When it comes to attention-seeking fashion, bigger is usually better. A giant designer bag. Shoulder-grazing earrings. A straw hat the size of a bike tyre. Recently, however, there has been a shift. Like celebrity bodies on the red carpet, accessories are shrinking. Everything from bags to water bottles are noticeably downsizing.
In April, Uniqlo released a micro version of its mini shoulder bag. The original banana-shaped hit, which has become the brand’s bestselling bag of all time, measured 28cm by 17cm. Its £12.90 offspring has been scaled down to 21.5cm by 11.5cm and, like a matryoshka doll, comfortably nestles inside its progenitor.