As the parent of a kindergartner, I am always scouring the school drop-off scene in Brooklyn for the latest fashion trends. One I’ve seen on every fifth mom this year? A petite, cross-body cell phone bag.
Sizes vary, but the gist of the cell phone cross-body is simplicity. There’s of course a place for your phone—often its own photo-ready compartment, as is the case with Bandolier, $128. There’s also usually room to pop in a couple of credit cards and cash. (That said, the increased use of mobile payment systems like Apple Pay means your phone is sometimes all you need.) But the cell phone cross-body also is an alternative to the oversized carry-all that's been so ubiquitous in recent years. It’s functional and fashion-forward and allows us to carry the essentials, nothing more.
Other designs—like the phone tote from Cuyana, $198—offer a bit more space. (We were able to fit a phone, wallet, cash, keys, lip balm and a slender pair of sunglasses, too.) But the priority is still all about paring down—if you can’t bring two diapers, a granola bar and stomp rocket to the playground, so be it.
Here, four of our favorites, all of which are beloved by my fellow Brooklynites.
