bloghousearrest: what's in my bag? photos from flickr, 2013

Out of all the what's in my bag posts I've done, it's clear that 2013 is when the vibes really start shifting in the 2010's. After all, this was the year when Lorde put Royals, changing the pop landscape forever and ushering in a new wave of mellow hits that were in stark contrast to the recession pop that dominated the year prior. Apple released iOS 7 just a few months later, opting for a flat user interface instead of a skeuomorphic one. Things became sleeker and smoother, which spilled over into people's handbags. Gone were the days of carrying a flip phone, blackberry, and iPod touch—now, most people were walking around with an iPhone, and maybe a Kindle or iPad.

gone but never forgotten

Aside from the changes in tech, I think what stands out most to me about these photos though is how authentic they are. As I scroll through Instagram, Pinterest, and Tiktok, I see countless photos and videos of extremely staged WIMB posts full of interesting books, vintage trinkets, and altoid wallets, styled impeccably on perfectly white bedding.

I love when girls do the incredibly staged what’s in my bag posts. You mean you carry around a copy of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, a full bottle of perfume, a 357 Magnum gun hair dryer, and several antique trinkets in your purse? You know what, who cares. Let’s be sisters for life
— pris (@pwiscila) February 9, 2024

A smattering of what's in my bag posts found on Pinterest and Instagram

These photos feel like the opposite to that. No one is concerned with microtrends or making sure their bag contents are algorithm-approved. Instead, you see a mishmash of whatever chapstick was at the drugstore, random notebooks, forever 21 wallets, wallets, and check-out aisle snacks that are a lot less aesthetically pleasing, but way more realistic. Part of me wishes we could go back to the pre-content era when social media was about sharing your life, not curating a perfect feed, but without the aspiration that influencers bring to the internet, I'd imagine I get bored of things pretty quickly. (Maybe that's a good thing though?) But whatever. Here's what a few people on flickr carried with them in 2013: