This year, the textured and crushable bags are practically seen every time you turn a street corner

The COS ‘quilted bag’ that has been so popular that there is only one bag left at one of the stores in December

By Mao Shan Wang

So many people I have seen carry these puffy bags that I am sure somewhere in China, producers of these quilt-looking nylons are truly laughing all the way to the bank. A fabric sourcing agent in Hong Kong told me that the fabrics are really everywhere and can be had for “US$2-ish a metre”. Which may explain the fabric’s appeal among manufacturers of pocket-friendly accessories. I wondered what its appeal could be, and he told me: “texture and volume”. (Could these bag be better than Bao Baos—they have texture but no volume?) And to those two reasons, I suspect, the vast array of colours, too, that the bags—invariably called puffy bags—are available in, as well as how capacious they can typically be. I spotted one, in aubergine, recently at COS and was told that that was the only one left! And it’s a display piece. So major is this puffy carry-all that the H&M-owned brand expounded that the “quilted bag is a cornerstone of the COS collection”. After I left the store, I saw at least 12 others carrying similar bags, all within a space of 10 minutes.

I remember first seeing the puffy bag at Urban Revivo in the last quarter of last year. It was rather large, much like the shoulder bag monks carry. I was not sure how well it would serve as a bag as it was very soft even when it looked like it has substantial body. I forgot about that bag until I started seeing more and more of it (or similar) in the streets. I am not saying that what I later saw was identical to the Urban Revivo ones. But they are similar, designed to be carried by hand or as a shoulder bag. The popularity seemed to pick up after August, and the bag began to catch my attention practically every time I look ahead or to by sides. At retail level, I truly see them everywhere, from Crane Living in Takashimaya Department Store to The Editor’s Market flagship (where they have dedicated an entire curved, mirrored wall to them bags) to gondolas in BHG to the shops in Bugis Street (formerly known as Bugis Village) to the make-shift stalls in my neighbourhood market. Their ubiquity on bodies not outmatched by the Gentlewoman tote or Uniqlo Round Shoulder Bag.

Puffy totes as seen at Crane Living, Takashimaya department store

At The Editor’s Market, a whole circular wall of puffy bags

It is generally known as the “puffer bag” or ”quilted bag” although they are not necessarily the same thing. These bags may look similar, but they basically come in two different fabric treatmens, even if nylon (or polyester) is most commonly used (the environmentally-friendly brands may employ recycled water bottles!). One is a fabric subjected to manufacturing process that results in what is known as bubble texture, waffle effect, or 3-D embossed. It looks quilted, but it is not. Sometimes, polyester crepe is used to enhance the texture. The other is a pre-quilted fabric, usually filled with synthetic fibres. While most of these fabrics are soft, not all are comfortable against the skin. If you carry it on your shoulder, it is possible that your forearm may not take too well to the abrasion. Many of these fabrics, I was told, are water repellent, which may be advantageous in our unpredictable weather. The bubble fabric—in fact, a cousin of the seersucker—are now also used in clothing, from tented dresses to sporty gilets.

It has been said that the puffer bag trend can be traced back to Bottega Veneta in the late 2010’s when they pioneered squishy bags that were the total opposite of structured styles preferred then, such as Louis Vuitton’s ‘Twist’. And then came BV’s ‘Cassette’ (that is as much woven as it is puffy), which indirectly led us to where we are now, with a surfeit of puffy bags that, in most, cases do look very much the asking price, which may not exactly be on the rung I’d call high. In fact, just because they are popular does not make them fashionable. Oftentimes they are not. As bag makers get creative, the totes (many are available in such styles) now come in crazier textures than the regular ‘quilt’. I am not sure those small square or ‘bubbles’ of the bags speak to me. One of them, in a green once associated with BV, appeared on my Amazon page as “recommended for you”. When I scrolled down to the description, I was told that it was “prefect to wear as a daily shoulder bag and handbag. You are sure to bring lots of attentions and compliments when carry with this adorable bag.” Really?!

Photos: Zhao Xiangji