The best satchels to buy now
- Lemaire Medium Gear Bag, £1195, lemaire.fr
- Toast Bleu de Chauffe Musette Suede Bag, £265, toa.st
- John Lewis Leather Satchel Crossbody Bag, £85, johnlewis.com
- Coach Cargo Turnlock Soft Tabby, £550, ukcoach.com
- Free People We the Free Baby Emerson Tote Bag, £168, freepeople.com
- Nanushka Sandi Lock Top Handle Bag, £695, nanushka.com
- Givenchy Voyou Leather Bag, £2150, net-a-porter.com
- Chloe Paddington (via By Rotation), £17.86/day, byrotation.com
Schadenfreude isn’t chic, but in the fashion world, it’s hard not to enjoy the downfall of something that has reigned for too long. Case in point: the micro bag.
The popularity of the itty-bitty Y2K bag has endured for many seasons, but it’s simply impractical to expect all the ephemera of daily life — Commute shoes! Protein bars! Receipts you don’t want but for some reason take anyway! — to fit into what is essentially an envelope. Even if it is made of calf leather.
Now, the fashion gods have decreed that we’re moving on. Or rather, turning back: the satchel is roomy, smart, and inexplicably cool again.
In the 2010s, fashion was much more forgiving of our foibles — specifically, the need to carry most of our worldly possessions. Alexa Chung, patron saint of millennials, debuted her namesake satchel bag with Mulberry in January 2010 — mere days into the new decade — and it set the tone.
Among other beloved nostalgic pieces — Hervé Leger bandage dresses; bootcut jeans — bags from the era are making a re-appearance, one by one. And they’re bigger, bulkier and more utilitarian than ever.
This year, Chloé reissued its iconic Paddington bag; a lock-laden boho-chic style with gold details and compartments galore. The satchel-esque Balenciaga Rodeo is once again hanging from fashion’s coolest shoulders. While Mulberry’s Alexa continues to be a strong seller for the brand, but for a more modern iteration, look to city-slicking Roxane or the suede finish
For Jeanne Signoles, the founder of Parisian label L’Uniform, the magic of a satchel lies in its preppy nostalgia. “The French satchel, created in the 19th century, was part of every child’s daily life,” she says. “And our version is a faithful yet contemporary reinterpretation.”
Signoles’ canvas and leather designs, available in custom colour combinations, celebrate what she calls “the joy of making the object truly one’s own — that little ‘just for me’ touch.”
Nostalgic it may be, but juvenile it is not. There’s something decisively grown-up about carrying a bag with room to fit everything you might need for the day. A satchel says you’ve got plans, and probably even a portable charger. It can be an outfit clincher — a way to elevate a monochrome look, or pare back an already busy one.
Perhaps that’s why Anne Hathaway, reprising her role as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada 2, was seen striding down the streets of Manhattan with a vintage coach Metropolitan in tow — a woman with a mission (and access to an enviable fashion cupboard).
The runaways of SS26 seemed to agree. Military-style waxy messenger bags were spotted on the runway at Prada this season, while slouchy, hobo reincarnations of the 2010s were back at Dior and Burberry. Even Chanel, standard-bearer of the teeny tiny purse, sent out its fold-over Flap Bag in an XXL version, in a flurry of textures and colours.
Want to get in on the trend?
The best satchels to shop now
Lemaire Medium Gear Bag, £1195, lemaire.fr
Toast Bleu de Chauffe Musette Suede Bag, £265, toa.st
John Lewis Leather Satchel Crossbody Bag, £85, johnlewis.com
Coach Cargo Turnlock Soft Tabby, £550, ukcoach.com
Free People We the Free Baby Emerson Tote Bag, £168, freepeople.com
Nanushka Sandi Lock Top Handle Bag, £695, nanushka.com
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Givenchy Voyou Leather Bag, £2150, net-a-porter.com
Chloe Paddington (via By Rotation), £17.86/day, byrotation.com
