I know the saying goes “diamonds are forever,” but forget diamonds. In my mind, handbags are forever. All you have to do is know when to hang some styles up for a few seasons in favor of other, fresher-feeling alternatives. (To keep their shape, stuff them with newspaper before sending them to storage for the time being.)
This fall, I’ve noticed a larger-than-normal shift in terms of bag trends, with many of the tried-and-true favorites from the last few seasons starting to feel stale when compared to the flashy new ones that designers promoted on the fall runways. Prada’s once ubiquitous nylon Re-Edition bags have been replaced by its retro bowler and briefcase-style bags, while shockingly micro purses have been swapped out for shockingly large ones (because practicality for fall is always trendy).
While it’s sad to say goodbye to the bags that have carried our most prized possessions every day for the last few years, the time has come for a changing of the guard. Ahead, see which styles are best to store away this season and the ones worth replacing them with.
Prada has always been a thought-starter and a leader in trend development, so of course, when the brand reissued its 2000 nylon bag, it exploded onto the fashion scene, spurring hundreds of dupes and becoming almost immediately ubiquitous on social media. But with so much attention comes a shortened lifespan, which has consumers looking elsewhere for the next cool bag to tote around this fall. Knowing this, the brand created just that in the Supernova bag, which is aiding in the resurgence of the early-aughts bowler-bag trend.
Neon bags had their moment in the sun thanks in large part to Balenciaga’s Le Cagole shoulder bag that made buckled, hardware-clad hot-pink and lime-green bags feel like an essential part of our summer wardrobes. But with fall’s arrival, it’s time to store away those bright bags for something a bit more icy and festive: metallic handbags. A product of the growing heavy-metal runway trend, the sudden influx in gold and silver purses feels oddly fresh considering how “tacky” both colors have seemed in the past.
Goodbye, beach bags—hello, chic alternatives to our boring office totes. Thanks to brands like Miu Miu, Khaite, Prada, and more, rectangular-shaped briefcase-inspired purses have been stealing the spotlight from the casual, crochet bags we frequent every summer. The best part? Depending on the size you pick, you can fit your laptop inside, thus saving you from having to tote around a basic canvas bag to and from work.
Basket bags are great for warm weather when layers don’t exist and it’s easy to grab into your open bag and find whatever it is that’s hiding in there. But now that fall’s arrived and winter is imminent, the kinds of bags we need are flexible, roomy, and able to be zipped tight. That’s where slouchy totes like those made by Khaite and Ree Projects come in. Slouchy and easy without looking frumpy, these cool totes are a top buy for the cold-weather season ahead.
Another Prada-led bag trend is triangle bags, the likes of which dominated in the brand’s fall/winter 2022 and spring/summer 2023 collections. Because of their relatively small size and eye-catching shape, the style has quickly become a top rival for wristlets, which made a comeback a few seasons ago but have begun to die down in popularity.
I can’t be the only one who’s a tad excited about extra-extra small bags losing their It factor of late. As cute as they are, these itty-bitty handbags are far too impractical for anyone who likes carrying more than a credit card, ID, and box of breath mints when they leave the house. One style I am standing behind for fall is XXL bags, which can fit everything you’d ever need and then some.
Though Balenciaga’s neon Le Cagole bags are losing steam, the style, in general— especially in more neutral colors like black and white—isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s led to a spike in interest in heavily hardwared handbags full of buckles, clasps, and clips of all kinds. And with so many options to choose from, we’ll almost certainly have to give up a few tried-and-true favorites in the process. Handy belt bags haven’t felt fresh in a few seasons, So until a designer revamps them once again, buckle bags it is.
