While treating yourself to a timeless 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 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.
Pleasingly sized and satisfyingly squishy, these comfort-blanket 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.
The messy realities of a life lived in the cit.
