We've Done the Research—These Are the Handbag Trends Everyone Will Carry in 2024 (2024)

It tells us an awful lot about a year—and in fact—a decade, if many of the period's season-defining trends focused on what we carried on our shoulders and in our hands. Yes, we had the beginning of the 2020s to thank for Barbiecore,quiet luxury and the Y2K renaissance, but the real talking points were theIt bagsthat made flash-in-the-pan trends feel like fully realised aesthetics. Whether you cooed over JW Anderson's pigeon clutch or preferredLoewe's puzzling take on the tote, fell for Bottega's woven styles or grabbed the Anthropologie dupe that went viral on social media, you found your way here first and foremost because you are a bag lover; and if you're looking for thelatest bag trends to invest in, the first place to startare the runways.

Ready-to-wear might have its timeless staples (thewool coat, the cashmere knit, the perfect pair of everyday jeans, for example), but we get to have a little more fun experimenting with our accessories. Needless to say, there are the eternal iconsthat have been around for decades (theHermés Birkin and the Chanel 11.12spring to mind), but when we're refreshing our wardrobes with a little updateon our seasonal style, there's nothing quite like a pulse-quickening, lust-worthy bag to bring things bangup to date. So, what can we expect from 2024?

In the name of good journalistic research, Isetabout scouring the runways and analysing the2024 collections to bring you the key handbag trends I'm confident we'll startseeing everywhereover the next 12 months. From the supersized evening bags that are evenbigger than last year's totes to thecolour trend that influencers and editors are already backing, keep scrollingto seethe six handbag trends that bring new meaning to theterm "arm candy".

1. RAINBOW BRIGHTS

Style Notes: It just wouldn't be a trend roundup without one standout colour, but as it turns out, 2024 will be about celebrating them all. Ultra-bold Crayola brights cropped upin the majority of collections in the form of a colour-pop handbag—almost the antithesis of A/W 23's trending shades ofcharcoal grey and chocolate brown. There's a lot to love about this joyful trend that lifts almost any outfit to dopamine-inducing highs. Having a bad day? Reach for abrightbag.

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2. THE LUDICROUSLY CAPACIOUS CLUTCH

Style Notes: It seems like a contradiction in terms that an "oversized clutch" should exist. By its nature, the handle-less bag should easily be able to fit in one hand or tucked under the arm, but if the runways have taught us anything, it's how to make an accessory feel like the star of the show, and these exceptionally large clutches give serious big bag energy. Don't mistake them for the reserve of eveningwear alone though—according to 16Arlington, Ferragamo, Victoria Beckham and The Attico, to name but a few, these bags are styled best with tailoring,leather jackets and casual denim.

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3. BUCKET LIST

Style Notes: After the big, bad clutch, it feels like we're back in familiar territory with the bucket bag. There are no bells and whistles, no theatrical reinventions and no need for whacky colours here; instead, 2024's bucket bagharks back to the classics—circular-bottomed, deep-barrelled bags in rich, tonal colours that will go with everything (and fit everything inside, too). Think of this deceptively roomy option as the fashion person's rucksack.

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4. MY FAIR LADY

Style Notes: Demure, "ladylike" and timeless, the top-handle bag has been reinvented countless times, never falling out offashion.Perhaps it's down to the simpleyet elegant silhouette, maybe it's the bag's nostalgic appeal; either way, my guess is that it's no coincidence that the year wegravitatedtowardsslingbacks and A-line skirts also set thestage for the return of the top-handle. Could we be ready to trade in '90sminimalismfor '50s Americana? Watch this space.

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5. ANIMAL ATTRACTION

Style Notes:And now to prints we know and love. 2024 will take a walk on the wild side in the form of glossy mock-croc, fierce leopard, statement snakeskin and almost anything else you'd find on safari. There's no better way to dress up everything from cosy knits and coats to simple dresses and tank tops, and since these styles always seem to come back around each year, it's fair to consider animal-print bags asensible investment.

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6. LEARN TO SLOUCH

Style Notes: Forget everything youwere toldabout slouching. Structured, boxy totes and shoppers are out for the new year,when spring will usher in the age of fluidity. Big bags made their way down the runway, carried nonchalantly as they practically spilled off the arms of models, in floppy suede, buttery-soft leather and liquid silk. It's official: languid forms and shapeless styles are the new way to do effortless elegance. Good news for thosewho prefer to carry everything including the kitchen sink; these spacious bags are designed to be filled up and slung over your shoulder, so you needn't worry about fitting it all in.

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