Surprising Handbag Trends of 2017

Fashions of the past have often been defined as a standard of classic, timeless beauty; but what’s popular today is a vastly different story. When other years have embraced the everyday wear of classic black and tan leather bags with key “handbag staples”, 2017 brings with it an entirely new beauty standard. So, what can we expect this year in terms of designer handbag trends? Let’s find out!

Color, color, color: The biggest trend we’re seeing this year are unusual combinations of bold, bright colors. Color blocking has been reimagined, and we’re seeing lots of large colorful stripes of various shades and sizes. There aren’t really any rules to this one, except: the crazier, the better.

Unique silhouettes: The most interesting trend so far that we’ve seen popping up are unconventional shapes or silhouettes. By far the craziest handbag silhouette we’ve seen is Loewe’s Elephant cross-body bag that’s literally in the shape of—you guessed it—an elephant (complete with a trunk and all; we’re not kidding). Other bag shapes we’ve seen are elongated shoulder bags that cover the whole arm, or circular bags with 70s-era flare. We’ve even seen a guitar and marching band-style drum from Dolce and Gabbana on the runway. Oh, throw in a dog-shaped handbag from Thom Browne, too. We’re all for a new handbag silhouette—it’s about time!

Abandoning typical staples: That’s right, handbag trends are moving towards indistinguishable branding and away from the classic handbag features that have always sort of just been… there. This dramatic shift in the mindset of handbag trends has created more of a demand for specific, statement bags, and made many older bags instant classics. Of course, this doesn’t mean designer labels are out—they’re just alongside some stranger, riskier alternatives. (Peep this teddy bear bag by Moschino)!

Quirky patterns: Our favorite trend of the new year are the crazy patterns of mustaches, rainbows, rockets, and frogs—there really are no rules or limits to this fun new trend. Sure, it’s a little “out there,” but it’s a fun out there. What fashionista doesn’t want to be noticed for her likable personality and approachable style? The craziest handbag patterns we’ve seen are neon signs, road signs, and tropical birds.

Unique handles: Perhaps the most unexpectedly cool trend of this year are never-before-seen handle designs. This one by Chloe, for example, has a style we almost never see—the bold hardware but simple design is eye-catching and makes us want to be the type of girl that would carry it! We also see handles on the sides of the bag itself (like the newest Dior) or handles with oversized wooden chains, and even long, braided ropes. Some are also meant to be bunched up on the go and held as a knot in your hand. Unique handles are for sure a huge point of interest and one that we’re definitely keeping our eyes on.

Embroidery: Embroidery and woven fabrics have made a comeback! From small details to large prints, embroidery is everywhere, and people are going crazy for it. While embroidery is different from fringe, we see both as a soft accent to otherwise rigid bags with clean lines and solid colors. Either way, a touch of fabric or thread can give an otherwise ordinary bag a colorful, charming personality, and can help to soften up your image.