Giant handbags from Dior, YSL in style with J.Lo, Miley Cyrus

When it comes to 2023’s hottest handbags, they’re measuring up.

Take Saint Laurent’s humongous hit, the $4,900 Icare Maxi. Nearly two feet wide and 17 inches tall, the celebrity-approved lambskin shopper is slung by Hailey Bieber, Laura Harrier, Bella Hadid, Zoë Kravitz, Miley Cyrus, Angelina Jolie and Sydney Sweeney. The Lyst Index even named it the most sought-after product of fourth quarter 2022.  

Miniature bags might have had a recent moment, but designers are thinking big again. This season, luxury labels such as Louis Vuitton, Chloé, Bottega Veneta, the Row, Alexander McQueen and Gabriela Hearst sent colossal carryalls, mammoth messengers and prodigious purses down their runways. 

“We have seen a huge uptick in tote sales recently, with a focus on medium and maxi totes,” says Will Cooper, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of women’s shoes, handbags and accessories at Saks Fifth Avenue. “We are seeing our customers buying multiple totes for different occasions.”

Jennifer Lopez, for instance, has at least four Dior Book Totes on heavy rotation for her visits to the gym, dance studio and her dermatologist’s office. She paraded the “JLO”-monogrammed one on her Parisian honeymoon.

Big bags’ massive proportions aren’t just for show. In a post-pandemic world, they’re also practical.

“As we shift to a hybrid office and WFH schedule we definitely have more to carry,” said Harper’s Bazaar accessories director Miguel Enamorado, who calls his spacious Chanel 22 sac “my new love.” “If we are to invest in something, then we need it to work.”

Model Loli Laneova listed all the items she easily carries in her Icare Maxi. “The other day I was running around and I had two pairs of high heels, my makeup bag, water, all kinds of snacks, a magazine and keys in it,” she told The Post.

The totes are also in line with what Vogue calls the season’s “utilitarian preparedness” trend — think sturdy workwear and pocket-strewn cargo pants. But, utility has its limits. Last year, scandal-plagued Balenciaga designer Demna unveiled a $1,790 calfskin “Trash Pouch” that looked exactly like a Hefty bag.

“Look me in the eye and tell me this brand isn’t a total pisstake joke,” snarked a commenters on Highsnobiety’s Instagram. 

Fashion farce aside, fans of XXL styles should beware of overloading. “I recently saw a reflection of myself commuting,” said Vogue‘s accessories and collaborations director Willow Lindley, “and I realized I had a full Mary Poppins bag on my shoulder, complete with umbrella.”

Christina Holevas, W magazine’s senior accessories & jewelry editor, schleps so much stuff in enormous bags that she loses things in the depths. “I try to keep my keys in a special pocket or something but inevitably it is hard to find them,” she told The Post.

Dr. Ryan Suh, Gonstead chiropractor at New York’s Specific Chiropractic, reported that he has seen a recent increase in neck, shoulder and back problems due to ginormous holdalls. “It’s due to heavier weight on one side, instead of being evenly distributed,” he explains. 

Women’s bags weigh on average six to seven pounds, he estimated, and with a laptop those numbers can easily hit 13 to 15 pounds. For slim fashionistas, that’s just too much.

“Ten percent or less of body weight is ideal for a handbag and has no effect on a person’s biomechanics,” he explained. 

Just because you have tons of cargo space doesn’t mean you should use it.

“Resist the urge to overfill it,” urged Lindley. “You need to actually be able to carry it without looking like it’s a struggle.”