Fall’s Suede Bag Trend Is on Everyone, Everywhere, All at Once

The evidence of a brown suede bag trend for fall 2024 presented itself to me threefold.

While killing time on a slow-moving Manhattan D train during my commute yesterday, I counted two well-dressed women carrying chocolate-colored suede bags—one a dark cocoa crossbody, the other a milky brown bucket silhouette. I got to the office mere minutes later and saw that fashion e-commerce editor Julia Marzovilla had christened Coach’s Brooklyn bag in cedar suede as her new work bag. And later, when toggling around TikTok on my lunch break, I watched my favorite fashion creators review the best suede bags for fall, including a $200 find from J.Crew and The Row’s $4,900 Margaux (which, if you can find the top-handle handbag in stock somewhere, consider yourself very lucky).

All over my feed and right in front of my face, I knew it for sure: the foremost fall 2024 bag trend is, without question, a delicious and decadent range of chocolatey brown suedes. But being the fashion nerd I am, I wondered why are suede bags suddenly everywhere?

It’s certainly not because the fuzzy, must-touch leather textile is a new autumn trend. Neutral-toned suede is a fall essential on par with flannels, transitional trench coats, and knee-high boots meant for stomping on freshly fallen leaves. You expect to see suede handbags in shades of amber, mahogany, and hazelnut on fall runways—which Isabel Marant, Altuzarra, Miu Miu, and Ralph Lauren included in their 2024 collections.

But what intrigues me most is that I rarely see a fall trend take on such instant ubiquity—everyone, everywhere, all at once. It's popping up IRL, across every fashion URL, and scaling heavy-hitting designer brands and affordable retailers alike. Usually, it takes a few seasons for a style presented on the runways to trickle down into the mainstream market (cue: Miranda Priestly's cerulean monologue). But not this one.

I began with Marzovilla, Marie Claire’s resident retail expert, who tells me her Brooklyn 39 tote in cedar suede “is, simply, gorgeous” and “fits everything you could ever want a bag to hold—a 15-inch laptop, a change of shoes, and a jacket.” My colleague explains her meet-cute with Coach’s slouchy suede bag came from her TikTok algorithm showing her 15-minute long reviews and "come along with me to the Coach store" videos, all of which have views in the hundreds of thousands.

In addition to Internet chatter, Anna Newton, fashion content creator and author of The Wardrobe Edit newsletter, believes the suede bag trend's success stems from being low-risk and high-reward. She tells me over email that “integrating texture is the way to add interest and level up your outfits this season” and “suede bags in deep chocolate browns” are easy entry points for the tactile styling trick. They’re a fall and winter 2024 trend women can actually wear without venturing out of their comfort territory (admittedly, sheer knee-high socks and flashy brooches are fall trends that require a certain level of boldness).

When tumbling down my research rabbit hole, I realized Jennifer Lopez’s recent street style epitomizes Newton’s theory. In the past three weeks alone, the actress has toted three different brown suede bags, each elevating Lopez’s looks to completion; her Hermès 2022 Birkin Grizzly 25 (valued at upwards of a cool $48,000) gave a button-down and denim the “rich mom” treatment; a coffee-colored crossbody bag from Brunello Cuccinelli paired with a simple white maxi dress became a combination you’d see on Sienna Miller during her aughts-era boho-chic heyday; and Bottega Veneta’s brown suede Andiamo tote turned a simple sweatshirt and jeans into an enviable errand-running outfit.

So, a slew of celebrity co-signs—check. Millions of eyeballs on TikTok—check. Endorsements from discerning fashion editors who shop for a living—check, check. All of these elements add up to a booming, smash-hit trend.

However, my leading theory behind the widespread proliferation of bags in the must-touch texture is their accessibility. As Newton touched on, a brushed suede pouch or furry leather clutch is an easy add-on that works in almost any fall outfit idea. It's a trend that doesn't demand you think too hard; all you need to do is choose a sumptuous bag (I'm personally partial to Staud's suede shoulder bag), and you're golden.

Shop More Brown Suede Bags for Fall 2024