As we leave behind one of the more regrettable years in living memory, everyone is looking forward to reinventing themselves when they crawl back into the world sometime in 2021. In this article, I’m taking a look at a few key trends in handbag styles that we can expect to carry their momentum well into 2021.
Small (Enough) Bags
Is it an extension of the minimalism that pervades so much of modern design? Is it because big bags are too hard to carry around after arm day at the gym?
Miniscule bags really took off lately – and like most good things, they were quickly taken to their logical conclusion. Lizzo took to the AMAs red carpet in late 2019 with a Valentino handbag that could hold a few Tic Tacs, if we’re being charitable.
Fashion Observer
Other designers have capitalized on the micro-bag design but upped the size, so they were no longer in the realm of comical. This summer, Jacquemus debuted their Le Chiquito leather tote.
Jacquemus
Hegel’s dialectics teach us that history tends to swing between extremes: perhaps 2021 will be the year in which balance is found between tiny, adorable bags and bags that have utility. On the more casual end of the spectrum, we have our Pamo Yana bags. These are stylish and small – almost a mini-backpack in the guise of a crossbody bag.
Quilted Bags
These ain’t your grandma’s quilts; while a perennial part of leather high fashion, quilted bags have been especially on the up and up lately.
Miu’s Nappa leather clutch, with its neutral color scheme and gold accents, is a gorgeous addition to any outfit.
Miu
We made our foray into the quilt world this season with our CINDY clutch, made from 100% quilted lamb skin. It’s a bag that you can take from work to happy hour to a candle-lit dinner.
Chains
Do you know what’s off the chain in 2021? Being on the chain – well, for your handbag at least. (Our editors went home early for New Year’s Eve, so I was able to sneak that joke in.)
Elleme’s Long Vague bag is a great example of the design principle that anything can be an accessory – even the handle to your bag. The gold-colored chain goes beautifully with the ruffled rose-gold leather.
Shopbop | Amazon
We’re kicking it up a notch with faux-jewels embedded in our chain – the aforementioned CINDY clutch comes with (among other handles) a bejeweled chain. Refraction is a neat physics concept and all, but my monkey brain just really loves the sparkles.
Fringes
High fashion has been awash with fringe-based designs this year. This Bottega Veneta shoulder bag takes the concept to new heights with leather fringes extending across the entire bottom of the bag down below the knees.
Bottega Veneta | Matches Fashion
Maybe you’re not ready to commit yourself to that level of fringe – that’s alright, everyone’s different and moves at their own pace. If you’re looking to just get your feet wet with the concept, we’ve added fringe accessories to all of our Lynette bags.
And hey, we get it – taking the leap into the world of fringe is scary. That’s why these fringe accessories are entirely removable, so you can wear the bag your way.
Extra-Large Totes
“Wait!” I hear you furiously scream behind your keyboard. “Wasn’t the first entry in this listicle about how small bags were in?” Indeed, it was, astute reader! But these aren’t contradictory – the two can exist side-by-side. They may even stem from the same design philosophy. After all, what’s more minimalist than living entirely out of your handbag?
Longchamp’s Roseau Essential Mid Leather Tote gets the job done – with huge carrying capacity and a snap gusset closure, this thing is a beast of a workhorse.
Longchamp | Neiman Marcus
We also have a similar option on offering – our JANE bags, meant to evoke an English style, are both utilitarian workhorses and elegant. Like Clydesdales, maybe? Or… well, to be honest my equestrian knowledge is lacking and that’s the only breed of extra-large draft horse I’m aware of.
To boot, the JANE bag is nearly square in its dimensions, tapping into a growing fascination with geometric designs this season. It also comes with two swappable straps, a timeless leather strap as well as a modern fabric strap.
It’s New Year’s Eve and there’s celebratory cheese dips to be made, so I’m calling it for today’s listicle. While fashion is always a speculative enterprise, that’s even more true this year. Because we’ve all been living like hermits for a year, it is possible when we emerge from our caves sometime in the summer, people will be willing to try radically new fashions. Or maybe they will rigidly adhere to fashion orthodoxy for some semblance of continuity in a turbulent world. Whatever the case, cute handbags will continue to be cute into 2021 and beyond.