Banan Al-Akhras carries a big bag.
So big, as she put it on over her right shoulder, it spilled the cup of coffee the woman standing behind her in line at Oxley’s By the Numbers Cafe was holding. She politely apologized and stepped aside to wait for her food.
Al-Akhras, a freshman in criminology and English, bought her oversized denim bag from Bath and Body Works two weeks ago for $40.
“I’m obsessed with big bags because I’m afraid I won’t have everything I need,” she said.
She emptied her bag, revealing typical school supplies: a notebook, a binder, three books, a wallet, pencil case and cell phone. She estimated the bag weighed less than one pound, but the contents upped the weight to 20 pounds.
“Sometimes I get pain and worry about my balance, but I deal with it. I need my stuff,” she said. “I get to my class and take it off; worry about the pain later.”
As fashionable bags continue to get bigger and bigger, and women stuff more and more, medical professionals warn against the medical problems. Pam Bork, a physical therapist at the Ohio State University Medical Center, has treated several women who wear the exaggerated-sized bags. The bags can cause serious damage, she said. Depending on how wide the strap is, the purse can irritate the muscle running down the back of the neck to the shoulder, the upper trapezius.
“It can also put you off balance because the body has to compensate for the extra weight by leaning to the other side,” she said.
Fashion is in the bag
Her friends call Al-Akhras the “Bag Lady.” And for a good reason: she owns 14, and she estimated she has spent at least $700 on them.
“Everyone has their own thing. I love bags,” she said. “They always match my outfit. And I will deal with the pain if it means I have everything I need for the day.”
Justine Cannatti, a freshman in accounting, hugged her large bag to her petite body as she walked to a table in Oxley’s. She angled the colossal denim-and-cream colored Dooney and Bourke bag on the back of her flimsy chair so it would not slip off.
“I love big bags because I can throw everything in them. Bags keep getting bigger and bigger,” she said.
She bought her bag with red leather straps about a year ago for $275. The pricey, five-pound bag reigned over her boney figure, but she said it does not cause her any pain.
Jessica Strubel, a clothing and textiles lecturer at OSU, said bags were first used by men. Wallets evolved into the purses and handbags worn today by women.
“Tote bags, hobo bags, messenger bag, oversized bags – they’re all the rage right now,” Strubel said. “It started off with the high fashion designers and has trickled down to mainstream retailers doing the same thing. Louis Vuitton is the top design on campus, but some of the others are hard to tell if they’re the original design. I’ve seen possible copies of Chanel and Prada.”
It was not until the early 1900s when people started using the term “handbag.” Most designers gained momentum in the postmodernism era. Zippers and mirrors were put on bags around the 1920s, said Strubel.
Fashion is cyclical, and right now the fashion of the 1980s is in full swing a second time around. Strubel remembers the “brightly-colored, gaudy looking things people could basically pack their whole bathroom into,” referring to the popular twenty-year-oldhandbags.
“We’re in the period where the 1980s is recycled. Look at the skinny jeans trend, that’s totally 1980s,” she said. “That’s what all the designers are copying right now. Over the next couple of seasons, it’s going to be a different period.”
Girls craving Greek
Big bags are not just designer business anymore; they have caught on in greek life, as sororities throughout the nation proudly display their sisterhood on a canvas shoulder accessory. Brittany Woods, a senior in health sciences, said her greek bag can be spotted across the Oval. Bright crimson with cream Greek letters, the bag represents her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Epsilon Chapter. Although she owns seven and rotates depending on her classes for the day, the red one is her favorite because it is the biggest. She said the bag is heavy, and despite occasional pain, she packs it full every morning.
“I didn’t notice it, but my friend told me that I walk, not sideways, but kind of lopsided,” she said. “When I carry it, I have it hanging from my shoulder and then I wrap my hand around the strap.”
Woods listed every item she pulled out of her bag.
“I have one textbook, one pack of paper, two folders, some binders, three tubes of lip gloss, my wallet, a small purse, two bottles of lotion, a Trio PDA cell phone, my iPod, a Lantern, a planner, a compact case, a fruit and nut bar, three combs, candy and a pack of Orbit gum,” she said.
Woods guessed her bag weighed anywhere from 15 pounds to 20 pounds. No wonder her back hurts, her 115-pound-body is trying to support extra weight solely on her right shoulder.
The bags offer versatility as they are practical and convenient, and “everyone pretty much has them,” Woods said referring to other women in sororities on campuses across America.
A pain in the class
Not all students are slaves to fashion – some still use the safe, two-strap backpack. Book bags with two straps are able to balance the weight of the load more evenly. OSU’s campus stretches across a good amount of land and some students, such as Brian Cronley, just prefer to be comfortable walking to class.
Cronley, a senior in industrial systems engineering, briskly walks down Neil Avenue with his black book bag attached at his shoulders.
Describing women with large bags, he said “It’s just not practical for school. You could hurt your back. I’m not the most fashionable guy, but I’ll always pick comfort over style.”
Bork said the damage big bags cause is not limited to the shoulder area, it can also cause pain in the lower back and neck. Also, pressure on this muscle can cause tension headaches, jaw pain, dizziness, a stiff neck and limited motion.
Body frame and whether or not regular exercise is practiced determine exactly how much weight is acceptable to lug around, women should generally try to keep it less than five pounds, Bork said.
Another OSU student learned the effects of carrying around a heavy bag for a long time.
Arati Deshpande, a junior in exercise science education, has experienced severe pain carrying her belongings around in her black Eddie Bauer tote. She bought the bag seven years ago for $40. She estimated it weighs four pounds.
“Even when I had a double strap book bag, if it was heavy, I’d get pain,” she said. “Every girl has those fashionable handbags that are kind of big that you can put folders in. But those don’t cause me any pain because I don’t have that much load in them.”
Big bags have left their fingerprints on society. With no end in sight, designers are cashing in and making big bucks. Strubel said bags can cost up to hundreds of dollars depending on the designer.
“Looking in an average fashion magazine, you can see designer bags going from Coach at $300 to $400 to Louis Vuitton up over $1,000,” she said. “You’re paying for the logo. You pay for the quality, but for the most part, you pay for an image.”
Strubel also added the trends only last as long as people will continue to foot the skyrocketing bills.
“It will last only as long as the (wealthy class) is saturated with it. When everybody’s got one, it won’t be a novelty anymore and everyone will look for something different,” she said.
Whatever the trend is, some women on college campuses will follow it religiously, despite the pain. Women will continue to wear four-inch stilettos as long as there are bandages to cover pussing blisters. Women will continue to get naturally grown hair removed from places not even visible as long as there will be creams and lotions to soothe the stinging. And they will con
tinue to carry around huge, glitzy bags all in the name of fashion.
Amanda Dolasinski can be reached at [email protected].
