Spring 2025's New Bag Trends Have Old Souls

Buying an investment designer bag can be a hard pill to swallow in the first place, no matter how many times you convince yourself that the cost per wear checks out—and that you’re essentially making money on the purchase. It’s even tougher when a new style is hailed as the “It” bag of the current trend season just a few months later. But the truth is, handbag trends aren’t as fickle as they’re made out to be. At the end of the day, a bag’s purpose remains unchanged: it needs to hold your stuff, offer secure straps and pockets, and come with reliable buckles and zippers—whether it’s adorned with extra charms or not. Yes, some seasons showcase laughably oversized bags. Others display slightly ridiculous tiny ones (or versions that look like your dog), but more often than not, the trends are simply revisiting the past—be it through bold, loud luxury statements, vintage frames, or reimagined classics like belt bags, east-west silhouettes, and the timeless backpack. Don’t let a trend story sway your first instinct. These of-the-moment spring 2025 bags are simply getting some air time—some might be back next season, while others may have to keep the bench warm for a year or two before their next moment in the spotlight.

Buckles may be a go-to closure for bags, but this season, they’re more about ornamentation than functionality. Instead of firmly fastening a flap or strap, these buckles dangle from the sides or graze the top with a playful lock-and-key motif. Rendered in suedes, leathers, and luxurious faux croc or snakeskin, these bags appeal to women who love the minimalist look of labels like Toteme and The Row—yet still crave a hint of utility, even if it’s purely for fun.

At first glance, the East-West bag might seem like a brand-new trend, but as Emma Childs explains in her East-West trend report, the silhouette is far from novel. Chanel first popularized this style with its Chocolate Bar bag and the now-discontinued Chanel East-West Flap. Today, with an ever-growing range of designer and accessible options—and plenty of celebrity support—the East-West bag shows no sign of slowing down, whether in minimalist neutrals, bold animal prints, or designs studded with hardware.

We've had our fill of minimalism—clean lines and austere color palettes—kind of boring, no? Now it’s time to let your hair down and have some fun. Think quirky baubles, bold prints, and those unique, personalized touches that really make a bag feel like yours. Spring 2025's styles are begging you to dial up the drama.

Backpacks might still carry a bit of a geeky vibe—if you haven’t seen what the right brands are doing. Prada and Chanel, for instance, utilize cool pockets and their signature flap bag gold and silver chains, while Miu Miu’s backpacks have an inherently sporty feel while still keeping that style-savvy edge. Then you have beloved Gen Z brands like Longchamp and Coach, diving into the latest color trends and turning their backpacks into a blank canvas for your personal touch with lanyards, key chains, and stickers. It's all about mixing practicality with personality for this new crop of backpack styles.

Loud luxury bags are as bold as they come—no introduction needed. They capture that cool, vintage vibe of the early aughts with unmistakable logos, iconic color combos, and monogrammed initials (that aren’t even yours!). It’s like you're doing free advertising and loving every minute of it.

Vintage-coded bags have a worn-in, timeless look. They come in a nostalgic palette of murky greens, shabby browns, and hues somewhere between eggshell and taupe. With monogrammed canvas, structured shapes, and retro hardware, these bags give a modern nod to classic styles. Whether you stumble across one in a quirky vintage boutique, dig an old Yves Saint Laurent style out of your mom's closet, or fawn over it the minute it hits the runway, these bags leave the untrained eye wondering if the style is a relic of the past or the next big thing.