They're slimming down because women are buying more compact handbags, and because they don't have to lug around as many cards or thick wads of cash. Fashion trends are pushing shoppers toward sleek, crossbody bags and itsy-bitsy satchels; with phones taking over the role of such physical items as membership cards, loyalty cards, business cards, and even credit cards and cash, there's no need or desire for big, bulging wallets. This means a shift toward more petite wallet designs: zip-around pouches, thin billfold styles, little leather card cases, and so on.
"It's natural that items are getting smaller," said Jaime Cohn-Barr, an editor at fashion-trend forecasting firm WGSN. "People are needing to carry less."
Historically, women's wallets haven't seen much change. In fact, most small leather goods take a back seat to their larger, more visible brethren. They're not presented front-and-center in retail stores and are often buried in the accessories tab at online shops. Wallets just aren't very glam. They spend most of the time wedged somewhere next to a person's keys, gum, lotion, and lipstick. Handbags, meanwhile, are overhauled each season, with flashy new hardware and creative silhouettes.
These useful tools have, for the most part, followed a pragmatic formula: long, rounded rectangles with a zipper or a flap. Now such wallets are being converted to full-on clutches. Many designers make sure to add optional chains or wrist straps to wallets so they can be carried around on their own. One particularly popular tactic is a carry-all tote-for makeup, workout gear, flats-with a teeny zip pouch or wallet stashed away, allowing for an easy switch to a de facto clutch if necessary, said Cohn-Barr.
Fashion's bigwigs have noticed and adjusted accordingly. John Idol, chief executive officer of Michael Kors, referred to the phenomenon last week in a conference call with analysts. At Kors, he said, "much smaller" wallets are selling faster than larger ones. Kors sells all sorts of wallets, from long, continental designs to mini-card holders and smartphone wristlets. Idol pointed to a two- trend in which consumers have veered toward smaller handbags.
"Money pieces now are getting smaller because-again-as more things end up on your phone, you need less things in your wallet," said Idol. "So that's just a fact."
That also gives Kors a chance to upsell its customers. Shoppers downsizing their bags have no choice but to find a correspondingly tiny wallet that will fit. Following the logic further, that upselling is necessary: Smaller bags (and wallets) are cheaper, so stores have to push sales of additional items, instead of selling just one large, big ticket, $600 satchel.
"We've got really well-trained associates, and these associates, quite frankly, know how to upsell in terms of multiple items to get that transaction value up, which is helping in our total conversion rate inside the store," Idol said.
It seems these accessories will kep getting smaller as bags continue to shrivel. Cohn-Barr said she expects to see lots of micro, kitten-sized handbags come the fall 2016 season, although it's unclear exactly how miniature they can get. Some, such as Fendi's micro-lambskin baguettes, are already too small to contain an iPhone 6 Plus.
The Washington Post
Thu Feb 11 2016
A model wears a creation by Michael Kors at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York on 9 September 2007.
Sultan Selangor berangkat ke majlis bacaan yasin, tahlil di Pangkalan TLDM
Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah yang juga Kepten Yang Dipertua Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) berkenan berangkat ke Pangkalan TLDM Lumut.
MOT, Khazanah, MAG perlu perkukuh tadbir urus MAB - PM Anwar
Jelas Anwar lagi, pengurusan syarikat penerbangan yang baik juga akan memberi manfaat kepada kakitangan melalui gaji yang setimpal dengan perkhidmatan mereka.
Kontroversi UM: Mahasiswa protes, tuntut tindakan tegas pihak jemput profesor pro-Israel
Sekumpulan mahasiswa Universiti Malaya (UM) hari ini mengadakan perhimpunan membantah tindakan menjemput penceramah pro-Zionis memberi ceramah di institusi itu baru-baru ini.
[INFOGRAFIK] Penstrukturan Semula Akaun KWSP | Berkuatkuasa 11 Mei 2024
Berikut adalah info berkenaan dengan Penstrukturan Semula Akaun KWSP.
Sekatan terhadap penceramah asing pro-Zionis demi keselamatan negara - Zambry
Sekatan terhadap penceramah asing pro-Zionis perlu dilihat dari aspek keselamatan dan imej negara yang boleh terjejas akibat kenyataan mereka.
Kekejaman zionis: Universiti Columbia ilhamkan gelombang protes nasional
Protes di Universiti Columbia membantah perang Israel di Gaza telah mencetuskan gelombang demonstrasi serupa di kampus kolej seluruh Amerika Syarikat.
Pemilik stesen minyak didenda RM30,000 jual RON95 kepada kenderaan asing
Hakim menjatuhkan hukuman itu ke atas Mohammad Naziruddin Abu Hassan, 61, selaku Orang Kena Saman (OKS) selepas mengaku bersalah atas pertuduhan itu.
Komen jelik tentang nahas helikopter TLDM, peniaga didenda RM23,000
Seorang peniaga dalam talian didenda RM23,000 oleh Mahkamah Sesyen Taiping pada Jumaat, selepas mengaku bersalah atas tuduhan memuat naik komen jelik berhubung nahas helikopter milik Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) di Lumut, yang mengorbankan 10 mangsa.
Lima laluan ditutup sementara sempena hari penamaan calon PRK KKB esok
Jalan yang terlibat bagi penutupan sementara itu ialah Jalan Merdeka, Jalan Abdul Hamid, Jalan Dato Muda Jaafar, Jalan Mat Kilau dan Jalan Kamarudin.
[TERKINI] Mahasiswa bersama Palestin
Sekumpulan mahasiswa Universiti Malaya yang berang dengan tindakan Institut Pengajian China, Universiti Malaya (UM) menjemput individu pro-Zionis untuk menyampaikan seminar ilmiah, akhirnya turun berdemonstrasi bagi menyuarakan bantahan mereka terhadap Zionis dan sokongan mereka terhadap perjuangan membebaskan Palestin.
#AWANInews
#AWANInews