bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Bloomberg

In the opening episode of season two of And Just Like That…, there’s a scene stealer – and it’s not a designer dress or a celebrity – it’s a purse stool.

“Oh, thank you, my bag was exhausted,” says Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie, setting her Chanel purse down on the little white stool that’s pulled up to the fancy restaurant table. The miniature seats also add comic relief in Emily in Paris – the fashionable Lily Collins, aka Emily, mistakenly sits on the little stand meant for her handbag at a Provence dining spot, revealing her naivety.
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Fine diners will recognise the purse stool as a familiar sight in high-end dining rooms. They are the kind of amenity you see in three-Michelin-star French spots, where an army of waiters escort a woman to the bathroom and there are several courses of amuse-bouche – or starters – before a meal actually starts.
Now, however, those opulent emblems are taking up real estate in more casual dining rooms, from brasseries in Miami to steakhouses in Boston.

Part of the reason is simple: more people have fancy bags and purses that they don’t want sullied by the ground. Luxury purses, new and vintage, are in high demand. Sales of fashion and leather goods at luxury group LVMH – home of Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior – rose 18 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. The personal global luxury goods market grew by 22 per cent in 2022 from 2021, to €353 billion (US$384 billion), according to Bain & Co.
We don’t want our guests to be distracted by small, yet important, details like where to hang their bag
Stephen Starr, restraunteur
Besides the practical benefits of such stools, cultural superstitions from South America to Russia have added to the call for companion seats. In those countries, putting a bag on the floor is bad luck as it means you’ll lose money. There’s also the question of safety: a clutch that’s within your line of sight is safer than one on the back of your chair.
Beyond fine dining

These purse stools can take many forms, from a mini coat rack to a basket. Among the dining spots you might not have expected to find purse furniture is Rare Steakhouse at the Encore Boston Harbour resort in the Massachusetts capital. In addition to comfort food, the restaurant also provides little white upholstered chairs, which match the decor.
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Even at fancy dining spots, the purse stool is proliferating more than it used to. Jean-Georges at The Connaught in London – sister hotel of The Berkeley – with a six-course menu that goes for £135 (US$171), stocks five purse stools to be shared among diners.
At the more recently opened Riviera Restaurant, located in yet another sister property the Maybourne Riviera in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, there are 20 tan purse stools. Bryan O’Sullivan Studio, which designed the restaurant, made them to match the decor.
Luxury perches

But coordinated purse stools are modest compared to the ones offered at some notable dining spots, where they can cost more than the bags that rest on top. Restaurant Le Dalí in Le Meurice in Paris stocks foldable perches made by the notoriously exclusive Hermès . The caramel-coloured Pippa stools retail for almost £9,700 (US$12,500).
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No place has embraced the purse stool quite like the Miami area. At Aba in Bal Harbour, the laid-back Middle Eastern mini chain from the Chicago-based hospitality group Lettuce Entertain You, where cold mezzes and kebabs dominate the menu, there are little wooden stools for bags. (The Austin and Chicago Aba outposts do not feel it’s necessary to stock purse stools. Yet?)

At Shingo, the recently opened 14-seat omakase spot in Coral Gables, chef-owner Shingo Akikuni has hand-woven baskets for guests to put their clutches and purses in. “I’m happy to see these points of service becoming more of a trend,” he says. “Fine dining-only service points have made their way into more mainstream restaurants as service, generally, has become elevated across the industry.”
Even Stephen Starr – who made New York’s Meatpacking District a destination for boisterous brasserie dining at Pastis – has adopted the purse stool lifestyle, at least in South Florida. Although the fancy accessory is not an amenity traditionally found in a hectic dining hall, he has installed little coatlike stands for bags at his three Miami spots: Le Zoo, Makoto and even, yes, the latest outpost of Pastis.
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“A restaurant has to go beyond its food to draw in a guest, and paying attention to the details is where you can show an added level of hospitality.” Starr says. “We don’t want our guests to be distracted by small, yet important, details like where to hang their bag. By providing a place for your purse, we take that worry away for the rest of your time there.”
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Why are restaurants adding tiny seats for luxury handbags? Once a fine dining novelty, even casual eateries are adopting purse furniture – from US12,5000 Hermès’ Pippa stools to hand-woven baskets

As more people carry fancy bags, restaurants are also adding purse stools as amenities to prevent their guests’ beloved properties from getting dirty on the floor. Photos: HBO; Stylnn

Sarah Jessica Parker reprises her role in season two of And Just Like That... . Photo: HBO

A purse stool is meant for well... your purse. Photo: Stylnn

How convenient that the purse stool trend coincides with superstitions in Russia and South America. Photo: Stylnn

Luxurious decor of Restaurant Le Dalí in Le Meurice in Paris, France. Photo: @lemeuriceparis/Instagram

Hermès’ foldable Pippa stool retails for US$12,500 each. Photo: Hermès

Goodbye bag hooks, hello fancy purse stools. Photo: Hermès

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And Just Like That… and Emily in Paris have been riffing on the proliferation of purse furniture in restaurants – we’ve certainly struggled to find suitable spots to hang our bags
But not all purse rests are born equal, from baskets and racks to ornate baby seats – Restaurant Le Dalí in Le Meurice in Paris even offers guests foldable Hermès perches worth US$12,500 each


Goodbye bag hooks, hello purse stools: restaurants from fine dining to casual steakhouses are all adding companion seats for guests’ bags – with writers at And Just Like That… and Emily in Paris riffing on the trend
