The Fashion Item That People Are Buying Less of May Shock You

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(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

According to Forbes, sales for a certain wardrobe staple are on the decline, and we're admittedly shocked. When you follow fashion, it can seem unthinkable that everyone doesn't want the latest It bag, but that seems to be exactly the case. Forbes just reported that handbag sales are down 8% from 2016, which is quite a lot considering what a huge sector of the retail business handbags are. But people have to have somewhere to put their stuff, so what are they buying instead?

Forbes has something to say about that too. The publication points out that at the Outdoor Retailer trade show that took place over the summer, market research company NPD Group presented statistics proving that sales of backpacks among women are up by 15%, and duffle bag sales are up by 17%. This shift shows that these bag styles made of technical materials coincide with the popularity of athleisure clothing, and people are starting to use their functional outdoor gear on a daily basis.

Keep scrolling to shop stylish backpacks and duffle bags to carry instead of handbags, in case you're on board with this shift.

Next up, 9 items a fashion editor would remove from any closet.

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.