Relax—Take Pride in Your Beat-Up Bags
I have a Louis Vuitton bag from the aughties that I have been slugging around for years like an anvil. I stuff it with everything possible: my work laptop, books, packs of opened gum, various chargers, and loose change. Along with a flip-phone pocket on its side, it looks like it is from way back when thanks to its condition. Its orange-brown handle is discolored, the plastic has poked through the piping, and the foot pegs are hanging on by a literal thread.
At the moment, I can’t be bothered to get it repaired. In fact, I’m learning to indulge in its wear and tear. As Y2K It bags are experiencing a revival, I’ve realized I’m not alone. Friends have been sending me photos of their newly unearthed early ’00s Balenciaga City bags or Marc Jacobs Stam bags—all of which are scuffed and scratched. This past Fashion Week, I ran into writer Taylore Scarabelli, who was toting a black Balenciaga bag. She said the carryall “looks even better when it is beat up and dirty
