These Are the 7 Hottest Bag Trends for Spring 2024

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Fashion week is an exciting time in general, but I get especially enthused to see what new goodness is in store for the upcoming season’s bag trends. Why? Because purses serve a purpose. They’re functional. I rely on my bag to carry my daily necessities. Translation: I can (almost) always justify purchasing an investment-worthy designer bag.

Last September, I took copious notes on the sartorial forecast for this spring. Don’t be surprised when you see the return of capris and metallic bags among this season’s best fashion trends. Oh, and as for spring shoes, it’s all about comfort and functionality—hallelujah! But for now, let’s talk handbags. Here, I’m breaking down seven bag trends for spring 2024.

Large & In Charge

There’s oversized, and then there’s straight-up absurd. I’m looking at you, Staud (with love). I thought large purses were a trend throughout last spring’s shows, but labels like Coach, Roberto Cavalli, and Sandy Liang took “bigger and better” to a very literal level. So too, did Brandon Maxwell and COS, where the bags were large and in charge. If there’s some commentary to be read into, I won’t claim to know what it is. But I do appreciate the option to carry everything I could possibly need and then some. My shoulders, on the other hand...not so much.

Moon Large Leather Tote Bag

XL Ruched Tote Bag

Large Leather Shoulder Bag

Nothing to Hide

Nosy hive, rise. If you, like me, enjoyed the “What’s In My Bag” era of YouTube influencers, you’ll love this one. See-through bags aren’t just favorable for security reasons; now, they’re en vogue, too. There was one lone transparent green purse at Tory Burch, but its singularity made it stand out even more. PatBo and Proenza Schouler went transparent for some of their handbags, as well. I’m personally enthusiastic about this trend, but I fear it does mean your secret cigarette habit is going to come to light.

Asher Clear Embellished Bag

Augusta Mesh Chain Tote Bag

Transparent Rigid Bag

Take It From the Top

An open-ended trend is always fun because it leaves room for personal expression. With top-handle bags, the details are up to you. It could be big or teeny like some of those at Fendi, boxy like a briefcase or a novelty shape like one of Coach’s hearts. In that sense, it’s a trend that can be stacked with other trends. The aforementioned transparent Tory Burch bag was top-handled, after all. JW Anderson’s iterations were structured and medium in size, while Roksanda took a unique direction with bangle loop-like handles.

Le Petit Calino Leather Bag

Semi-Rigid Handbag

Addison Soft Volume Top Handle Bag

Extra Cargo

Give your chapstick, keys, and mints their own designated compartments in your purse. Or rather, on your purse. I’m affectionately dubbing these “cargo bags” because of the obvious resemblance to pocket-covered cargo pants of yore. Fendi has been on this wave for quite some time, so it was a welcome return to see them again in this collection. Simone Rocha also got on board, and you should, too.

Multipocket Baguette bag

Cargo Nylon Shoulder Bag

Midsize Pockets Leather Bag

She Sells Seashells

I first spotted shells at Tory Burch. They weren’t just on the handbags, though. They were everywhere. On shoes, on earrings, on bracelets. I thought maybe Tory was just in her she sells seashells era, but then I saw them again at Staud. Thus it was cemented as a trend. It stands to reason that we’d adorn ourselves with shells as we look ahead to warmer weather and vacation wear. Anything to distract from the cold of winter.

Luna Straw & Shell Clutch

Bridget Oyster Shell Clutch

Becca Shell Bag

The Clutch Clique

Any bag is a clutch, depending on how you hold it. That’s what I learned from the season’s showings at Staud, Marni, Tom Ford, and Peter Do, among others. From floppy oversized pocketbooks to sleek and structured styles, it’s all about the clutch for spring. Even if a bag had a strap or top handles like those at Brandon Maxwell, models often refrained from that option and either held them in their hands or beneath the arm. I also clocked the return of foldover and envelope clutch bags, which I honestly haven’t thought about since the early 2010s.

Leather Pouch Clutch

Sade Puffy Leather Envelope Clutch Bag

T-Lock Leather Clutch

Unstructured and Unbothered

It’s always nice to be surprised by a trend. (Except for the return of peplums, which I am not pleased about.) Picture me, then, squinting at the Cos show, trying to determine if that model has a garment draped over her arm. As it turns out, it was a bag the entire time. But with that collection, as with Dries Van Noten, Acne Studios, and The Row, large, shapeless bags were definitely a recurring pattern. This must go hand-in-hand with the clutch trend because that’s how almost all of them were carried.

Leo Vegan Leather Bag

Oversized Quilted Crossbody

Sabine Slouchy Bag

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