These handbags have their charms

From astronomically expensive designer handbags to more modest holdalls, the stars of the show these days are not the bags themselves or what goes in them but rather what goes on them.

Bag charms are the accessory of the moment and run from dainty to extreme, from bejeweled danglers to kitschy keyrings to plush toys. While the trend was burgeoning last year, it’s in full force now and it appears that more is more.

Underscoring the new maximalist aesthetic, even those precious Hermes Birkin bags are being regularly bedecked with surprising tchotchkes that evoke a real sense of fun and personality. Over at Hirshleifers, the 100+ year-old luxury family-owned fashion emporium at Americana Manhasset, an Instagram post by fifth-generation family member Marci Hirschleifer Penn shows one bag laden with a fuzzy dog and three large, furry Labubu dolls strung from key chains. “The gang’s all here,” reads the caption.

Express yourself

But the bag doesn’t have to be ritzy to get a dose of embellishment. “It’s a real form of self-expression,” says Jacquelyn Conte, the owner of Wit & Whim, in Huntington. Here, there are loads of one-of-a-kind vintage charms — everything from alligators to buildings to hearts — that cost from $2 to $15. Recently Conte held a bag charm party at the store which, she says, drew crowds. “The line was out the door. It was nuts.”

Customers previewed their charm designs by laying them out on a velvet board with a chain. “Every charm seems to have a special meaning to it. They really cared about what they were picking. It was like getting something customized, with a lot of positivity and creativity,” says Conte who plans another such event this month.

Two of a kind, sometimes

Charlotte Feehan, 24, of Mineola, who attended with her twin, Madeline, explains, “I’m a sucker for anything cute and kitschy, and bag charms are a really fun way to express my style. I feel like as somebody who is a twin, it’s been very important for me to find my niche and set myself apart as a separate entity from my sister.”

To that end, the girls couldn’t be more different. “I’m a pink girl who likes bunnies, bows and hearts, and she’s very into Goth with skeleton keys, black hearts and death head moths,” Charlotte adds.

Side-by-side their differences are evident, but the charm party experience was one unity. “There was a group of girls in front us and it was fun to see what other people were making. We all kind of gave input asking for advice and trying to help others make it look nice,” Feehan explains.

Making a bag your own

According to Elyse Parisi, who owns Elyse Boutique in Greenlawn, “It’s about taking a bag that someone else might have and making it your own. Women want to be their own person and have their own style.” While Parisi believes that young girls revived the trend, she says, “Women are loving elevating even the most basic of bags. Here, the bulk of the bag knickknacks — sparkling tassels, horses, hearts and beads — run from $18 to $40.

It was only a few months ago that Amber White, 38, of Roslyn introduced bag charms to her 9-year-old online clothing and jewelry collection, byamberbryn.com. “I think it’s such a fun way to show your personality and adds such a distinctive look to a bag that might be mass produced,” says White.

Included in her line, which is priced from $7 to $48: glass bead strands (some with initials), puffy stars, heart locks, a multi-bauble key ring, and newest of all, a bandana-wrapped carabiner

Her sister Ashlee White, 42, notably a former cast member of Bravo TV’s, “Princesses: Long Island,” and a WWE Shop Ambassador, is a fan and piles them onto her designer bags.
“I get so many comments and wows on the charms. I think they really give such a stylish touch and show such individuality.”

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