When it comes to fashion it pays to make it bigger
Size does matter
Big bags are a new trend. “Big bags, big accessories, they all reflect an ambition to grow. The trend also show people’s desire to recover from the current stagnation in the economy,” explained designer Park Youn-soo. “Bigger items are more eye-catching. In fashion, bigger means better. The current ‘Big Fashion’ will be around for a while,” he adds.
The new trend has had a considerable impact on men’s bags as well. In the past, men preferred simple briefcases. However, with the growing interest in men’s fashion, men have begun to accentuate their overall look with bags. Once again, for men, the bigger the better.
“Bags come with a lot of pockets that can be used to store all sorts of handy items such as laptops, MP3 players and digital cameras. This shows how digitalized our lives have become,” said Suh Young-joo, a manager at LG Fashion.
“The distinction between bags for professional use and leisure seems to be fading,” explained Kim Jong-hui, a culture critic. “This is in large part due to the young generation’s lifestyle where there is no boundary between work and leisure.”
Women’s bags are no exception. For the last few seasons, big bags have dominated fashion trends.
The ever-growing size of bags may be stylish but they are also becoming slightly heavy and uncomfortable.
This is the main reason designers are starting to use light materials for big bags. Linen and nylon are preferred over leather and some have even been made with parachute silk.
Other fashion items such as sunglasses and watches are also a part of the current big fashion trend.
This season’s watches from Hugo Boss, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana are noticeably bigger, the diameters of some bezels being over four centimeters.
Sunglasses are getting bigger as well. Up until last year, relatively smaller sunglasses were in style in Europe and America.
However, in Korea the 1970s-styled goggle-like sunglasses have been the leading trend.
This season’s sunglasses from leading brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Celine, Loewe and Chanel all cover half of the face. Compared to earlier designs, the current styles are more proportionate. “If the sunglasses are too wide, they are uncomfortable. It makes one’s face look more oval-when the sunglasses are longer,” says Jung Jae-rang from Sewon ITC, a Korean firm that imports Chanel products.
By Ghang Seung-min JoongAng Ilbo [estyle@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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