Put Winter 2025’s Powerhouse Bag Trends on Your Wishlist

For as long as writers have covered the subject of women getting dressed, fashion editors have waxed poetic about outfit finishers—Marie Claire's very own Nikki Ogunnaike included. How a great hat is a cherry on top of a good look, or the right belt can, quite literally, tie an outfit together. The winter 2025 bag trends fall squarely into this camp. From soft, sumptuous suedes begging to be stroked to abstract architectural silhouettes that belong in the MoMA, the handbags trending for winter 2025 are more than ready to take on the heavy lifting.

That's not to say the season's best bags are overtly flashy or bold. Instead, they offer a lesson in strategic minimalism; a well-crafted leather hobo bag like Bottega Veneta's in beautiful cherry red (a prominent color trend for winter 2025) is the perfect color pop against an all-black outfit, and a slim yet structured bowling bag like Khaite's boxy tote exudes that desirable quiet-luxury look that's still trending high (and with no sign of a decline).

A well-crafted, thoughtfully designed bag can elevate your look so effortlessly that it takes the pressure off the rest of your outfit. No matter how you begin putting your outfit together, it’s often that last piece that pushes it to the finish line.

Sack It to Me

The appeal of a slouchy shoulder bag is indisputable. It's casual, certainly never trying too hard, and doesn't feel fussy like a sharp briefcase or hard-to-hold clutch often can. The Resort 2025 collections speak to the silhouette's strength, particularly with Bottega Veneta's craft-centric styles and Chloé's boho-chic bracelet bags.

Touch-Me Suede

The suede bag trend was one of—if not the—most popular elements of fall 2024's fashion. Winter's handbags pick up right where autumn left off, with Gucci, Valentino, Proenza Schouler, and Stella McCartney, to name a mere few, all throwing their brushed leather bags in the ring.

Slim Pickings

In the past five years, we've seen many iterations of micro bags. But besides the rare marketing gimmick or cute celebrity outing that goes viral on Instagram, an itty-bitty bag silhouette hasn't ever been all that practical, and that is probably why it hasn't captured consumer interest—until now. Enter winter 2024's slim shoulder bags and clutches. From Khaite's hair-thin evening bags to Tory Burch's portfolio totes that are barely bigger than a piece of paper, these are mini bags that very well might stick around.

From Left to Right

The east-west bag trend continues to stake its claim. The elongated silhouette appeared as quilted top handles at Versace, sleek bowling bags at Burberry and Givenchy, and even a skinny little weekender at Khaite—the overnight bag for light-packing minimalists.

Buckle Up, Buttercup

The year 2025 will be known as the one when belts got weird. For winter, specifically, they wrapped around bags every which way and in novel designs; Bottega Veneta turned its prong into a forked serpent tongue, Alexander McQueen made its buckle point razor sharp, and The Row cinched the tops of its capacious totes like a waistline.

501 Blues

It's rare to hear hear that an early-aughts-era silhouette is worth reconsidering in the great year of 2025, but winter's take on the denim bag trend warrants a second look. Balmain quilted the Americana textile into half-moon handbags, while Diesel and Victoria Beckham mimiced the wash of your favorite true blue jeans in luxurious leather—all of which likely feel much more sophistated than the denim totes you carried around in the '00s.