The Quirky Bag Charm Trend Is a Minimalist's Nightmare—But We're Here for It

Last Fashion Month, Marie Claire reported how the maximal accessories across the circuit signaled a style shift; fashion was entering an era of accessorizing like heathens. Models toted two bags at once, belts were doubled, and chunky bangles click-clacked in stacks of three. But the bag charms and random trinkets attached to handbags perhaps represented the industry’s new age of excess best: Fendi dangled leather lollipop holders from baguette bags (perfectly sized for a Chupa Chup), Prada secured colorful button-like mirror compacts to briefcases, and Coach clipped ‘I Heart NY’ coffee mugs to carryalls—just in case the models needed a quick caffeine fix as they neared the end of the runway.

The bag charms trend has been percolating for a little over a year. Fashion editors and street style stars first took interest following the July 2023 passing of Jane Birkin, who famously adorned her namesake Hermès bag with various knickknacks, a styling ethos also used in Miu Miu’s charm-heavy Spring 2024 show.

To quantify the fall 2024 bag trend, searches for “bag charms” have spiked 240 percent on Pinterest since last year and are currently the highest they’ve been in a decade on Google. But Fall 2024’s indulgent stylings reminded folks that accessorizing handbags doesn’t have to end at charms and keychains—that's just the beginning. The whole world, including your junk drawer, jewelry box, and shelf of souvenirs and knick-knacks, is yours to play with.

On TikTok, creators call it “Jane Birkinfying” a bag—search the phrase on the platform, and you’ll see videos of women tying scarves to vintage Louis Vuitton Neverfulls and affixing loose Chanel pearl necklaces to purses. Scandi show-goers at Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring 2025 secured rose-motif hair clips and plushy stuffed animals to their handbags. And if you ask the Substack’s style cohort, they’ll tell you that a beaded bracelet belongs just as much on your Bottega Veneta Andiamo bag as it does on your wrist.

For Jalil Johnson, street style swan and author of the fashion-focused newsletter Consider Yourself Cultured, adding jewelry to his handbags is about controlled chaos. "I actually follow Coco Chanel's famous fashion advice to remove one accessory before leaving the house, and more often than not, that's a necklace," says the jewelry aficionado and accessories curator. "To keep [the necklace] close at hand, I use my bag as a catchall. This allows me to incorporate the necklace into my outfit without disrupting the jewelry stack I've planned for the day." How clever?

Primarily, though, Johnson says the styling choice is a window into his unique fashion sense. "First and foremost, the bag charms trend is deeply connected to personal style and remains very much in vogue," he says. And it makes sense that a more-is-more movement encouraging customization is resonating with the masses. Consumers are feeling increasingly inundated and bored by the fashion trend cycle and seeking out personal touches that help them stand out from the pack—and a felt corgi on a calfskin lanyard certainly does the trick (Interested? Loewe’s is $490). For the crafty DIY-ers, the trend inspires them to pull out the beading kit that they bought during the pandemic and likely haven’t touched since.

There’s also an emotional aspect to a bag charm. As Johnson shouts out, it “evokes a sense of nostalgia, especially since this trend has a distinct Y2K feel” that calls back to the days you tied a Tamagotchi to your tote. And nothing helps fuel a trend more than a dose of style sentimentality (see, for reference, how The Row’s PVC glove flats inspired the great jelly sandal trend revival in the year of 2024).

Plus, embellishing a handbag with trinkets of your choice is an opportunity to carry personal mementos with you throughout your day. You can clip on a charm bracelet that your daughter made at summer camp, or, if you’re really feeling nostalgic, attach an animal-motif keyring that reminds you of your favorite childhood stuffy. Alternatively, you could splurge on a designer bag charm and clip it to your trusty work bag as a moment of in-office joy. The beauty of personalizing a handbag is that the power is in your hands.

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