Neverfull, Nevermore
Even if you don’t know it by name, I am positive your eyes have graced this bag before. I know mine have, and I don’t know if I can bear to see it again. The Louis Vuitton Neverfull, a capacious monogrammed tote that seems to rule the space of grocery shopping carts everywhere, seems to have no bounds in who it can sway. This is especially true if you live anywhere in the southern half of the United States, although the scope of the monogrammed monster seems to be never-ending, constantly seen draped over the shoulders of many clientele alike—although I do see a recurrence in the “mom bag” territory.
But here is the thing: I am so tired of seeing this bag. To be candid, the next time I see this bag I am tempted to rip it out of the wearer’s hands and direct them to the nearest Bottega Veneta. I have seen it too much and I am worried for the personal style of people everywhere. This is an exaggeration, but I wonder if we really can’t have any variation at all when it comes to our investment pieces. Okay, maybe I’m looking for it at this point, but the point still stands: why this bag, and why so much? As a person from the south of Texas, I see this bag at least once a day (I promise, if you look, you will find it).
I think a good chunk of the appeal of bags like these, obviously, is the idea of dressing for wealth. The Louis Vuitton monogram may very well be the most iconic and recognizable of designer motifs, and when you see someone wearing it, they have to have some significant cash, right? There is a key difference here in choosing a piece because it emotes your economic status, or simply because you liked it. And to note, neither of these is innately wrong: as much as I hate this bag, I am not here to condemn why someone buys it. However, what is and has been on the rise for the past few years is quiet luxury. Now, it has become trendy for people to not know who you are wearing; quiet luxury revolves around the concept that if you know, you know. Or, quiet luxury can also be for those that simply buy a nice bag just because they like how it looked—nothing deeper than that. The Neverfull, however, is undeniably loud and it screams at me the moment it bumps into me at the mall. The key here is that loud luxury, in the traditional sense and not in the cool Moschino way, is trickling out.
But what is not leaving is the simple art of a lovely, giant bag. The useless (pardon my French) micro mini bags that rose to stardom over the past two years have left almost with the snap of a finger. And this is part of the appeal I can absolutely understand about this bag: it literally is never full. It truly is the standard of what has become a carry-all and you are 1000% able to dump your entire life into this bag if needed. My eyes were not mistaken when I saw a Pomeranian poke its’ head out of one of these and even had room to spare.
This is what I must ask in the name of all that is chic: if you have the spare $2030, then why not pick another bag in your own personal taste? No, I simply cannot believe that all of you adore this one tote. This is where I come in: I have ever-so-graciously compiled a short list of spacious designer bags that I hope you will at least take a look at before reopening the Neverfull product tab on your search bar. Here are a few to choose from.
Saint Laurent East-West Shopping Tote
This one is even below $2000! What a deal! We are starting with the basics here: this is as simple and chic as you can come by. You can find these for around $1500, and they come in a variety of colors.
Prada Re-Nylon Tote Bag
Coming in signature Prada nylon and in black as well as beige, this is a more casual tote that you can easily throw a laptop, 28 notebooks, and maybe the random candle you picked up at the HomeGoods.
Loewe Puzzle Leather Tote Bag
For the love of everything that is good, buy something from Loewe already. The leather is excellent, it comes in at least three colors, and Jonathan Anderson is really cooking up some amazing things at the house (if you have not noticed already).
Maison Margiela MM6 Japanese Bag
This one is even below $1000, wow! If you are looking for something more outside the box for your everything bag, this may be your one-stop. This retails around $645 and comes in a variety of materials and colors. And, it even comes in a smaller size if you’re not looking to put four weeks worth of packing in it.
Hermés Birkin Bag
Literally so affordable! Look it up!
Written by Aubrey Matson, Photography: Maha Afzal, Social Media: Eliana Ho