Let’s be honest. The only way to know if a trend is really happening is to check social media. Sure, we can scour the runway for the biggest handbag trends or find the best designer bags to buy, but nothing holds a candle to the power of peer approval in the form of someone purchasing the It bag of the moment. And when it comes to approving what trends are worth actually buying into, no one is quite as influential as the French fashion set. Call it cliché, but before a trend can pop off on TikTok, it’s most likely going to emerge on the streets of Paris—c’est la vie. So when it comes to discerning which handbag trends are likely to take over, you must first keep an eye out for what’s coming out of luxury French houses as well as what ends up being donned by French women. It’s not always easy, which is why I’ve done the heavy lifting for you and highlighted five bag trends that are trending in the Parisian fashion scene right now. These purses not only dominated various spring/summer collections but are also worth buying into, even if you don’t live in Paris.
When it comes to trends, the French fashion set is always ahead of the curve. Case in point: the adoption of the curved-line handbag trend. It was only just last September that luxury houses like Balenciaga and Loewe were pushing bags with an emphasis on curved angles down the runway, but they’ve already hit the streets of Paris.
You can wear this for years to come.
She’s tiny but mighty stylish.
The pleats on this purse make it look so much more expensive.
I own this bag, and it’s honestly one of my best buys of the year thus far.
Cute and affordable? *Adds to cart immediately.*
Subtle curves are still cute.
Saffron will be buzzing all summer long.
This bag has that effortless je ne sais quoi.
The perfect little bag to hold you over until you get your Prada Cleo bag.
You can wear this with just about anything.
If you were to sift through recent runway images and French street style imagery, you’d come to the realization that big bags are back. It should be noted that the big-bag trend isn’t the same as versions from the past—just look to the sharp-angled totes spotted at Givenchy and duffle-like totes seen at Isabel Marant as proof. This reenvisioned version of the carryall has become beloved among the French fashion set and is the only energy shift you need for summer 2022.
At the top of my wish list.
I love the sharp angle on this tote.
We love a bold-hued bag.
Is it a pillow? Is it a purse? How about both.
Gawking over the pockets on this tote.
The braided detail on this bag is everything.
Ready for the French Riviera.
Just think about how much you can fit into this tote.
Is it just me, or does this bag look like a stick of butter? I’m drooling.
There are those subtle curves again!
Some trends never really go away—such is the case with all things ’90s. While the aesthetic has dominated the collections of Chanel and Miu Miu over the past few seasons, no trend has quite held a gorilla grip on fashion people (including the French ones) quite like the baguette. From iterations featuring ruching, hardware, and nostalgic prints to more clean-cut versions, there are so many chic ways to adopt this trend. It only makes sense that the French have been found frolicking in this style.
Everything about the shape of this bag is perfection.
The pop of zebra on this bag is so ’90s.
Imagine all the ways you can style this bag.
Mango never misses.
Nylon shoulder bags are peak ’90s energy.
You’ll want to buy this bag while it’s on sale.
You’d never guess this wasn’t a designer bag.
A cult-classic shape.
C’est magnifique.
I love a two-tone shoulder bag.
Big bags aren’t the only purses popular among the Parisian crowd. In fact, despite the return of oversize carryalls on the runway, the petit purse still reigns supreme. Just look to the proof in the collections of Jacquemus and Dior or the social feeds of French women. If you do, however, want to give this bag a more modern refresh, opt for classic silhouettes to make this trendy style more timeless.
There’s nothing I love more than a mini woven bag.
Oh, she’s cute.
New Yorkers and Parisians can’t stop talking about Luar’s handbags.
I need this bag.
I’m obsessed.
A moment of silence for this color.
Perfect for a night out.
My jaw dropped when I spotted this little nylon baguette.
A ’90s aesthetic but make it mini.
How could you not love this bag?
Call it cliché, but it’s not a roundup of French-approved handbags without the ever-present woven bag. Whether it’s a bucket bag made from woven vegan leather, an oversize raffia tote, or a classic wicker basket bag, the French style set can’t get enough of their woven bags. But if that’s not enough to sell you on this bag trend, then look to the resurgence of travel-inspired pieces bubbling up on the spring/summer 2022 runways as proof that woven bags are back. And even if you’re not jetting off to France anytime soon, this beloved handbag trend is something you can carry well into the summer.
Take me to the French countryside, s’il te plaît.
It’s just as good as a woven tote but comes in braided vegan leather.
It doesn’t get more quintessentially French than a bucket bag.
Summertime embodied in bag form.
Um, a mini rattan bag? Sign me up.
Imagine wearing this to walk by the Seine—chic, right?
Dreaming of packing this for my next vacation.
Perfect for a picnic in the garden.
Wine lovers, meet your new favorite bag made from corks.
Put a baguette loaf in this tote and you’re basically French.
