Top Style of bags
Thanks to the pandemic, women’s bags have had to survive two years in the wardrobe, but are now ready to work the sunshine again. Of course, you’ll also be looking to level-up what – by now – could be a rather jaded look from three years ago, and a new bag could be part of your ‘new you’ splurge.
Looking at what’s on trend this summer and through autumn can provide you with great alternative designer bag choices. We’re not necessarily suggesting ditching you classic Louis Vuitton shoulder bag any time soon, but a second bag that picks up on current trends that should last is a good idea.
We’re spotting crescent shaped hobo bags and bucket bags as an essential laid bag addition. In an ongoing move towards minimalism, pocket sized bags remain a runway favourite, while the other end of the spectrum sees oversized totes imitate the maximalist move of shoes and blazers in recent years. Chains are an ever present and female-empowering fashion statement, while craft and woven bags offer an artisanal and vegan-friendly walk away from leather.
Most Popular brands this year
Season in-season out, the big brands certainly dominate in bags. Michael Kors is the quintessential premium choice and is set to dominate the field for years to come with sleek and conservative-looking templates.
Michael Kors Bags are constructed with an understanding of exactly what upmarket, fashion-focused professionals aspire to. This means they offer a sensible take on seasonal trends that are more likely to fit in with the practical needs of working life.
In keeping with their business first leaning, designs are predominantly square, slim, and boxed, a tendency that you can also expect from British giant Burberry who are leveraging Burberry Bags to break the conservative Asian luxury market.
With Saffiano leather and the discrete MK Logo frequently on show, the Michael Kors collection is a quality-assured entry into the world of quality bags with a price tag that won’t frighten you.
In luxury Gucci, Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton are mainstays of the fashion world due to their iconic status, quality materials, and year-on-year creative designs. Here you’ll find stylish bags with more experimentation, although more conservative designs are also available.
Gucci Bags are serious luxury in more sense than one. While you may want to switch up your look, it’ll be a studied approach that fits the austere and moneyed façade that Gucci dominates the field with.
Don’t discount bag offerings from the likes of Off-White, Kaite, JW Anderson, and Loewe, although for range and instant credibility the fashion giants are a safer choice.
Longevity of the Trends and Will They Last?
The crescent/hobo bag is a trend that will last. Playing on a move to less formal styling, it offers a more relaxed approach to complement a summer/holiday wardrobe. Hobo bags will be a cross-seasonal go to as women take charge of their own wardrobes by dressing more on their own terms.
Pocket-sized bags are great because they subtly steer attention away from themselves [a bag should never dominate your silhouette] towards the wardrobe items they’re complementing. Minimalism also complements consumer desire to be sustainable [they use less leather and will cost slightly less than larger shoulder bags or totes].
While the oversize trend seems to disprove minimal reasoning, it’s an extension of the relaxed wardrobe meets power dressing formula that affirms women’s clothing should be female-focused first.
Chains and shiny hardware fulfil the glamour quotient and augment the power look without ceding femininity, while craft and woven bags - a Gucci alt-look from the very beginning - complement the sustainability drive again, whilst adding alternative textures and colour variants to an otherwise black and tan landscape. In one form or another, these trends will be around for a while.
Staying on trend with bag choices allows you to modify your look and wardrobe in brand new ways. How to wear the bag is an important consideration, so it’s a good idea to reference the ready to wear collection of the designer you favour to get a sense of intended uses, colour schemes and levels of formality.
Don’t just find your preferred bag in the brand’s latest collection via Google but see how different bag models fit into their overall schema season by season, which will help you when it comes to diversifying with alt bag and wardrobe ensembles.
Of course, you might not want to stray too far from what you know; if your bag is for business/office use, then an oversized tote or hobo bag might make the wrong impression at work and may not fit it in with your workaday wardrobe. The Michael Kors brand can be a wise choice in this case, where looks tend to segue back to convention.
Some of the trends we’ve noted here are more suitable for clubbing, dining, and holidays, and this is where you can experiment – a mini bag for the night club, hobo bag for the beach and canvas bag for travel and lounge dining.
If you’re still concerned that some of these looks are one-offs, then stay with conservative colours in leather and strip back the ostentatious pockets, layers, and hardware. This way you’ll ensure a more conservative look that, while perhaps not office-ready, will provide utility in other areas of your busy and multi-tasking life.
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