I Just Noticed This “Dated” Bag Trend Has Been Victoria Beckham’s Go-To for 20 Years

It’s a return so discrete you might not have even noticed a reprisal. Yet to those with a discerning eye and a penchant for observing what fashionable women across style capitals have pressed into the crook of their elbow, you would’ve observed that clutch bags are back.

Style Notes: Monikh Dale wears The Row's Abbey clutch.

Blame it on the saturation of overstuffed, Jane Birkin-esque littered with bag charms, trinkets and mountains of lip products. These larger accessories offered a cavernous space for you to carry around everything but the kitchen sink. (And proved popular amongst daily commuters and the celebrity style set alike). But as we spring into the balmy season ahead, there’s nothing quite as unsexy as lugging around everything you own in an absurdly enormous bag, the contents of which are holding onto your shoulder for dear life by the thinnest strap. That’s where clutch bags come in.

Style Notes: Julie Ferreri wears Balmain's Anthem clutch.

Are Clutch Bags Still Fashionable?

Discrete enough to carry the bare necessities and so sleek you can slide it between your arms, clutch bags bring a refined sensibility to any silhouette. Hailey Bieber proved this last year when she stepped out in Los Angeles to debut her first post-partum look: An ‘80s fashion-approved baggy grey Saint Laurent suit complete with a burgundy clutch bag pressed close to her body.

Style Notes: Hailey Bieber wear's Saint Laurent small clutch.

Despite being synonymous with the vintage codes of dress and stylish women from the past like Princess Diana, these modern co-signs prove that the best clutch bags are timeless investments and still very much in fashion.

Of course, it seems a little counterintuitive to carry a bag around that lacks a strap, especially considering the hands-free ease these pieces offer. The first viral clutch bag, Bottega Veneta’s pouch style, introduced a new way of thinking that encouraged bags to be statements themselves rather than a conduit for tying together a silhouette.

Created as a compatriot for eveningwear or elevated daytime looks that require polish and a solution for what to do with your hands during social situations. Seriously, there is nothing chicer than grasping a glass of champagne in one hand and wielding an envelope-shaped purse in the other.

Style Notes: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wears Bottega Veneta's Pouch clutch.

This is something Victoria Beckham has proven time and time again with the clutch becoming an indispensable part of her uniform, pairing the chain-embellished mini leather pouch bag from her eponymous label with structured tailoring and razor-sharp stilettos. As the former pop star has made apparent, clutches are no longer demure and dainty pouches, but carried for function.

Style Notes: Victoria Beckham wears the Victoria Beckham Chain-embellished mini leather pouch clutch.

How to Choose What Clutch Bag to Wear?

In the years since Daniel Lee’s viral creations, the shape of clutch bags has also steadily increased in size, from Balmain’s Anthem style with a buckle strap accent to the torso-sized suede iterations paraded down Khaite’s recent runway.

Style Notes: A model wears the Khaite Audrey suede clutch.

Still, no clutch has defined the shape’s resurgence more than the Coach Kisslock Frame Bag. Surrealist by nature, the style is designed like an oversized coin pouch inspired by the archival "Cashin Carry" bag from 1969.

Style Notes: A model wears the Coach Kisslock Frame clutch.

Revived for the Spring/Summer 2025 season, the design instantly sold out upon its release and earned the tick of approval from fellow Manhattan (albeit fictional) icon, Carrie Bradshaw, after Sarah Jessica Parker was seen wearing it while filming the upcoming third season of And Just Like That…

Style Notes: Sarah Jessica Parker wears the Coach Kisslock Frame clutch.

While the clutch can’t ever replace the ease and ludicrously capacious space larger styles like the bowling bag offer, clutches are ideal for days when you want to dart out the door, but keep your silhouette close to your chest. I myself own several clutches, including a vintage Jil Sander style that I love wearing to events where I want to create an air of mystique.

Style Notes: Who What Wear's Ava Gilchrist wears a vintage clutch with Maggie Marilyn's Freddie jeans and The Night We Met Jacket in sparkly boucle.

When to Wear a Clutch Bag

I’m not alone in this adoration, with stylish women across New York and Paris also proudly showcasing their love for clutches.

These days, there are no limitations on when and wear you can wear a clutch bag. Wedding guest dresses are always enhanced by a sleek clutch bag, while after-work events can benefit from the streamlined effect that clutch bags give you.

And while there are so many designer options currently available, there are quite a lot of expensive-looking high street options that serve as contenders for your next purchase, too. Ahead, the best clutches to tote across every category and occasion.

The 24 Best Clutches of 2025, According to a Fashion Editor

• The Overall Best Clutch Bag: H&M Strap-Detail Clutch, £38
• The Best Everyday Clutch Bag: Mango Natural Fibre Clutch Bag, £60
• The Best Luxury Clutch Bag: Bottega Veneta Andiamo Clutch, £2150
• The Best Envelope Clutch Bag: DeMellier The Vancouver Clutch, £405
• The Best Slouchy Clutch Bag: COS Cavatelli Clutch Bag, £135
• The Best Affordable Clutch Bag: M&S Collection Faux Leather Woven Clutch Bag, £35