As any New Yorker knows, the kind of style you spot in the street is highly dependent on which neighborhood you find yourself in. Lower Manhattan is unquestionably home to the trendsetting crowd, and whenever I find myself taking a stroll through the blocks just south of Houston Street, I'm instantly reminded of which trends, brands, and items are most popular among Gen Z and millennials at the moment. Right now, there's a single handbag style I'm spotting on the arms of the best dressed in the borough: slouchy and oversize bags that look (and in some cases, are) straight out of the early 2000s.
On Bella Hadid: Balenciaga Le City Medium Bag ($2900)
While the designer bags of 2025 are a particularly strong bunch—what with the arrival of the Bottega Veneta Ciao Ciao, Balenciaga Rodeo, and Khaite Cate—they're all still being crushed by the carryall that's made a roaring resurgence from the early aughts. The era has loomed large recently as fashion's most influential decade and nowhere have we seen that more obviously than when it comes to the handbags that celebs and the fashion set alike are reaching for, but especially the Balenciaga Le City Bag.
On Kaia Gerber: Balenciaga Le City Medium Bag ($2900); Dôen cardigan; Leset pants; Repetto flats
First released in 2001 as the Motorcycle Bag, the City Bag was Hollywood's hottest outfit companion throughout the 2000s with everyone from Mischa Barton to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to Nicole Richie sporting theirs nonstop. Balenciaga recently debuted its updated take on the iconic City Bag, dubbing it Le City, and celebs like Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber, and Tate McRae have all been spotted carrying theirs over the last several weeks. The bags are taking off across Instagram and TikTok as the fashion set revisits this nostalgic favorite.
On Tate McRae: Balenciaga Le City Large Bag ($3250)
McRae, whose third album, So Close to What, was just released, stepped out in New York this week in a casual winter combo of trousers, chunky sneakers, and a wool coat, adding a Balenciaga Le City Bag in smoke to complete the muted look.
On Rachel Sennott: Chloé Paddington Bag
Photographed at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, Sennott perfectly matched her tan jacket and skirt to her vintage Paddington, which was sourced by Last Platinum Vintage.
New Yorkers tend to wear theirs with other It pieces like Puma sneakers, statement coats, and track pants and are always accessorizing the bags with personalized touches in the form of bag charms and stickers.
Although celebs in L.A. and fashion people in New York are who we spot carrying the bags the most, the European trendsetting bunch are also very fond of the City Bag.
When a fashion person picks up the early aughts carryall, they're more than likely wearing it with other calling cards of the decade, like skinny jeans.
Shop the Balenciaga Le City Bag
This rich camel shade is ultra luxurious.
Of course, the black version has always been, and will always be, the one.
With its slouchy shape and crossbody strap, I don't know why we ever moved away from such a practical It bag.
NYC girls are especially into this edgier charcoal version of the bag.
Not for the wallflowers among us.
This ivory shade feels so right for spring and summer.
The secondhand market is filled with all the harder-to-find colorways.
Red-hot.
Twenty-four years later, and it's as cool as ever.
The combination of this ivory hue and the gold hardware is so good.
More 2000s Designer Bags That Are Very Now
Calling it now: the Chloé Paddington Bag is the next vintage style to make a huge comeback.
Score!
Every It girl of the 2000s had one of these on her arm.
The right amount of slouch.
If a sleeker oversize bag is more your speed.
It's the turnlock closure for me.
The RealReal just informed me that almost 400 people have this bag saved. Just saying.
This bag brings back so many memories.
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