Consider the lobster…purse.
Fashionistas are clawing eyes out trying to get their hands on the ‘summer bag of your dreams’ — but don’t bother looking in the designer boutiques of Madison Avenue.
Forget pearls and Prada — this suddenly-viral accessory looks like it crawled out of a New England seafood shack.
Or, rather, T.J. Maxx, where the off-brand, white-beaded, over-the-shoulder holder — decorated with a six-pack of bright red lobsters — is currently retailing for $34.99.
Bizarrely, the outré object has become a bonafide hit — with style watchers vowing they’d “sell a kidney” to get their hands on a bag of their own.
The crustacean-themed craze appeared to begin when TikTok user @leahalba unearthed the oceanic oddity on April 6 — posting a now-viral clip with her budget prize.
“6 stores later… and you FINALLY find the summer bag of your dreams,” she wrote.
Since then, #lobsterbag and #beadedbags have collectively hauled in more than 18 million TikTok views, and counting.
Even employees at the chains themselves are hooked.
“I want one — I’m sneaking out during nap time to look,” Kristen Jacques, a Boston-based store design manager for TJX Companies, told Marie Claire.
One TikTokker, @baconandbeauty, said she’d visited a whopping 13 stores in search of the elusive accessory.
“Nautical and fruits/food in fashion are definitely the two big ‘in’ styles for summer,” she explained.
“Maximalism is definitely coming back when it comes to accessories and I think that the beaded bag trend hits that mark really nicely while still being delicate.”
But for her, the bag isn’t just bait — it’s personal.
“I’m from New England, specifically Cape Cod which is a lobster hub. My brother was a lobster fisherman for many seasons and would always bring home beautiful fresh lobsters and it was a great way to bring the family together. We also love trips to Maine. I guess the bag feels like home to me,” she said.
According to Town & Country Magazine, “A new season calls for a new rotation of accessories, and this spring, it’s all about beaded bags.”
As the weather gets warmer, the outlet noted, “the shimmering, intricately-embellished and often catching styles are a perfect way to infuse fun flair and charm into any look.”
Meanwhile, the fisherman aesthetic appears to be hauling in followers faster than you can say “boil and butter,” with some desperate enough to contemplate selling body parts to be part of the trend.
“I have searched high and low for this bag,” TikTok user @laur_en_order___ begged her followers.
“I need the beaded bag like I need oxygen. Will sell a kidney. Will wrestle a lobster. Will cry on camera. Please help me.”
