They’re taking over campus one arm at a time.

Fashionably monstrous and ridiculously convenient, pocketbooks are back with a vengeance — and they are literally bigger than ever.

Affectionately dubbed “mommy bags” by some, this new breed of purse is large enough to carry all the things a girl could possibly want, from essentials to books to laptops to lunch, leaving just enough room for a set of keys and her favorite compact.

Amy Plant, a senior in English education, is a fan of the new pocketbooks, and proudly owns a a few herself. She said she thinks part of why they are so popular is because they are a cuter option than book bags, but their oversized carrying capacity makes them just as convenient.

“A lot of fashion is more about convenience,” Plant said. “That’s part of the reason flats came back in […] — because they’re more comfortable than heels. We’re all about what’s fast and easy… and the big bags allow you to carry more.”

She pointed out that all fashion tends to work in cycles and that every fashion statement, like skinny jeans, comes back around at some point.

“It’s big bags’ turn,” she said.

This big bertha of bags may not be quite the ticket for everyone, though. Angela Keeley, a sophomore in business management, loves fashion and keeps up with it as much as possible, but she thinks the new bag trend is a little over the top.

“I don’t really like them that much. They’re just too big and they don’t look good; they just overtake the whole person,” she said.

While she agrees with Plant that the bags are very practical, and “seem like a retro thing,” she said she doesn’t think one should have to sacrifice style for practicality.

“You can look good while being functional,” Keeley said, stressing that there enough options available that one shouldn’t have to give up her sense of style for comfort and convenience.

Regardless, colossal clutches are popping up all over campus. Sarah Murphy, a graduate student in accounting, hasn’t crossed the line just yet, though she said she has been seeing them everywhere, and she thinks they are pretty cute.

“I guess if you’re going to carry a bag, you might as well just carry one and make it a big one so that you can fit everything in it,” Murphy said.

For those who want to try the one-bag-fits-all solution, there are a ton of styles, as well as materials, to choose from.

“If you really look, there are options, and if you’re willing to go online that helps,” Plant said. “Old Navy always has big cloth bags. Urban Outfitters is pretty reasonably priced. If you know how to look, it’s available.”

So snatch one of these purses before they become passe, or just point and laugh at the people who do. Either way, it seems they’re here to stay — at least for this season.