Bag ladies

Blame it on Grace Kelly. If the pregnant film star hadn't grabbed her Hermes handbag to hide her bump for the cover shot of Life magazine back in 1956, then perhaps the cult of the "It" bag would never have been born.

All that free publicity prompted the French luxury goods house to christen the bag in Kelly's honour and the fashion industry has never looked back.

Most men struggle to fathom the allure of splashing serious cash on a handbag, reckoning the fairer sex could probably make do with one of the 17.5 billion plastic ones that get handed out for free in the UK each year.

But Stefan Lindemann, shopping editor of the fashion magazine Grazia, nails it in one. "Men have their cars; women have their handbags."

And this week there was only one bag to have. A certain white canvas shopping tote that squeals "I'm not a plastic bag" across its side. That the bag retailed at [pound]5 only enhanced its appeal for the slaves to fashion that queued at the crack of dawn for the remaining 20,000 that went on sale at various Sainsbury's outlets Wednesday morning.

Designed by Anya Hindmarch, the accessories doyenne known for sparking the fad for customising bags with personal photographs, the tote in question was designed to make it fashionable to say no to one of the 167 plastic bags handed out annually to each shopper. Cue long snakes of people in Sainsbury's car parks desperate to get their hands on one of the cheapest fashion statements the shopping public is ever likely to see.

The bag, which shot to fame after Vanity Fair handed it out as its post-Oscars party goodie bag, sold out within minutes. And because Hindmarch was savvy enough to protect her upmarket brand by keeping a tight lid on the total number made, the only option for those still keen to bag one is to pay over the odds on eBay.

Mr Lindemann explains just why women are prepared to go to such lengths to snag the bag of the season. "It's a show-off thing. It's even better if you can have a limited-edition one that no one else can have."

He points out that bags, even seriously pricey ones such as Chloe's Paddington, which will set you back about [pound]950, are a good way to buy into a "trend, a designer or a brand". (Chloe dresses can be north of [pound]2,000.) Plus if you buy carefully - think classic quilted Chanel - your bag will outlive this season's outfit.

Which is a licence to print money for the big luxury brand groups. Leather goods contribute more than 80 per cent of profits at Gucci and Mulberry. A report last year from the market researchers Mintel found bag sales in Britain had leapt 146 per cent in the past five years, with British women now spending [pound]350m a year on bags.

Despite the proliferation of "It" bags - even high street chains are churning them out - Mr Lindemann believes the must-have bag concept has a long future for its makers. "The 'It' bag won't ever be over. There'll always be a bag that everyone will want because if you see it on a celebrity, you'll want it," he says. Eco-bags aside, the hot new trend is for shoe gods such as Christian Louboutin or Jimmy Choo to launch their own handbag lines. Sebastian Manes, head of accessories for Selfridges, says: "Bags are a status symbol. They show you have class and that you clearly understand fashion. Plus getting your hands on one that is hard to get, such as the Anya Hindmarch one, shows you are well connected."

It's important for have a big, the-shoulder This one is from Clarks

Sony Stanley, 29

HAIR SALON RECEPTIONIST

Bags are very important to me. It must be the way I was brought up. This one is Versace

Iolanta Lebedeva, 26

STUDENT

I have one designer bag by Chanel, but I usually go for cheaper ones. This one's Kooka

Vanessa Ochan, 21

STUDENT

I love my Chanel handbag. Handbags are for what are cars are for men

Christina, 28

STUDENT FROM HUNGARY

I think it's important to a bag that off your outfit. This one is Burberry

Charlotte Eggleton, 18

STUDENT

It is very important to have a bag that you like and is practical. This one is Louis Vuitton

Margaret Lang, 42

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Designer bags look nicer than cheap ones. Having said that, I can't remember what this bag is

Sholeh Salamat, 46

DIRECTOR

'It' bags

This season's must-haves

YSL, Downtown bag, [pound]980. If you want to be in with the 'Grazia' crowd, then snap up one of these in black patent, pronto

Marc Jacobs, Stam, [pound]760. Named after the model Jessica Stam, this quilted leather number ticks this summer's hottest bag trend

Prada, Napa Fringe Tote, [pound]1,400. The western look lives on thanks to Prada's use of fringing. As popu-larised by Victoria Beckham

Fendi, Spy, [pound]825. This woven-handled classic is a winner in gold, making it the must-have metallic option for those seeking something different

Chloe, Edith, [pound]708. This leather tote comes in many shades, but to be with the money, opt for cream. You get a detachable shoulder strap for your investment, too