The Viral £14 Uniqlo Bag Has Just Been Given A Major Update For Spring

Some people hate it when they see someone wearing something they own or, worse still, buying something they own having seen it on them. I, on the other hand, take it as a personal triumph. At the end of 2022, I bought a bag from Uniqlo, a half moon-shaped cross-body made of nylon with two internal pockets and an adjustable strap. A few days later, I went to a breakfast meeting and, lo and behold, someone was wearing the exact bag in black. I was onto something - and, clearly, I wasn't alone.

Fast-forward to 2024 - and that very bag is partially responsible for the brand announcing a bumper year of sales off the back of its popularity with shoppers. According to a report in The Telegraph: 'Sales across the Japanese fashion retailer’s UK and European business rose by 36pc to more than €1.3bn (£1.1bn) over the year to 31 August 2023, newly-filed accounts show.' The newspaper also reported that the brand's pre-tax profits rose by €77m (approximately £65m) to €187 (approximately £159m).

This isn't altogether surprising. The Uniqlo bag, whose popularity started on TikTok, with videos showing how much you could actually squeeze inside considering its seemingly less-than-kitchen-sink size, made it to number one on the Q1 2023 Lyst Index, the global search platform's quarterly report which ranks fashion’s hottest brands and products, beating cult buys from Rick Owens, SKIMS, Bottega Veneta and Alaïa. And while it’s not unusual to see a high street brand make the top 10, it’s quite something for the product to clock in at less than £20.

As a paid-up fan, it's frankly been validating to see the viral half-moon bag go from strength to strength, arriving in faux-leather as part of the slam-dunk collaboration with Clare Waight Keller - then getting a winter upgrade in corduroy, which is still available to buy now. For spring, however, Uniqlo has pulled off what might be its greatest iteration yet, a 'crochet' style that looks a bit like a cross-body version of everyone's favourite handbag in summer: the iconic straw basket.

All we can say is: hello, summer!

SHOP: Uniqlo's Corduroy Bag

Natalie Hammond is Grazia’s Senior Fashion News Editor. She loves winter, hates summer and can often be found writing about the weather (and what on earth to wear).