Forget Boots—I’m Shopping These Affordable Winter Bags at Madewell and Mango Instead

From luxe-looking totes to buttery suede styles.

fashion week attendee wearing brown dress and carrying brown suede bag
(Image credit: Launchmetrics)

I may be a minimalist, but I'm a sucker for a trendy bag. Whether it's a slouchy tote for the office or a little clutch for a night out, I love how a bag can transform any cold-weather look. My collection is overdue for a refresh, though, so I'm turning to some of my favorite retailers—Madewell and Mango,

As far as winter bag trends go, there's a style for every occasion. Practical totes made for your nine-to-five are a current fashion-girl favorite, as are vintage-inspired purses you'd expect to see at the thrift store. The East-West silhouette stays on the shoulders of all of my favorite A-listers, while suede styles show no sign of slowing down this season—this season is all about versatility.

For your shopping pleasure, I rounded up all of the affordable bags I'm considering adding to my collection. If you want richer-looking outfits without breaking your budget (spoiler: They all cost less than $250), you can't go wrong with one of my favorite finds, below.

Brooke Knappenberger
Associate Commerce Editor

Brooke Knappenberger is the Associate Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she specializes in crafting shopping stories—from sales content to buying guides that span every vertical on the site. She also oversees holiday coverage with an emphasis on gifting guides as well as Power Pick, our monthly column on the items that power the lives of MC’s editors. She also tackled shopping content as Marie Claire's Editorial Fellow prior to her role as Associate Commerce Editor.

She has over three years of experience writing on fashion, beauty, and entertainment and her work has appeared on Looper, NickiSwift, The Sun US, and Vox Magazine of Columbia, Missouri. Brooke obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with an emphasis on Magazine Editing and has a minor in Textile and Apparel Management.