Marc Jacobs Stam Bag: The 2005 Runway Quilt That Came Back

The Stam, a quilted leather bag with a chain on it and a clasp like a coin purse, made its debut at Marc Jacobs's autumn/winter 2005 show. It was named after the model Jessica Stam, one of the doll faced faces of the early 2000s, and by 2006 Rihanna had been photographed carrying one.

 

I like the Marc Jacobs Stam bag because it never tried to be polite. Marc's own words for it were a downtown edge, and you can see it: a soft quilted body, a rolled top handle, metal chain hardware, and that clasped closure you flick open with a thumb. The brand retired it in 2013, then brought it back in March 2023 through its (M)Archives project, which exists to revive old bag shapes.

 

In our fashion dreams, she is walking to a late October dinner in a black coat, bare legs, tights and boots, with the Stam in black on her arm. Five true Stams are in this lineup: the black, the camel and the cloud white in quilted lambskin, plus the silver metallic one and the Little Stam in rose. The camel is the one I would wear with a gray knit and dark denim. The silver Stam is a night bag, and I would pair it with a plain black slip dress. The Little Stam in rose is the smaller one.

 

The three Quilted Mini Dual bags in black, camel and cloud white are Stam-inspired, not Stams. They share the puffed quilting, a top handle and a chain, but swap the clasp for a J Marc turn-lock and sit smaller. Check the closure and the strap drop before you choose: if you want the real coin-purse clasp, go for the Stam. If you want a mini to carry cross-body to a party, the Dual works.

Marc Jacobs has more than one way to hang a chain from a bag, and this group proves it. The Slim Dual Quilted Convertible in black has diamond quilting, a silver turn-lock and a pull-through strap, so it works on the shoulder or across the body. The puffed texture is described as Stam-inspired, which tells you where the design team keeps looking.

 

Then the group gets looser. The Scene wallet on chain comes in black and in cloud white, and the Scene Chain Mini comes in black and in dark port, a burgundy that goes with every fall coat. The croc-embossed suede Slim Dual in tan is the odd one here, and I like it for that. Suede in October is a real thing, and the gold chain makes it look dressed.

 

The Colorblock Chain Snapshot in black multi and in dust multi is a camera-style crossbody with a chain and webbing strap. It is the most casual of the lot, and I would put it with a leather jacket and wide jeans.

 

A quick test before you commit: put the strap over your coat sleeve and see if the chain grabs the wool. Wallet bags only hold a phone and a card, so be honest about your daily load. What I would skip: the wallet on chain if you carry a charger, keys and a full lip bag every day.

The quilted chain bag has a long list of authors, and Marc Jacobs only added one chapter. This is the wider pool of black-heavy options that borrow the same idea. The Kate Spade New York Deco has vertical channel quilting, a gold stud lock and a top handle. The Tory Burch Kira in black has diamond quilting and a double-T turn-lock, and the Charlie in soft pink does the same in a softer shade. I went deeper on a related idea in The Marc Jacobs Tote Bag Pink Edit.

 

The Coach Tabby 26 uses pillow quilting in nappa leather with a brass C pushlock and a chain strap with a 21.5 inch drop. That drop matters: it means the bag sits at the hip over a coat. The Burberry Horseshoe is a black quilted crescent, and the Balenciaga Crush has a crinkled quilted finish with chunky gold chain. The Saint Laurent College in nero has chevron quilting, which reads a little more tailored than the diamond ones.

 

The Mango leather bag in medium brown has a double gold chain handle and an interior pocket, and it measures about 11.8 by 8.7 by 3.9 inches. Picture her on a gray Tuesday in a camel blazer, a slip dress and ankle boots, with the brown Mango on her shoulder.

 

Test the chain on your own shoulder: a heavy chain on a light bag tips forward, and you want it to sit flat. What I would skip: the flap with a stiff, boxy quilt if you want that soft Stam slouch.

Small bags have a tendency to be too decorative, and quilted minis are no exception, so look for the ones with a real structure. The Coach Tabby 20 is petite, at 7.75 inches wide, in black pillow-quilted nappa with a gold C pushlock. The Tabby 19 is a small quilted leather chain crossbody too.

 

The Kate Spade New York Deco mini comes in black and in cream, with channel quilting, a gold stud lock and a top handle. I would take the cream for a holiday party with a black velvet dress. The Tory Burch Small Kira is puffier in black diamond quilting, while the Fleming pochette in light cream has a top handle and gold hardware that works on its own as a clutch.

 

For something with more attitude, the Saint Laurent Icarino in rouge cabernet is a burgundy quilted nappa mini hobo with a round top handle and a thin chain. The Balenciaga Crush XS in black is a tiny crinkled quilted bag with a gold chain, the kind you would carry out at night with nothing but a phone.

 

Check that a phone fits flat, because many minis do not. What I would skip: a cream bag with light jeans and a pale coat, since the edges get dirty fast.

A chain strap is the quickest way to make a plain bag look like it has a point of view. This group is about the chain more than the quilting, and it ranges widely. The Balenciaga Hourglass wallet on chain is black croc-embossed leather with gold B hardware on a long gold chain. The Saint Laurent Cassandre in caramel cognac is a suede envelope bag with a gold plaque, and it is the one I would wear with a brown leather skirt.

 

The Stella McCartney Falabella Mini in leopard is a mini tote with silver triple chain handles and a charm. The Michael Kors Nolita is a black pebbled leather pouch with a chain-link strap, shaped like a baguette, and the zip top is a plus.

 

The Kate Spade New York Halo is a slouchy black hobo with a silver chain. The Strathberry Multrees wallet in vanilla has a gold bar closure, and the Tory Burch Charlie wallet in black has a crinkled finish and a gold logo clasp. The Bottega Veneta Dustbag in dark barolo is a woven intrecciato pouch with a brass chain, and the weave is the whole story.

 

To test any chain, lift the bag by the strap and listen: it should not rattle or pinch. What I would skip: leopard with another bold print, let it be the only loud thing in the outfit.

Here is what I would do. First, pick the shape: a true Stam if you want the coin-purse clasp and the 2005 story, or a Stam-inspired Mini Dual if you want it smaller and easier. Second, pick the color by your coat. Black goes with everything, camel looks right with gray, and cloud white wants a dark coat.

 

Third, check the chain against your sleeve and your shoulder, because the strap decides whether you reach for the bag at all. If you want a different brand, the quilted shoulder bags and the chain wallets are right there.

 

Jessica Stam walked the runway in 2005, and the bag still has the same cool attitude. I would carry the black one, with a chain over my coat, and not think twice.