It’s not easy for a purse to make it into the best winter bags category. They must tick several boxes for the prestige honor. First, they need to stand up to the elements. So skip the silky pouchettes that can be totally ruined by snowflakes. Second, they need to be able to fit over your shoulder while wearing a coat. Sorry, itsy-bitsy straps won’t cut it here. Lastly, we appreciate styles that speak to the moment and are on trend.
There are three main designs that meet those qualifications and every editor currently has their eye on them right now. Thanks to the runways, we are continuing to witness the dominance of narrow, elongated bags. With exaggerated straps, these were carried by models carried over the shoulder and, in some cases, even slung low across the body. Speaking of straps, shoulder bags with a slightly longer drop are causing quite a stir this winter, especially designs that offer the timeless, practical, and stylish details that many designers embraced this season. Finally, it was nice to see the runways take into consideration our everyday lives, highlighting oversized tote bags perfect for carrying all of the odds and ends essential for each day.
There are so many elegant creations to discover. Take a deeper dive into the best winter 2024-2025 bag trends below.
East Meets West
The Alaïa Le Teckel bag and The Miu Miu Arcadie bags have been driving this trend full speed ahead for a few seasons now. The elongated shape draws the eyes to the left and the right, hence the east-west nickname. The oblong styles appeared all over the place on models on the runways, on influencers on the street style scene, and editors at the ELLE office. We can’t seem to get enough of this trend.
Alaïa Le Teckel Medium Nubuck Bag
Miu Miu Arcadie Leather Bag
Brunello Cucinelli Small Suede Tote Bag
Fendi Leather Baguette Shoulder Bag
Cold Shoulder
Tried and true, the shoulder bag will always be the go-to shape year after year. But this season it feels refreshingly exciting. Perhaps, we have Alessandro Michele to thank for the recent buzz. One of his first bags for Valentino is a suede shoulder bag that was an instant hit with the fashion set. In the same vein, Prada’s classic Cleo has been on display in new and interesting textures along with the Chanel 11.12, which was shown in a prismatic array during its most recent show.
Fendi Simply Shoulder Bag
Valentino Garavani Vain Shoulder Bag
Prada Cleo Shoulder Bag
Dior Medium Bobby Bag
Tote Up
In our busy lives, we are stuffing all of our necessities into our bags and running out the door. Continuing to draw inspiration from the modern woman on the go, designers have taken note and brought the realistic essential tote bag to the catwalk. Who knew schlepping a giant tote overflowing with all sorts of stuff could be so chic?
The Row Park XL Tote Bag
Prada Buckle Large Bag
Dior Medium Book Tote
