Nothing screams ‘happy new year’ like a brand new season of handbag trends. Unlike spring and summer clothes, you won’t have to wait until the sun comes out to don your new accessory. Handbags have that evergreen factor, as most of them can be worn all year round. Our favourite luxury brands are already creating some of the biggest trends in 2022, and we’re only two months in.
A handbag is a great accessory to add to any capsule wardrobe. By purchasing a bag in an easy wearable colour (we’re talking black, beige, navy and grey), you can guarantee that you will be able to wear the bag year upon year, and season upon season too. The SS22 runways are full of all sorts of different handbag shapes and styles that we expect to see dominate the fashion sphere in the coming year. From woven bags to vintage ones, we’re focusing on all the luxury handbag trends we think are going to be hugely popular in the next few months. We can’t wait to see what handbag trends 2022 will bring!
Woven bags
The first handbag trend we’re going to speak about is woven bags. This one is perfect for summer or as a beach bag. Cult Gaia’s Jasmin Larian Hekmat is responsible for the woven trend after she bought it back a few seasons ago. Rattan and woven bags are just one of those styles which tend to come back summer after summer. Take summer 2021 as an example, the Prada Logo Straw Tote bag was extremely popular, along with Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche large tote. If 2021 is anything to go by, we could see yet another boom in woven bags as the sun comes out.
Hourglass shoulder bags
The Balenciaga Hourglass handbag was one to watch last year, and it looks like it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Originally named after its incredibly recognisable shape, this bag is so popular because it mixes two key design elements – modern and classic. This bag is not only chic and timeless, but it also has a fresh and unique look. We think this bag makes for a really great evening bag, and it’s quite small, but when you’re going on a night out, you don’t want to be weighed down by your bag anyway!
Vintage takes centre stage
We’ve moved on from the logomania trend we were talking about at the end of last year. Now we’re onto vintage pieces. We want bags that have iconic and classic roots. Take the reworked Gucci Jackie bag as an example. This bag is the definition of that timeless, vintage style that we’re talking about here. This bag has been a popular one ever since Jackie Kennedy was famously photographed shielding herself from the paparazzi with one of these. Gucci’s Jackie medium bag is the perfect everyday bag, because of its structured but slouched shape.
Buying vintage bags is easiest to do from the pre-loved market. Although you can get reworked versions of classic styles on the websites of luxury brands, you won’t be able to purchase original versions. These are often exclusive to the pre-loved market. Have a look, you never know, you might find your dream bag there.
Crescent-shaped bags
Another huge trend on the runway was this circular, moon or crescent shape bag. We’ll likely see this shaped bag as the one of the year. You might have seen this trend start at the end of 2021, with the boom in people wanting the Louis Vuitton Croissant bag. It’s a 90s inspired design that can transform a basic outfit with its eye-catching design. The great thing about a crescent-shaped bag is that it’s not too small. You can take it to the office, but you can also take it to a nice dinner. It can fit both in – just the essentials and the commodities. Luxury crescent-shaped bags include the Louis Vuitton Croissant and the Gucci Ophidia bag.
Carryalls
Did you struggle with the micro bag trend because you found that you just couldn’t fit all your belongings in it? Well, if this was you, we’ve got some good news. It looks as if the micro bag trend is dying down. That’s right, carryalls and supersize totes are taking over. Micro bags were fun, but their time is coming to an end by the looks of things. Say goodbye to the days of stuffing all your belongings into a tiny Jacquemus bag, and say hello to bags like Loewe’s Flamenco XL Knot Napa Tote bag and the larger sizes of the infamous Hermès Birkin. These bags will be your best friend, especially in the summer months.
Should I buy into a trend?
Trends come and go, we know that. What’s trendy one summer, may not be trendy the next. While you can follow trends if you wish, you’ll have to come to terms with the fact that at some point, they may go out of fashion. Then you could be left with a bag you don’t wear, and one which has decreased in value. As much as it can be fun to buy into viral trends, we would always advise sticking to timeless pieces to ensure you don’t end up losing the value of your accessory.
While trends can be fun for a short period of time, it’s important to always have the future of the handbag in mind too. If you do want to buy into a trend, but don’t want to fully invest, try purchasing a timeless bag in a pop of colour, maybe a bright green or pink.
Moving further into 2022…
As we’ve already mentioned, trends move at a pretty fast pace nowadays. What’s on-trend at the beginning of the year, may not be on-trend come the summer months. However, this is our list of what handbag trends we expect to see as we move further into 2022. Maybe this article has inspired you to be ahead of the game and purchase an on-trend handbag. New year, new handbag and all that…
