a smaller budget should check out the likes of Vagabond’s Valance and Charles & Keith’s Mathilda bag, which are both ideal accompaniments to a winning transeasonal wardrobe. Standing to attention never looked so chic.
