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You hear them coming before you see them. Whether a simple flowy scarf, a necklace, colorful beads, larger stuffed animals or even nostalgic-looking tamagotchis, bag charms have quickly become a trending addition to a classic accessory.

With Pinterest reporting a 240 percent increase in searches over this past summer, these eclectic accessories seem to be an accessible way of adding personalization and character to an otherwise generic everyday outfit. At the same time, as luxury brands start to capitalize on the opportunity, the question arises whether bag charms can truly be a way to express individuality, or are yet another short-lived trend waiting to be replaced.

Charms have become a tool to make one’s style appear more unique and individualized. In comparison to the self-contained “clean girl” aesthetic that came into prominence around 2022 and has been the norm in recent fashion, charms are loud, both figuratively and literally. Maximalism and a desire for overt expression have taken over the general public, substituting the need for streamlined pieces with disorganized trinket collections.

Luxury fashion houses were quick to catch onto the trend. The MiuMiu Spring 2024 show featured an array of weathered-looking leather bags, overflowing with misplaced items such as high heels, and decorated with various arrangements of ropes, chains, and collars. In comparison to the pristine appearance typically characteristic of luxury, these bags were messy, remnants of hurried nights or mornings, flowing to accommodate the items inside and not constrict them.

While MiuMiu followed a more minimalist charm approach, the Coach Fall/Winter 2024 show took things to another level, as large leather bags were adorned with smaller ones, and charms ranged from apples and taxis to the Statue of Liberty.

With social media and runways combined, it has become easy to find luxurious bag charms. EDITED, a data analytics company, recorded a 47 percent year-on-year increase in the number of new bag charms available at US and UK luxury brands, and reported that 32 percent of styles are now out of stock.

It seems that consumers are happy with the existing options, and for many, bag charms have become a point of entry into luxury. While someone may not afford the bag, they can afford the brand’s mini accessories, with Coach’s cherry charm placed at $95 as an accessible contender. Fashion aficionados can also search for imitations, such as a $10 Amazon replica of an almost $600 Hermès leather horse.

Still, a look back at the core of the trend can prove contradictory to the luxury craze. Charms are meant to signify originality, to show repurposing and redesign for new modes of expression through the use of initially unspecial items that can be found lying around in a common living room. Accessorizing is storytelling, complementing an overall image of genuine lived experiences rather than highlighting a trending item.

The lean into customization can act as a form of live collection and curation. Charms may be transformed childhood relics, important milestones and style inclinations, or a line of memories to be shared over long, cozy conversations.

When I look at my bag, I think about ways to hang a ring that doesn’t fit me anymore, a gold band with a blue heart in the middle, a gift from my parents on my fifth birthday inspired by my utter fascination with a similar one belonging to my mom. I think of ways to present my life phases.

On the other hand, luxury brands strike to cosplay the randomness and spontaneity of daily life. Though stylized to look authentic, there are noticeable traces of the planning that goes behind the “messy” runway look, most easily seen in the brand name tags and monograms showing discreetly from the clothes placed in a “disordered” way inside the overfilled bag, seeking to fuel even more excessive purchasing at extraordinarily high prices.

An associated component of the “clean girl” aesthetic is “quiet luxury,” characterized by timeless pieces that echo premium brand codes without being overt displays of wealth. Though the maximalist bag charms seem to initially oppose the aforementioned aesthetic through more approachable and varying styling, the chase after the same high-end trending pieces simply becomes a repackaging of “quiet luxury” into “loud.” In the end, everyone ends up with the same cherry charm, becoming a uniform of forgettable maximalism.

The continuous production, both by luxury brands and imitation ones, only serves to fuel overconsumption, a problem currently affecting the fashion industry with grave ecological consequences.

Fashion trends seek out customization, and bag charms are a prime example of the opportunity for unbridled self-expression. The search for decorations can start with a self-induced ban on buying new ones, thus pressuring us as consumers to be creative, repurpose, and tailor a well-fitted personal image.

—Staff writer Erlisa Demneri can be reached at erlisa.demneri@thecrimson.com.