I Swear Every Cool Person at Fashion Week Was Carrying One of These 5 Handbags

In the midst of navigating where I'm off to next during fashion week, I make it a point every season to scope out the cool items that everyone is wearing, specifically looking for the pieces that pop up again and again.

On the apparel side, there were certainly a few repeats, with big-ticket items including sweeping scarves, '80s-style leather jackets, pencil skirts and really anything that feels boho-inspired. The handbags, however, were by far the main event. Throughout fashion month, show attendees debuted a vast array of bags, from classic styles by the likes of Chanel, Loewe and Miu Miu to more on-trend silhouettes and accents, like belted bags, oversized clutches and bag charms.

With so many handbag moments to highlight this season, I took it upon myself to narrow down the five buzziest handbag trends I spotted most across New York, London, Milan and Paris. Scroll to see which will make the biggest impact this season.

1. OVERSIZED CLUTCHES

PFW street style

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

Style Notes: Clutches hardly have an exciting reputation, or really, any reputation at all. Oftentimes relegated to the back of our wardrobes and only called upon for formal occasions, the strap-free silhouette can easily be forgotten. But in a surprise twist, this season's street style stars chose to set the record straight about clutches, opting for cool, oversized shapes that for once made them the focal point of an outfit.

PFW street style

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

LFW street style

(Image credit: Nicole Gomes)

SHOP OVERSIZED CLUTCHES:

2. SUEDE STYLES

Paris Fashion Week Street Style

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

Style Notes: Supple suede bags are already the satchel of choice for Londoners this autumn, but it seems that the trend has permeated wider fashion circles. Imparting an effortless edge that helps to relax a fashion week 'fit, the suede bag trend came in tandem with so many chic ensembles this month.

Paris Fashion Week Street Style

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

Paris Fashion Week Street Style

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

SHOP SUEDE BAGS:

3. BAG CHARMS

PFW street style.

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

Style Notes: Treated to a runway-ready makeover by Miu Miu, the bag charm trend has piqued the interest of those with a playful approach to style. Spotted across London's streets, but also throughout Paris and New York, this fun bag trend is the easiest way to give your look a 2024 twist.

LFW street style.

(Image credit:  Nicole Gomes)

LFW street style.

(Image credit:  Nicole Gomes)

SHOP BAG CHARMS:

4. BELTED BAGS

PFW street style

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

Style Notes: Prada's buzzy belted bag has had fashion people fawning ever since its debut. Now, having trickled into the wardrobes of those in the know, the belted-bag trend was a fixture on the streets this fashion month.

PFW street style

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

LFW STREET STYLE

(Image credit: Nicole Gomes)

SHOP BELTED BAGS:

5. BRAIDED BAGS

PFW street style

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

Style Notes: There's nothing new about braided bags at fashion week, mostly because of the hold Daniel Lee's Bottega Veneta styles had on the style set during his tenure. But even with his departure and Matthieu Blazy's arrival, the Italian house's signature Intrecciato weaving technique continues to reign supreme on the streets outside of shows.

PFW street style

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

PFW street style

(Image credit: The Style Stalker)

SHOP BRAIDED BAGS:

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.

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