Everyone in Paris Loves These Bag Trends, so Here Are 50 Under-$250 Picks

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Next: 7 Outfit Ideas That Will Make It Look Like You Live in Paris (Even If You Don't)