Fall's It Bag Is More Unhinged Than You Can Imagine (and It's Selling Out in Minutes)

Honestly, though, this has been a long time coming. Kate Spade and Betsey Johnson have been known to create novelty bags inspired by everyday items, slices of pizza and New York coffee cups included, but a real shift occurred when Panera launched the BAGuette, a P-embossed bag just the right size to hold its baguette sandwiches, in 2023, sparking a sales frenzy. It hit just as (more metaphorical) baguette bags—particularly Fendi's—were regaining popularity, and getting your hands on one was both a status symbol (you were one of the few to obtain one) and a sign you were in on the joke.

Panera leaned into the fanfare, later launching a croissant clutch, and even luxury brands even got in the fun, like Anya Hindmarch and its $1,420 Frosted Flakes clutch and Loewe's beaded asparagus bag from its Fall/Winter 2024 runway show. (You can still snag a more demure artichoke charm for $850 or an elevated-yet-playful crawfish bag for $5,900.)

But the point of all this conspicuous camp-sumption isn't to flaunt your wealth; it's to signal your sense of humor. It's a playful nod that can spark conversation between strangers; a way to connect in a time that can feel so naturally divisive. It's something that snaps your head from the depths of your phone, so surprising in nature that you feel compelled to open up. And what else brings people together quite like a shared love of food?

Yes, it's also a marketing tactic: Just this past week, Walmart dropped two Chicken Purses, both designed after its best-selling rotisserie chickens (one Traditional Rotisserie, one Lemon Pepper). Sold for the same price as the actual chicken—$5.97—on its Spark Shop website, the bags sold out within 90 minutes, prompting a rush order and a second drop, which also sold out almost immediately.

During the same time frame, Betty Crocker debuted its rebrand with the launch of three crossbody bags resembling slices of cake. Known as The Betty Ate collection, they were a nod to its Yellow Cake, Strawberry Cake and Triple Chocolate Fudge cakes. This wasn't a print on a tote bag, either—these were structured, vegan leather bags with thoughtfully designed details, like a spoon zipper pull and interchangeable candle, strawberry and chocolate curl charms to top each slice. At $89 apiece, the lineup sold out in less than a day at Shop.BettyCrocker.com. (Though the brand has promised a restock, selling them again on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 9 a.m. ET, while supplies last.)

Bags this over-the-top are designed to go viral and generate headlines; the fact that they've sold out (repeatedly) proves that there's actual demand for them.

It comes down to three key factors, from what I'm seeing:

1. Nostalgia. There's a sweet familiarity to a bag that reminds you of the birthday cake your mom made you, or the donuts you inhaled after soccer practice (ahem, this summer's Dunkin x Stoney Clover collab).
2. Exclusivity. It's a different kind of status symbol; the latest collabs hit at mass market price points, but the thrill is in the chase. You have to race to log in and order a bag, which can be trickier than snagging floor seats to Harry Styles's residency at Madison Square Garden. In fact, the harder you worked to get it, the more compelling the story becomes and the more prized the memory is.
3. Easy Ice-Breaking. Rage bait is all around us, but these bags are the opposite. They're ridiculous and they know it. You know it. And you can't help but laugh (or crack the tiniest of smiles) when you see one in the wild. It invites conversation in a time when we've gotten comfortable with texting over calling, self checkouts over traditional ones and simply limiting our interactions to a comfortable, frictionless, crowded loneliness. An absurd, food-shaped bag makes it easy to break the ice: Ask about the awkward bag and you'll feel less awkward about approaching a stranger!

Add to all that the trend toward dopamine dressing and the fact that AI has made us question our reality on all fronts, and the rise of foodie bags makes sense. You might as well plan your OOTD as if you're in a Salvador Dalí fever dream, only substitute his signature lobster phone for a Loewe bag. Or rotisserie chicken.