Downsizing may be all the rage, but could you leave the house carrying a handbag smaller than a pack of playing cards?
That's the idea behind the latest bonkers fashion trend — ‘It' bags so small they can fit in the palm of your hand.
As seen on the arm — or, rather, pinched daintily between the thumb and forefinger — of celebrities such as Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, these tiny bags are so compact they can barely fit a credit card inside.
‘Like everything else in fashion, it's about extremes,' explains fashion expert Emily Johnston.
‘Bags are either so massive you could fit your family inside or so tiny they're smaller than a ring on your finger.'
But what's the point of a bag you can't put anything useful in? With this in mind, we've looked at what essentials (money, cricketnfootballcenter.bookmark.com lipstick, keys and a phone such as an iPhone) will fit inside some of the most popular tiny bags.
We used each bag's height, width and depth to calculate the approximate volume and price per cubic centimetre to see if you really can fit good things in small packages...
Pucker up for the lipstick carrier
Louis Vuitton lipstick case, £885, An ‘elegant homage' to Twenties make-up boxes, this monogrammed canvas-covered lipstick case can be worn on a gold metal chain with a necklace-style clasp as a ‘striking piece of jewellery'.
What fits inside? Lipstick or (rolled-up) banknotes.
Size: 9 x 3 x 3cm
Price per cubic cm: Approx. £10.93
Peekaboo! Gigi is leading the way
Micro Peekaboo, £980 to £2,190, At least you can just about slip a phone inside this lamb-leather Fendi ‘fashion show micro bag', which boasts two interior compartments, a top handle and a detachable shoulder strap.
However, it still looks as though it ought to belong to Barbie, rather than a grown woman such as model Gigi Hadid.
What fits inside? A smartphone, credit card, keys, lipstick and loose change.
Size: 15 x 11.5 x 5.2cm
Price per cubic cm: Approx. £1.09 to £2.44
One more suited to your purse
Patent mini grab bag, £9 (reduced), Can't afford a designer tiny bag? This High Street lookalike from Boohoo comes in synthetic leather and can be carried using the little handle or a detachable chain. A bargain compared with the designer versions — but it will still struggle to hold your phone.
What fits inside? A credit card, keys, lipstick, loose change.
Size: Approx. 10 x 10 x 5cm
Price per cubic cm: Approx. 2p
Chain-gang chic
Jacquemus Le Vanity mini bag, £240, Dangling from a chain, quite what the designers thought people would put inside this tiny bag is a mystery.
What fits inside? A single key and some loose change.
Size: Approx. 7 x 7 x 7cm
Price per cubic cm: Approx. 70p
Flapper girl fun
Rosantica By Michela Panero Dakota small beaded cross-body bag, £395, Barely big enough to hold a credit card, this minuscule beaded green and gold bag on a chain is ‘handcrafted by artisans in Italy'. Whatever you do, don't snag it on anything!
What fits inside? Key, lipstick, loose change.
Size: 8.8 x 6.3 x 1cm
Price per cubic cm: Approx. £7.12
Rihanna's microbag has true star power
Chiquito bag, $522 (£397.25), Carried by stars such as Rihanna, the handle of this suede ‘handcrafted microbag' is almost bigger than the bag.
But celebrities never let practicalities get in the way of a good photo opportunity.
What fits inside? A credit card, lipstick, a key, loose change.
Size: 8.7 x 12 x 5.5cm
Price per cubic cm: Approx. 69p
Smoking hot trend
Saint Laurent Smoking Minaudiere, £855 to £1,000, No prizes for guessing the inspiration behind this Saint Laurent cigarette carton design.
Made and lined with lamb's leather, with engraved tassels, it opens with a flap in the same way.
Size: 9.5 x 6.5 x 3cm
Price per cubic cm: Approx. £4.62 to £5.40
Lynn Ban Bullion 24kt gold-plated necklace bag, £3,150, If you're spending £3,000 on a tiny bag, you want it to look expensive.
No problems here — this 24kt gold-plated bag is shaped like a gold bullion bar and will hold ‘all your night-time essentials' (if you live in Lilliput, that is).
What fits inside? A credit card, keys, lipstick, loose change.
Size: Approx. 12.2 x 7.4 x 4.6cm
Price per cubic cm: Approx. £7.59
Miu Miu Matelassé micro suede bucket bag, £440, Not much bigger than an apple, this bijou Miu Miu bucket-style fringed suede bag does up with a drawstring and can be worn over the shoulder or across the body on a ‘lustrous, crystal-embellished chain'.
What fits inside? A credit card, keys, lipstick and loose change. You'll just have to go out without your phone.
Size: Approx. 10.1 x 8.1 x 5cm
Price per cubic cm: Approx. £1.08
Dolce & Gabbana Mini Sicily bag, £695 (leather) and £1,950 (embellished), Looking like a doll's accessory, this ‘extra-miniature' sized Dolce & Gabbana bag supposedly has room ‘to house key essentials' (the designers clearly don't see a phone or wallet as essential).
What fits inside? A credit card, keys, lipstick, loose change.
Size: Approx. 13 x 9 x 4cm
Price per cubic cm: Approx. £1.49 (leather); £4.17 (embellished)
Jacquemus Le Pitchou purse, £175,
What fits inside? A single key and loose change.
Price per cubic cm: Approx. £1.59
