If you’ve felt like the entire fashion world is going through a collective identity crisis, you’re not wrong. We’re in this weird era where everyone wants the look of authenticity without the actual… life part.

And the biggest offender at the moment?
People intentionally distressing their luxury designer bags so they look “effortlessly lived-in.”

Like, I’m sorry, but artificially aging a handbag is the aesthetic equivalent of microwaving a Michelin meal. Technically it works, but spiritually? Just No.

The New Luxury? Apparently It’s Just… Using Your Stuff

Somewhere along the line, “real luxury” became synonymous with items that look like they’ve lived a thousand lives. Suddenly, having a perfectly pristine bag is try-hard, and the real flex is a slouchy, soft, ink-stained, worn-in handbag you’ve actually used.

Honestly, that part I support.
But what’s unhinged is faking wear-and-tear. Authenticity can’t be faked.

Enter the Olsens: Unbothered Queens of Real, Lived-In Style

Let’s be clear: the Olsen twins didn’t distress their bags.
They didn’t patina them with olive oil in a dark closet or run them over with a car for aesthetic purposes to fit in…which, is weird as hell. Like, bring back secrets.

Their iconic, lived-in fashion happened because they simply… lived.

They carried their designer bags every day.
They didn’t baby them.
They didn’t care about the ink stains, the sagging leather, or the rips.
And because they weren’t trying to be cool — they were (and remain) cool.

The Olsen twins aesthetic went viral because it was real. Not curated. Not engineered. Not “tutorial-friendly.”

The Case for Actually Using Your Stuff

I’ve always been on Team “Use Your Things.”
If you love it, wear it. If you bought it, use it. Your stuff is meant to live with you, not sit untouched on a shelf waiting for perfect conditions.

This idea that luxury, or anything, really…the idea that it must remain immaculate is exhausting.

Items gather character because you’re out there living a real life.

And honestly? That’s the whole point.

Let Wear Happen Naturally — That’s Real Style

Artificially distressing items is basically cosplay for “I go outside.”
True worn-in fashion is earned over time: trains missed, coffees spilled, nights out, mornings in, airport floors, rainy days, messy days, real days.

If you want that Olsen-level, lived-in luxury?
There’s only one step: use your stuff.
Like… actually use it.

Everything else?
Your life will take care of the distressing for free…and if you’re lucky enough, you’ll have a story to tell.