The 90s shoulder bag

In the past few years handbag lovers like myself have been blessed with the resurgence of some of the best bags from the last two decades. Prada's nylon, which was massively popular in the late 90s and early 2000s, and is seen as a staple item in any Y2K inspired wardrobe, has seen an enormous increase in popularity over the last year and a half. Now, 20 years later, Prada has reissued one of their most iconic styles - the Prada Re-Edition 2000.

Adored by celebrities that were just babies when the bag was at its peak popularity, the likes of Bella Hadid and the Jenner sisters have been spotted carrying the original bag, making it an absolute no-brainer for Prada to re-issue the iconic style. True to it's name, the bag first appeared in 2000 and instantly became a fan favourite due to its baguette-like shape and nylon material.

Ever since Prada announced that they would be re-releasing their iconic 90s bag in early December of last year, high street brands started distributing their own takes on the style, and before we knew it the shoulder bag trend was back and better than ever. Due to being a student and having to live my life on a budget (which I absolutely never stuck to, don't get me wrong), I began my hunt for the perfect baguette bag of my dreams. I was never a massive fan of cross body bags as they always tend to sit weird on me (aka they create an incredibly unflattering divide between my boobs), and I could never find the perfect size for me - something that I can fit my iPhone 8 Plus, keys, cardholder, and lipgloss in. I needed something that wasn't too big, but could fit in all my essentials plus a few other things I may need on a night out or a shopping trip into town. After a few ventures into Buchanan Street, I finally found the bag I'd been searching for in Monki, at the bargain price of £18. It was perfect for me, the shape was almost identical to that of the Prada Re-Edition, and actually fit a lot more in it that I imagined - it is faux black leather, no logos or artwork, has an adjustable strap, and a zip. This bag goes with everything, and I mean everything, it is the most accurate dupe for the Prada Re-Edition that I have found. I have taken it on practically every night out since I bought it, and it is still in perfect condition, I seriously scored a winner with this one.

So after a few months of obsessing over my bargain £18 Prada dupe, I started to consider actually purchasing my very own Prada Re-Edition 2000. I recently cancelled one of my holidays I had planned for this year (thanks Rona) so I had a little bit of extra money lying around. The smart thing to do here would of course be to put it in my savings and prepare for next years adventures, but did I do that? Of course I didn't, I went straight onto the Prada UK website and began my search for the bag that was going to become the new love of my life. After sifting through the hundreds of bags Prada have on sale, I decided to go for the black and red nylon Re-Edition 2000. I was swaying back and forth for a long time on whether or not I really wanted to splash out £495 on a bag - I was originally going to go for the classic black and silver colour way, but then I came across the black and red version. Now I'm not one to believe in love at first sight, but I truly experienced it here, and before I knew it I was staring at the 'Thank you for your order,' screen, with a big fat grin taking over my face. The following days looked very similar to when Scott Pilgrim sat at his front door waiting on his Amazon parcel being delivered by Ramona Flowers.

Then, after quite frankly the longest 6 days of my life, I opened my front door to see a friendly little DHL man leaving a black box on my doorstep. Making sure my snapchat was recording (if your friends don't send unboxings or hauls in your group chats, then you need new friends), I unboxed the very first designer bag I had ever purchased myself. The excitement was so real, not only because I was about to have my very own designer bag which Kylie Jenner posted pictures of her wearing two days prior, but because it was something I had actually bought myself. I actually felt a lot of pride showing off my new bag to my friends, the kind of feeling I imagine you have when you introduce your friends to your new born baby (basically the same thing). Inside the aforementioned black box was the Prada bag, which opened up to reveal the iconic Prada dust bag, containing the bag itself. The Prada Re-Edition 2000 is everything, it is the perfect size for me and will be ideal for nights out or popping out for a coffee with friends, as well as a run to the shops. The bag included the Prada authenticity card inside, which I will probably leave in there as it makes me feel quite cool to be honest (sad I know).

For anyone looking to buy from the Prada website directly I could not recommend it enough. I was slightly confused at first as when you initially purchase your items, they send you an 'acknowledgement email,' stating that as soon as your products have been checked to see if they are in stock they will send you out a confirmation email. After a few days I still had not received this email, so I went onto the Prada website to use their chat box to receive updates on my order - the website connects you to a Prada sales assistant from Italy, who is incredibly helpful at addressing any concerns you may have with your order. I then received a conformation email after about five days stating my order had been shipped, so essentially the acknowledgement email was my confirmation email and the confirmation email was my dispatch email - rather confusing but we got there in the end! My parcel was tracked delivery by DHL and they sent me updates every step of delivery, from when it left the Italian warehouse, to when it entered the UK, to when it was on its way to my house. There is also the option for you to have your Prada bag customised when purchasing, which is something I may do when we are able to go outside again.

The 90s shoulder bag is a trend I hope never disappears, I don't want to go back to cross body bags! I've linked a few of my favourite 90s shoulder bags I've found below, including the one from Monki I mentioned at the start of this post, and the Prada bag I purchased. I hope you find the 90s bag for you!

Monki faux leather shoulder bag https://www.asos.com/monki/monki-odessa-faux-leather-shoulder-bag-in-black/prd/20187172

Prada Re-Edition 2000 Nylon in Red & Black https://www.prada.com/gb/en/products.prada_re-edition_2000_nylon_mini-bag.1NE515_2DH0_F0DL1.html

ASOS Design satin shoulder bag in blush pink https://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-90s-satin-shoulder-bag-in-blush/prd/13855209?clr=&colourWayId=16571696&SearchQuery=90s%20bag

ASOS Design croc effect shoulder bag in black https://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-croc-effect-90s-shoulder-bag/prd/12229427?clr=&colourWayId=16386715&SearchQuery=90s%20bag

H&M black eyelet strap shoulder bag https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0844996001.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwwMn1BRAUEiwAZ_jnEos1h_IMKAeyb4irqa8EBkesZgYNcDgEIZCB5DQHvR-SYmcJ7PwiDxoCO0gQAvD_BwE

Topshop Black nylon buckle shoulder bag https://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/black-nylon-buckle-shoulder-bag-9508847