The 20 Biggest Spring/Summer Handbag Trends of 2020

Spring/Summer Handbag

Are you a realist or a fantasist? Because it’s a toss-up when it comes to the spring/summer 2020 Handbag trends. Maybe you can relate to both camps – after all, who likes to be pigeon-holed? Instead, rejoice in the fact that multifaceted choices await.

Raffia bags are the annual stalwarts of summer, but now they’re so polished, they’re deserving of desk-side positions in the office, too. Silhouette-wise, we’re getting behind the super sac – a slouchy, hold-everything, cross-body bag that will add nonchalance to any suiting look or beach shirt cover-up. And forever appeal is more valuable than ever: the bucket bag, oversized clutch and gold-clasped shoulder bag are vintage-looking heirlooms with a modern twist that makes them feel right for now.

And remember those fantasists we spoke of? Well, the wave of micro and necklace bags will surely appeal to those with little to no baggage. Elsewhere, mood-lifting rainbow brights are trending. Here’s Vogue’s guide to The 20 Biggest Spring/Summer Handbag Trends of 2020 – and beyond.

Loewe

It doesn’t take a psychic to predict that 2020’s summer months will skip merrily hand-in-hand with raffia accessories. No doubt, we’ll be eagerly packing up our straw baskets for the beach in August. But how about a tote, bucket or shoulder bag that’s boardroom-friendly, too? Setting the agenda, Prada’s array of crafted bags paired with sharp, tailored separates will surely inspire many similar styling reincarnations in the workplace. At Loewe, its latest hit bag, the Balloon, came in leather-encased raffia, matched up with our current favourite wardrobe piece, the trench coat. Note, too, Valentino, where neat, oversized, cross-body bags ticked the “round-the-clock appeal” box with day-to-night tropical print dresses. And, at Celine, Hedi Slimane proved that a Jane Birkin-esque combination of denim with raffia is a fast-track to chic.

Prada

Valentino

Celine

Fendi

Dolce & Gabbana

JW Anderson

Oscar de la Renta

Versace

Magnifying glasses at the ready: for spring, designers took the mini bag trend to new micro proportions. So, most barely big enough to hold a coin, or make a mark on the palm of your hand, (thanks Jacquemus) – well, let’s just say practicality is not top priority here. Then Lizzo can’t get enough of them – she was spotted on the red carpet with a micro Valentino handbag fit for a Polly Pocket and, more hilariously, in a recent TikTok video pulling out the contents of her mini Jacquemus tote, Mary Poppins-style. These are technically “don’t take yourself too seriously” necklace bags, the prettiest being Jil Sander’s shell version, which means you can even forfeit jewellery. But there are equally characterful lifestyle additions. Always losing your EarPods? Fendi to the rescue. As for Versace and Celine? Cigarette lighter-holders will all but eradicate the problem of smoking area thieves.

Jacquemus

Dolce & Gabbana

Fendi

Chanel

Jil Sander

Bottega Veneta

It’s not often that a new silhouette hits the runways, but this season’s newest shape – the super slouchy sac bag – peppered looks from city to city, for every taste and situation. From Hermès’s slinky scarf silk style, to Salvatore Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta’s city-ready leather (the latter in a delicious lattice), to Riviera-style canvas at Gabriela Hearst and Lanvin – whether flung over the shoulder, or nonchalantly slung across the body, these bags were big. Really big.