Handbag Trends: Hottest Purse Styles of 2022

Handbag Trends: Hottest Purse Styles of 2022

Handbag trends come and go, but true style is forever. If you’re looking to make a designer handbag purchase but are worried about investing in something that will soon become dated, we’ve got your back.

The good news is that we’re in something of a handbag renaissance. After years of pared-back silhouettes, it finally feels like the designer runways are packed with fun bags again, with stylists leaning into statement purses with bold embellishments. And while Y2K styles are back in a big way, there are lots of ways to reimagine the styles of our early aughts. We can lean into trends while still retaining a timeless sensibility.

If you’re ready to make an addition to your collection of luxury handbags, consider this your guide to the hottest purse styles of this year. From exaggerated details to surprising patterns, it’s a really good time to be a bag lover.

The Bag Trends You Should Consider Investing In

We like to approach our bag collection like our shoe collection. There’s a bag for every occasion with a style and tailoring that makes sense for the person you’re trying to be that day. A well-balanced wardrobe allows you to lean into all the various elements of your personality, depending on how you’re feeling that day. Unlike cartoon characters, we’re not bound to the same outfit (however, if you have a signature look, we’re here to support that too, of course).

So with that in mind, let’s talk about some of the most sought-after styles of the moment, from mini bags to way, way oversized bags.

Good Things Come In Small Packages

The mini bag hit the designer runways hard a few years ago. This style is not slowing down soon, though the emphasis in 2022 seems to be more on functionality.

Recently, we’re seeing more and more small shoulder bags on the streets of New York, Paris, and Milan. Some call it the baguette bag; others call it the saddle bag. Whatever name you choose, these feminine and classic silhouettes can fit your phone, your wallet, keys, and that’s about it. 

Icon and fave Sydnee Washington correctly pointed out that sometimes all you need is a Brandon Blackwood purse to carry “four lip glosses and [a] passport.”

In our honest opinion, when it comes to this style, you cannot do better than the Syl bag. The Syl calls back to the perfect, simple structure of a small shoulder bag. It’s that effortless, 90s shape that you know and love. But where the Syl really stands out is with the materials and the expert tailoring. We’ve produced the Syl in so many materials because her body is so versatile.

Go for Brown Ponyhair if you want to give your earth tone wardrobe some needed texture. Go for Blue Beaded Bandana if you want to feel like the star of an iconic music video on a daily basis. Whatever you choose, know the Syl is turning heads when you walk down the street.

Surprising Textures, Inspired Materials

Speaking of materials, this next trend is all about the feel of your bag’s exterior.

More and more, we’re seeing city girls take risks when it comes to texture. Don’t get us wrong, there is nothing more classic than a leather handbag, but when you pair timeless structures with surprising materials, something magical happens.

In the fall and winter, you can expect to see more cozy and rustic materials and textures like basket bags, as well as shearling and quilted fabrics and styles.

Shearling had a huge moment last year in men’s and women’s fashion, so it only makes sense that the trend made its way to accessories as well. Our Morell Tote is our fave example.

This large tote with a genuine leather handle and lining can fit everything you need it to. Made with genuine shearling, running your hands over this beauty feels so good. We love how seamlessly it fits into fall and winter outfits while still offering a fashionable edge and gorgeous texture.


If you’re looking for something smaller and cuter, you can go for the Pink Shearling Kuei Bag, or you can opt for the Brown Shearling Mega Kuei Bag. At over 20 inches wide, it’s the perfect style to bring us into our next category…

Exaggerated Looks: Go Big and Go Bold

Just like its mini bag soul sister, the oversized bag is also having a moment. 

There is beauty in a bag that can only fit your credit card, and likewise, there is beauty in a bag that can fit literally everything. Sometimes referred to as a hobo bag, an exaggerated tote bag is like the new briefcase. It’s for carting your life around for work, a night out, errands, and everything in between.

The trend here comes down to size, so the styles you can look for are endless. A bucket bag and a shoulder bag both lend themselves to getting supersized, but if you’re looking for something that will work well for grocery runs and shopping sprees, we have to endorse our Market Tote.

This massive mesh stunner will have you retiring your canvas totes for good. Not only is it cute, available in five colors, and made with vegan leather details. It’s also structured and designer crafted to be functional. You can set down the bag full of stuff or empty, and it will still retain its shape and stay upright.

If you’ve dealt with a floppy picnic bag, you know how much of a difference that can make. There’s a reason InStyle included oversized shopper bags on their list of “it” bags for 2022.

All Embellished Everything

Another trend you can be on the lookout for this year is embellishment.

After a few years inside, the girls are going out, and the monochrome, minimalist look is taking a back seat in favor of maximalism and risks. Embellishments help bring a bag its wow factor and, in the case of designer handbags, separate a well-made bag from the pack.

That can mean a monogram, a fringe, or sewn-in crystals. Whatever the case, it’s something a little extra that says you’re worth it.

The Mini Kendrick Trunk is the perfect example.

We’ve done so many iterations of the Kendrick Trunk and think the style especially shines when it’s covered in genuine cowhide leather and crystals. The Mini Kendrick Trunk comes in four crystallized styles. You can check out our entire Crystal + Metallic collection here if you’re looking for a different fit.

Top Handles Are Back

Less about the actual design of the bag and more about how it’s worn, this last trend represents a shift.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen crossbody bags take over the scene, but this year, standard handbags, held by their top handles, are joining the party. Listen, we still love a hands-free moment, but if you can get behind carrying your purse by hand, there is something so iconic and chic about it. The priority becomes a little less about functionality and a little more about completing the look.

As far as handle bag styles go, we’re especially partial to moon bags and clutch bags right now. And because versatility and choice are everything, most of our bags come with a removable shoulder strap. That way, you can decide when you want to wear it around your body and when you want to hold it by your side. 

Turn Out the Looks This Season

Whether you go for a leather shoulder bag or a crystal-embellished mini bag, remember that this is your bag. You don’t have to listen to any trend or piece of fashion advice that doesn’t sit right with you. Taste comes from within. Trust your instincts, people!

Making a designer bag purchase is all about owning who you are and letting your personal style come through. The right handbag will complement your personality and let you speak the loudest. When we make our designs, we always have real people in mind, not necessarily fashion trends.

Brandon, in a conversation with Complex, once said, “Whenever I make a bag, I always ask myself, will my cousins wear this? Will my best friends wear this? Will my grandma possibly wear this? I think that's the foundation for any bag design.”

So when you’re shopping for 2022 purse styles, look inward first. Ask yourself, when you’re gliding down the streets of New York, what do you want to feel like? What seems the most you in a fabulous way? What will turn the heads of other shoppers in an empowering, iconic way? 

Find that feeling and get after it.

Sources:

Sydnee Washington on her “boring lesbian era,” Barbie, and the A-lister that once tipped her $800 | Queerty

Out of Hundreds of New Releases, These Are the 8 Biggest 'It' Bags of 2022 So Far | InStyle

Brandon Blackwood’s Bags Are Here to Stay | Complex