While treating yourself to a timeless investment bag is a move that can pay dividends – both sartorially and financially – the new-season trend cycle always throws up a few curveball designs, destined to make your every outfit look fresh and new once more. For SS24, there are so many options on the menu: the puffy padded bag is here to make morning commutes and busy weekends a much more stylish affair, while the croissant offers an effortlessly elegant finisher for quiet-luxury looks.
For beachside days, the straw bag is back once more, and for those happily in the throes of the unending Y2K revival, the influx of boxy shoulder bags, replete with nostalgic silver hardware, is sure to please.
The affordable designer bags market is booming this year, opening up the options beyond the Big Fashion pieces (which come with increasingly big price tags) and the disposable designs that once dominated the high street. Speaking of the great British high street, we’ve come a long way recently, with brands such as Cos, Arket and Massimo Dutti delivering pieces that bridge the high-low divide and look every bit as polished as a four-figure investment.
Here, see the bag trends set to rule SS24 – and beyond.
The ELLE Guide To SS24’s Trending Bags
Puffer Bags
Pleasingly sized and satisfyingly squishy, these comfort-blanket puffer bags are made to bring joy. Sling one over working-week looks, or use it to stuff your shopping in at the weekend. Works especially well with a kitschy summer dress: clash your colours and prints for maximum points.
Charles & Keith
Now 30% Off
Chaotic Carry-Alls
The messy realities of a life lived in the city took centre stage on the SS24 runways. At Miu Miu, shoes and phone chargers spilled out of overspilling totes, while Bottega Veneta’s models carried supersized straw baskets stuffed with beachside essentials. At Hermès, leather baskets carried fronds of dried flowers, while Balenciaga’s new City bag came jangling with a mismatch of key rings and charms. Go big, fill to the brim, and embrace the season of kitchen-sink carry-alls.
Subversive Sweetness
Tiktok trends might move at lightning speed, but the girlish predilections of the coquette live on in this season’s sweetest accessories. Whether Simone Rocha’s pearls or Shushu/Tong’s bows, the most adorable outfit finishers of the season are loaded with feminine energy.
Cecilie Bahnsen
Now 40% Off
Vintage Reliks
As designer launches creep even further out of the realms of affordability for many, vintage bags are making a major comeback. A Noughties hero, the moto-style Balenciaga City is back in demand – so much so, creative director Demna Gvasalia has brought it out of the archive, while Gucci’s Nineties Horsebit is another classic making a comeback. Whatever your style predilections, there’s a retro relik out there for you: and if you’re ready to embrace the approaching bohemia boom? Snap up a Chloè Paddington now, and you’ll have bragging rights for the rest of the year.
Y2K details
Patent leather, linear shapes and plenty of puffed-up pockets: the baguettes and shoulder bags you carried through teenhood are making a strong return this summer. Look to affordable designer bag brands Charles & Keith and Marge Sherwood for the best nostalgic designs.
Croissant Curves
You likely remember the bag that started it all: last year, Uniqlo became the surprise name behind the It-bag of the summer. Delightfully practical and priced at less than a round in the pub, the retailer’s slouchy nylon pouch, designed to be swung hands-free across the body, was a note-perfect piece for festivals, weekends, and days running errands.
Now, that roomy, croissant-shaped silhouette is everywhere: The Row and Lemaire’s supple leather designs are the quiet-luxury take, while plenty of mid-range names have delivered their own versions: head to Cos for business, and Damson Madder for pleasure.
Summer Straw
Of course, the straw bag is a true summer staple: every year, a new influx of woven raffia pieces hits the shelves to serve us all through hot holidays and days in the city. Loewe’s annual collaboration with Paula’s Ibiza still holds the crown for the most in-demand woven tote – this year, we’re obsessed with the lime green – while artisanal projects Aranaz and Métier make traditional pieces, finished with finesse.
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