It started off as a simple debate - nylon vs leather Banana Bag
But the replies left me wondering - what is it we’re really buying?
Not long ago, a conversation unfolded in my Substack chat about The Row’s Banana Bag. It’s one of those pieces that always lingers on someone’s wish list, whether in the nylon or the leather version. As part of the brand’s essentials collection it recirculates often, both at full retail and on the resale market. People are always looking for the perfect travel bag and this one makes a strong case.
The debate was - which one to purchase, nylon or leather?
I ran a poll on Instagram and nylon edged out leather, but what stood out to me wasn’t the result, it was the replies.
A recurring question emerged:
Why spend that much on The Row’s version when Uniqlo makes something so similar? If no one can tell the difference, what’s the point?
For me, the answer felt simple. I don’t buy The Row for recognition. I buy it for the cut. The weightless drape. The softened edges of a zipper. The way the strap lies flat against the body. The palette. The design. The quiet.
Yes, The Row’s pricing is increasingly hard to defend, but the Banana Bag, especially in nylon, still feels like a justifiable classic. It’s well made, featherlight, and endlessly useful. If someone mistakes it for something else, I don’t mind. Honestly, I’m more self-conscious about the price I paid than whether it’s recognized. If someone thinks it’s from Uniqlo, that’s part of the charm. Wasn’t that always the point? Wasn’t The Row meant to whisper?
But, the brand isn’t quite what it once was.
That now famous image of Kendall Jenner in head to toe Row, likely stylist curated, marked a shift. There was a before Kendall and an after. Between her PR shots, the Vogue article on Margaux, and the recent capital injection, the brand has drawn a new and very different audience. It now (almost) sits alongside legacy houses like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès, with growing name recognition, a wider commercial presence, and a clientele that increasingly seeks investment pieces (which naturally require recognizability).
I don’t know if it’s investor influence or a personal pivot, but recent collections feel more overtly fashion. Bold colours and non classical silhouettes. Pieces made for the moment, not the mainstay. I’m thinking of the red and black Dunes, the Mara jellies, the Jolene jacket (no judgment, I bought them all). Clothes and shoes meant to be seen, not just worn. These aren’t the anti-trend pieces of the past, they’re runway ripples that echo in high street shops.
That wasn’t always their lane.
The Row once ignored the moment entirely. Now the collections are broad, spanning far more categories and many, many moods. The evolution was natural, but I miss how special it used to feel. In some ironic twist, the billion dollar valuation devalued it.
Scarcity was once the appeal. To the discerning client, The Row was a quiet rebellion. Inconspicuous. Different. There was joy in the hunt and chasing that one elusive piece was something that thrilled me. It still does. Now it rarely feels like a “now or never”… it’s usually “one day.” Either on sale or secondhand, with increased production, the one that got away usually finds its way back to you. You just have to wait and care little about being on trend.
Which brings me to this - why do I buy The Row?
I thought I knew the answer. But maybe I don’t. And maybe the real question isn’t - why do I buy The Row, maybe it’s - what am I buying?
Because lately I’ve been nosing around, looking for incubating brands. I mean, why do this if The Row still satisfies all my requirements? It’s still discreet. Still beautifully made. But that part about differentiation? That’s starting to blur.
Granted, social media isn’t the best representation of the general public and my algorithm is clearly tailored to me based on my likes, my history, and my aesthetic. So naturally, certain images are going to show up in my feed more often than in someone else’s. Still, I think it’s fair to say the Margaux has become far more common. I’ve seen dupes everywhere and I don’t live in a fashion capital. And when something becomes too recognizable, the contrarian in me pulls away. It’s my ego at work.
My friend
said something to the effect of - It’s silly to buy something you don’t love just because everyone else has it, but it’s even sillier not to buy something you do love because others have it. I have no issues with the first part (I’ve always followed my own path), but I need to work on the second part.Also, maybe these new eyes are just appreciating The Row for the same reasons I did, and they’re freer because they’re unbothered by the fact that other people are wearing it. Maybe they’re seeing it clearly for what it is, without the need for exclusivity.
By the way, none of this self reflection has put a pause on my purchases…I’ve made space in the closet for some beautiful new summer pieces. I’ll save that for another post.
I’ll leave these breadcrumbs here, make of them what you will.
N xo
For me, it’s about a vibe, not a bag or a jacket. Amy Smilovic (Tibi) taught me that the best fits are an expression of self & how I want to feel in my clothes. I’m old, curvy & fabulous; fashion trends don’t resonate. But when I see something that looks like me (my vibe and intention on my best days), I pursue it. Your feed, The Row, Tibi, dosa & Frances de Lordes are giving me that right now. So here I am spending real $$$ and building a capsule by TR that suits me. I don’t buy “to keep up with the Joneses” or in this case, the Olsens. But I do & will continue to buy to keep up with me. I couldn’t care less about who else is wearing what I have b/c they are not me & good for them. My shopping is selfish & loud at the same time, a personal shout out & expression of the whole wonder of ME, and she’s worth the expense of it all.
We’ve chatted via comments on this before- and the way you love the Row, is the way I love Bottega. I was a fan during the Thomas Maier era, when I bought my first handbag. As the brand has grown in popularity, I see the dupes everywhere and the influencers with their andiamo clutches, and a part of me misses when BV was an under the radar luxury brand. I miss when Amazon wasn’t selling $20 versions of it. I miss when people didn’t know what I was carrying and now people stop me and ask “is that the limited edition HOP or kalimero, etc etc”.
I’ve been shopping for my clothing- small, independent brands that feel aligned with my personal style and I think that has been allowing me a sense of “special” and “exclusivity” that I don’t get anymore from shopping the contemporary and heritage brands that the internet now know and love too.
I feel like there are those of us who stumble upon brands that resonate with us entirely, and we latch on (Dries Van Noten, Bottega, Ulla Johnson, Christopher John Roger’s and once upon a time, Pucci- as of late I’m seeing all the Tik Tok girlies wearing the pieces I prided on wearing, now I’m less inclined to). But we have to remember that these are in fact brands- and as much as they are considerate of design, aesthetic, craftsmanship and materials- they are also in the self-interest of scaling up and making as much money as possible- to cash in on mass favorability while they can.
I think it’s refreshing to take a step back and explore those under the radar designers- and I think that’s the throughline of your work on the internet- has been to wear and excitedly share the pieces and offerings we may not have explored and been exposed to. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having an “era” of feeling that a designer completely resonates- and as they begin to shift, so do we. I think that’s what keeps our wardrobes and our fever for good fashion (good style, rather) effervescent.