All the Chic People Are Doing It: Toiletry Bags as Handbags
Keep your friends close and your concealer closer.

Devised so that unassuming shoppers would buy more products they don't need to meet the minimum spend, the gift with purchase is often not even that worth it. But as an accessory, it has now been given a greater purpose in life than languishing in a closet somewhere or helping retailers turn a profit by waging psychological warfare on consumers.
A brief history of the toiletry-bag-as-real-bag: The year was 2015. The vibe was right, the aesthetic was strong, and pulling out a Glossier-pink bubble-wrap pouch in a bathroom could ensure that you'd have seven new best friends flanking you in seconds. (Still does.) Then super stylist Jayne Min carried hers out in the open—not as a cult chick magnet to be saved for times of grooming, but as a proper receptacle—and nothing was ever the same.
A post shared by Emily Weiss (@emilyweiss)
A photo posted by on
Then Leandra Medine trotted hers out.
A post shared by Repeller (@repeller)
A photo posted by on
And finally, last week, while I was in Paris for the 2017 Pirelli calendar, I saw Dries van Noten's Gallic doppelgänger with an Air France lavender dopp kit nestled in the crook of his gray-flannel-upholstered arm. (No photo available, because if there is any country I will be banned from, it is Nicaragua.)
It makes perfect sense, or at least a lot more sense than some other things fashion people do. Wash bags are waterproof, designed to withstand being chucked into carry-ons that might or might not arrive at their owner's destination, and are the appropriate size for your phone, keys, and cardholder, but also squishable enough to cram in un morceau of beef jerky or two. But at the same time, the conceit is that there must be some obstacles to acquisition, such as no international shipping (soon, soon, my precious) and flying business class.
Like that's going to stop us. For this is America, and if there is a will, there is a way to buy it.
THE WAY TO BUY IT
Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at Marie Claire. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.
-
James Middleton Shares Why He Was "Breathless and Flustered" During Meeting With Queen Elizabeth
"I heard a snort of laughter and looked past the Queen to see everyone in the room stifling their giggles."
By Kristin Contino
-
This Modern Princess Will Break a 600-Year-Old Tradition When She Takes the Throne
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway will follow in a long-ago ruler's footsteps.
By Kristin Contino
-
Hailey Bieber's "Favorite Jacket" Is Actually One She Designed
It's a piece for husband Justin Bieber's new brand.
By Halie LeSavage
-
I’m Crafting a Rich-Looking Wardrobe With These Luxury Spring Accessories
Follow my lead by shopping on-sale styles from SSENSE, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman.
By Lauren Tappan
-
Taylor Swift Styles a Super Bowl-Eve Rich Girl Coat With $6,450-Worth of Designer Accessories
The singer co-signs the Penny Lane and Yeti coat trends.
By Amy Mackelden
-
2025's Loud Luxury Accessory Trend Makes Looking Rich So Easy
They might be maximal, but these styles are surprisingly wearable.
By Lauren Tappan
-
45 Designer Accessories That Are Giving Rich-Girl Vacation Energy
Luxury bags, sunglasses, hats, and more to complete your vacation wardrobe.
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
Can Emotional Support Accessories Get Me Through 2025?
Stuffed animals are for adults now.
By Halie LeSavage
-
Katie Holmes Abandons Her Favorite Designer Accessories for a Cherry Red Bag and New Ballet Flats
She's making an accessories switch-up.
By Kelsey Stiegman
-
Kaia Gerber's Under-$500 Bag, Ballet Flats, and Sunglasses Are the Only Accessories She Needs
The model's all-white, off-duty look includes all the pieces she wears most.
By Hanna Lustig
-
Kylie Jenner's Bombshell Schiaparelli Bangles Are Paris Fashion Week's Heaviest-Hitting Accessories
The beauty mogul was channeling the excesses of the '80s.
By Hanna Lustig