Sophisticated Bags: The Accessory Trend Taking Over

The Luxury List is a monthly column on all things luxury, tapping the foremost experts in the fashion space to explore everything from craftsmanship deep dives to the little-known details to consider when buying fine jewelry.

The new direction and key themes in fashion for 2024 are still taking shape, but one thing is clear: Elegance is back. We already saw evidence of this on the spring/summer 2024 runways at brands such as Prada, Altuzarra, and Brandon Maxwell. They laid the groundwork with designs such as satin heels, A-line silhouettes, and refined scoop-neck dresses that are set to be key shopping buys in 2024. 

We also saw a movement toward this refined aesthetic in the form of sophisticated bags. Hermès brought the Plume bag—which originally debuted in the 1960s—back to the runway. Alaïa released the Le Teckel bag, which is already one of the most coveted bags of the season. Meanwhile, The Row’s Margaux bag has reached new heights of demand and has the reputation of “a Birkin in the making,” according to The Business of Fashion.

What each of these bags has in common is a level of sophistication that falls into the new era of elegant fashion we are seeing unfold. Like the Hermès Plume, the bags take design cues from styles that date back to the ’60s and even earlier, including elongated top-handle straps, boxy shapes, and smooth leather in shades of burgundy, cream, and onyx. Ahead, shop the best sophisticated bags. These are the styles I’m feeling particularly bullish about investing in.

Alaïa’s ballerina flats were one of the most in-demand pieces of 2023, and the fashion house is set to reignite that buzz with the Le Teckel bag. The name is French for dachshund, which makes sense once you see its elongated shape. The first drops were solid leather versions, but the maison continues to design new iterations, including a just-released studded style.

The Margaux bag from The Row first appeared in 2018, but it wasn’t until 2023 that it soared to cult status. Now, it is one of the most desired bags among the fashion set, and retailers can’t keep it in stock. Sleek, sophisticated, and logoless, it has all the makings of the ultimate everyday bag, so it’s easy to see why it is resonating.

The Ferragamo Hug bag is named after the way two buckled straps wrap around the front in the form of a hug. Designed by Maximilian Davis and unveiled for fall/winter 2023, the bag continues to resonate with the fashion crowd. Opt for the top-handle style or the clutch version.

Khaite’s Maeve bag in the medium size feels like a shrunken version of a chic travel duffle that is intended to be used every day, while the large version is a weekender proportion. The sleek bag is finished in luxe suede or pebbled leather in shades such as navy and emerald green.

The Hermès Plume bag may very well be the blueprint for many of the sophisticated bag shapes that are emerging on the market right now. The bag originally debuted in the 1960s but feels more relevant than ever. Now, that is true staying power.

The Row has another hotly anticipated bag that just dropped: the Domino bag. The luggage-inspired piece was spotted in the brand’s S/S 24 collection in a range of finishes. So far, smooth leather versions have dropped, but the collection also teased exotic iterations that we can expect to arrive soon.