By Hailey Sit

Walking around campus, you’ve probably seen, or sometimes even heard, the distinct sound of keychains dangling from someone's bag. When you’re in class, maybe you notice the Smiski hipper sticking at the back of a classmate's phone or the many pins and badges on someone's lanyard. Whether in person or on your Instagram feed - it seems like everything now comes fully accessorised, and it's pretty hard not to notice them. What’s going on? Is this another trend that everyone is following? Or is there something deeper? 

Accessorising your outfit and bag is by no means a new phenomenon-people have been decorating their items since the dawn of fashion. One of the most iconic examples is Jane Birkin, who put her charming twist on the Hermès Birkin by adding keychains, trinkets and knick-knacks. Decades late,r the trend rose back to life, skyrocketing in 2024. This revival in trinketing may be due to a number of influences one of them? La Lisa. The BLACKPINK rapper shook the internet with her story, showing off her Labubu keychain, setting off a domino effect that sent Labubu from an obscure little monster to a must-have accessory. Soon after, major brands such as Miu Miu and Coach debuted their bag charms on the 2024 autumn runway. Followed by mainstream brands such as H&M and Cotton On, who quickly release their own ‘affordable’ trinket collections.

With the sheer number of brands jumping on this trend, there now seem to be endless options for self-expression. However, with this phenomenon, it almost feels like your personality can come prepackaged with just a few bucks. This shift undermines the true purpose of trinketing: personalization. Trinketing was originally about personalization, with each piece representing our personality, interests, or beliefs. When trinkets are collected just for trendiness, they turn into hollow symbols. And with mass-produced generic charms now flooding the market, trinketing is slowly turning into fast fashion. 

So what should we do? Should we abandon trinketing and let this trend disappear like every other? Not necessarily. Although trinketing is not guaranteed to stay relevant, it remains a great way to personalize your style and express your identity. Maybe we must step back from the endless trend cycles and ask: Which trinkets make you smile? A reminder that you don’t need a $360 Versace keychain to express yourself (unless that’s your vibe- then pop off :D!). Trinkets can be the keychains you collected, a pin you doodled or something that screams you. So skip the trends and pick something you love, even cringy. When you curate trinkets for yourself and not just for a cute Instagram story, you’ll feel more authentic and likely attract people who ‘get’ you. So, bottom line - your trinket, your rules. No matter what trinket you decide to collect, do it for yourself. Trends may come and go, but self-expression remains timeless.

Hailey Sit is a second-year psychology student who watches obscure YouTube videos instead of doing her assignments. She’s passionate about books, music, anime, games- honestly, almost anything but especially loves animation. You’ll most likely find her happily bundled in her blanket, binge-watching another shojo anime, or maybe she's busy belting Meant to Be Yours from Heathers (again-).