Fashion and the greater social climate are oft connected in some way, whether overtly obvious or not. I do think it's important to acknowledge a more serious parallel to this trend, the fact that clear bags have come to represent a sense of security in a fearful time. Many sports stadiums and performance arenas now require all bags admitted to be see-through. High school students are asked to adopt clear backpacks in the wake of the Parkland shooting.
On the other side of the black mirror, a clear bag is not a tool for self-presentation, but one of self-preservation. The fashion industry and its followers may not have intended for this connection, but the privilege of my narrative here—namely, how the contents of my bag reflect my personality rather than track my intentions, per se—feels essential to acknowledge.
Personally, the adoption of these bags was never a conscious decision to present some sort of persona, it wasn't done to offer insight to my fellow subway-riders or the latté drinker the next table over. But, I can't deny that using these bags created an internal conversation that didn't exist before. In a time when a stranger—on the street or the internet—can paint a picture of who I am, how do I keep the little things just for me? I'll have to write a follow-up when I figure it out.