One trend that I have noticed specifically going around college campuses is the transition from backpacks to big purses or tote bags. The more I walk around campus each year, I see less and less backpacks and more over-the-shoulder and crossbody bags.
Even though this could be because I’m in fashion school, I know quite a few people in different majors who have made the same switch (including myself). To some this may look like a fashion statement. To me, I see something deeper and more sentimental.
Backpacks are used mainly by students in their younger years. Backpacks are often perceived as very youthful and playful. Purses are seen as more mature, polished and feminine. Purses are often used by a more mature, older crowd and are often tied to a motherly image. Everyone knows the classic mom purse.
I see the transition between the two in college as a symbol of us letting go of our adolescence and youth, and growing into the humans we are meant to be. Not just getting ready for the corporate world, but learning, maturing and forming into the people we are meant to be.
I have noticed that the transition starts towards the end of sophomore year and beginning of junior year. For me and a bunch of my friends, we all realized this shift was around the time we really figured out and understood our identities, goals and aspirations, as well as our values, morals and beliefs. These are the first steps to truly “growing up” and gaining independence deeper than just moving away from home.
When I shifted from a backpack to a purse, I did it because it was becoming a trend and I started to love how the big purses and tote bags looked. I felt it made everyone look more put together, mature and in control. The more I started wearing the purse, not only did I start to feel more put together and polished but I realized how much older I am starting to get.
We are in a time where we are starting corporate internships, studying abroad, thinking about our plans after graduation and fully setting ourselves up to graduate. We are mentally morphing and preparing ourselves for that world one way or another.
We are learning the behaviors, habits, guidelines and dos and don’ts of the corporate world. For me, growing up used to be such a scary thought as a child, and although a purse may seem so left field, it really does show that subconsciously our childhood has truly come to an end, and adulthood is just starting.
Adulthood seems a little less scary when you feel dressed or fit for the part, just like anything else. We feel more confident, motivated and ambitious when we feel confident in how we look walking into situations. It’s little trends or adaptations like this that make me feel safer about growing up and makes me feel more prepared. They always say you feel better when you feel dressed and ready for the part, so carry that purse and carry it proudly!
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Hi! I’m Hannah Planey, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.
