New way of doing things

There is a plague of young ladies walking around our fair burg holding their bags in the crook of their elbow, as our lovely model demonstrates above. Is this a new thing? I don't see how this is an easier way to carry a Coach hobo bag, as opposed to closing one's fingers over the strap.

The end-state is a dissolute look on the subject in question, padding around the city in her $300 flip-flops with a pair of huge sunglasses on. She's muchtoomuch precious to mingle with the element of the street, and her manicure is too delicate to grip this tote (which only contains a MotoRazr and a gram of coke, anyway). If it's possible for someone's arm to convey smug, this terrifying mode of ferrying a satchel fits that particular bill.