On My Style Radar: The Bags Of Summer

straw tote with colored tassel ornamentEven though it’s still mostly Sweater Season around here, I’m ready to ditch my dark and heavy leather bags for something a little lighter. Bags can be an easy way to “summer-ize” a look, and this season there’s a lot to catch the eye.

Bags Of Straw…

Whimsical straw bags are a hot trend, and a fun option for casual outfits. They’re available in a wide range of sizes and prices, with more structured styles toward the pricier end of the spectrum. Totes like the one above with embellishment or colorful accents are the most common style I’ve seen.

wicker "fisherman's" bag

If you prefer something more structured, here’s a fun take on a “fisherman’s basket” style with both a top handle and crossbody strap.

In The Bucket…

leather bucket bag with faux pearl studs

A leather bucket bag like this one hits that middle ground between polished and casual. The faux pearl studs are a nice touch!

Furla perforated leather bucket bag

I tried on this perforated leather bucket bag when we were in Italy, and was very tempted…

leather bucket bag with netting

This netting and leather bag makes me think of sunny days on the French Riviera and Jane Birkin, pre-Birkin bag.  (I’m predicting this is going to be a cult favorite.)

Featherweight Champ…

Longchamp nylon le Pliage with crossbody strap

If you’ll be traveling this summer, you could do worse than this pretty le Pliage nylon bag for lightweight day-to-evening wear. I love that Longchamp is now offering so many styles with a crossbody strap!

Do you switch out your bags seasonally? What kind of bag says “summer” to you?

More Summer Bags…

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12 Comments

  1. Love Longchamp but beware, once you put your “stuff” in it the shape doesn’t hold. There is literally zero structure. Straw bags are a must and because for me they are often a one season use, I will go to DSW and buy a couple of cute ones.
    As another note…the liquid foundation compact you discussed in a recent post…Lancôme makes one with a hefty SPF and beautiful well matching colors. It lasts a long time and is half the price!

    1. Hi Jan, I find that using a bag organizer like this one https://www.chameleoninserts.com/ helps maintain the structure in softer bags.

      The Dior compact also comes with one refill, so I think the price comes out about the same per unit. The Lancome is also a good product, but the colors were ultimately too dark for me.

      1. Great post with such fun bags. You are such a great curator. I can highly recommend MZ Wallace bags as an alternative to Longchamp bags. They have a little more structure, are lined, have pockets, detachable crossbody straps and come in many great colors/patterns. They wear like iron!

  2. Great post – beautiful bags. Yes – change my bag by season, and still switch it up to go with what outfit I am wearing. Can’t wait to get my white/straw Anne Klein tote out for the season, but still follow my mom’s idea that I need to wait for Memorial Day to wear white. I know it is not the case anymore and wear white jeans, white jacket….but shoes and purse wait till Memorial Day. Have a great summer !

  3. Betsy Johnson has some adorable straw bags for summer. Love the one I got – getting lots of comments from young and old!

  4. Love your post, and so timely, Sue. Straw bags are one of the must-haves for this summer, so “they” say. Snagged a round Clare V straw bag online just last night. Excited for a real change in wardrobe, straw bag and real color besides black and gray. Please, can you recommend some summer tunics that are not sleeveless? Thanks, Sue.

  5. These are all so pretty. But I could no more swap bags seasonally than I could remember my passwords without a cheat sheet – getting to know where everything is and being able to reach it as needed is my highest priority.