This viral US$20 bag is the hottest fashion item of 2023 so far – the affordable ‘quiet luxury’ Uniqlo accessory is a hit across TikTok and social media, dethroning Gucci and Prada on Lyst’s ranking

Apr 24 , 2023

A Uniqlo bag has been named the hottest product of the year so far by the fashion search platform Lyst. Photos: Uniqlo

Lyst has named this US$20 Uniqlo shoulder bag as the year’s hottest fashion item so far, after the trendy accessory went viral and garnered over 87 million views on TikTok

The bag is an affordable take on the ‘quiet luxury’ trend that’s dominating fashion right now, after TV shows like HBO’s Succession showed off US$600 Loro Piana caps and US$700 Tom Ford jackets

A US$20 Uniqlo bag that went viral on TikTok has been named the hottest product of the year so far by the fashion search platform Lyst.

Uniqlo’s bag has been named the hottest product of the year so far. Photo: Uniqlo

This low-key, and relatively low-cost, shoulder bag – officially named the “Round Mini Shoulder Bag” – is the cheapest product ever to be included on Lyst’s ranking, which typically features handbags from household luxury names like Gucci and Prada.

Uniqlo’s Round Mini Shoulder Bag. Photo: Karrie Kendel/YouTube

It comes in multiple colourways and has fallen in and out of stock over the last few months as the buzz around it on social media has intensified. There are more than 87 million views of the “Uniqlo bag” on TikTok, for example.

Though TikTokers are praising the bag for its deceptively roomy interior, another part of its appeal is its minimalist zip-top design. The bag falls neatly into the quiet luxury – or stealth-luxe trend – that has become a major talking point in the fashion industry in recent months.

Plenty of YouTubers are posting reviews of the viral Uniqlo bag. Photo: Carol W./YouTube

Quiet luxury is the antithesis of the flashy “dopamine dressing” that dominated the fashion cycle after the pandemic. The trend encompasses high-quality clothing that is both timeless and understated, Thomaï Serdari, director of the fashion and luxury MBA programme at NYU’s Stern School of Business, recently said.

Most recently, it has been best characterised by the costume choices of the main characters in HBO’s series Succession where US$600 Loro Piana baseball caps and US$700 Tom Ford jackets are the norm.

A peek at the chic Uniqlo bag. Photo: Kaya-Quintana/YouTube

To the untrained eye, low-key pieces without logos might look frugal, but in reality, it is all smoke and mirrors.