Everyone Has It: Why Bag Charms Don’t Feel Personal Anymore

Bag charms are everywhere. You’ve seen cute little things dangling off every It Girl’s Balenciaga City Bag; they’re a low-stakes way to express yourself. But what happens when everyone starts doing it?In this episode, I unpack why bag charms took off in the first place and what their rise reveals about a much larger cultural shift. On the surface, they’re playful and personal. But beyond that, they point to how individuality has become something we increasingly perform and buy. So what happens when something meant to feel personal becomes a trend? Does it start to lose its meaning? And as that fatigue sets in, how do “personal” items like bag charms evolve? This episode explores where personalization goes from here—and what that says about consumer culture more broadly.Subscribe for more!New episodes every Thursday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe on Substack for written notes on culture and to get new episodes delivered straight to your inbox.Have ideas, questions, or something you want me to dig into? Send them my way at [email protected] or message me on Substack! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingtheorypod.substack.com