The $55 H&M Bag I'm Buying Instead of The Row's Margaux

An H&M model carrying a black open-top shopper tote.

(Image credit: H&M)

The Row's Margaux bag—whether in suede, smooth, or pebbled leather—is one of the most sought-after handbags in all of fashion, only really coming second to Hermès in demand. Everybody wants one, and if they're saying they don't, they're lying. Unfortunately, like an Hermès Kelly or Birkin bag, Margaux bags aren't that easy to come by, and if you do find yourself face-to-face with one that's up for sale, you'll have to pay top dollar for it.

There is one way around the price and availability factors. If it's the shape and style of the Margaux that you love and not necessarily the status that owning one brings you, I found the perfect solution. This week, H&M dropped a top-handle shopper in black that has the same look as the Margaux but costs just $55. Somehow, it hasn't sold out yet.

The tote, which measures at 15 inches by 11 inches by 7.5 inches, features the same dual side buckles, metal studs at its base, and long top handles as the Margaux. These three qualities are what make The Row's best-selling bag so practical and smart. It also has subtle gold hardware and a smooth leather-like exterior. Essentially, it's the best affordable The Row alt on the market right now. Trust me—I've looked at a lot of them.

Scroll down to shop the $55 shopper before it sells out, which it probably will very soon.

Shop more new arrivals from H&M:

Senior Fashion Editor

Eliza Huber is a New York City–based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and celebrity style. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.