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The 5 Trendiest Handbags for Fall
Each fall, a new “It” handbag enters the villa, laying claim to fashion insiders’ wallets and becoming the center of attention everywhere from TikTok to the front rows of New York Fashion Week. Coach’s Empire Carryall 48 reigned supreme during fall 2024 (it sold out in an instant and now has hundreds of thousands of searches to its name on social media platforms). And while it does still appear in the hands of A-listers from Emily Ratajkowski to Anne Hathaway with impressive regularity, a new year is forcing us to reexamine the fashion landscape and identify the next generation of trending bag styles to shop today.
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To hone in on the top carryall brands, styles, and colorways for this season, we’ve done all the legwork: scouring our FYP for glimpses of what the style-savvy have been wearing on their shoulders in the past few weeks and months, breaking down the best fall 2025 runway looks, and witnessing the IRL handbag swaps that have occurred from summer to fall on city streets.
The takeaways? Brown is a safe bet, whether it appears with the suede finish embraced by celebs like Anna Taylor-Joy and Jennifer Lawrence or the leather glossiness of bags spotted in the fall 2025 collections of brands from Miu Miu to Coach.
“Suede is an elevated form of leather, and we’re going into the era of ‘elevated clean girl with a vintage twist,'” says fashion content creator Micaela Cacho-Negrete, also known as Mix, who helms the popular TikTok and Instagram account @theefashionmix. “Celebrities like Hailey Bieber are doing a lot of leathers for that reason, and suede is ideal because of its texture and color diversity.”
Just like big-buckle energy is trending in the realm of belts this autumn, so are padlocks (à la Chloé’s Paddington Bag) all the rage — adding something extra to your look with their smooth hardware, be it on slouchy boho-inspired bags or prim-and-proper satchels. Proportion play is also majorly in right now, manifesting in the form of the fashion set’s penchant for duffle-style overnight bags, able to seamlessly transition you from hopping off the plane to grabbing drinks with a friend in the neighborhood. As Gucci made clear during its fall 2025 presentation though, roomy catchalls can still look just as chic as their petite counterparts… so long as you go with those swathed in classic, timeless materials and featuring elevated stitching, alongside an overall attention to detail.
“Oversized bags are a reaction to the microbag trend,” Mix tells WWD. “Nowadays, it’s common for an outfit to be minimalist (with lots of silks and leathers) but for the bag to be oversized and keychain-clad. It’s just one piece of the puzzle in the evolution of maximalist accessories. People want bags that you can put a lot of stuff inside and on.”
Interested in scoring all of the selections we’re about to introduce in one place? Nordstrom couldn’t be a better fit for all your shopping adventures, as the mega retailer’s handbag category is never not overflowing with top-tier designer offerings, from Marc Jacobs and Coach to Longchamp and Cult Gaia. While it’s possible to score these fashion house’s most recent bag arrivals on their direct sites, Nordstrom grants the benefits of free shipping, free returns, and a $40 discount for customers who have just opened a Nordstrom credit card. With the retailer’s treasure trove of insightful reviews and high-quality photos of the bestselling handbags for fall, submitted by their new, satisfied owners, you can be even more certain of your decision when smashing that “add to cart” button.
Ready to refresh your bag rotation in honor of the chilling temperatures? Now couldn’t be a better time to do so. Our advice: Get that bag, and don’t look back.
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Chloé Paddington Bag
When Chemena Kamali put Chloé’s iconic Paddington Bag back on the runway early this year, styled with a faux-fur tail, the internet collectively lost its mind. Chloé enthusiasts rushed to join the brand’s waitlist on the item, and, just this month, the re-release finally became available to shop. According to WWD’s Renan Botelho, the bag’s current price is a “99 percent increase from the original Paddington’s $1,380 price tag” circa 2005, but as far as we’re concerned, every last penny is worth it when you’re investing in something this classic.
A creation by the legendary designer Phoebe Philo, the boho-coded steal was already seen in the hands of everyone from Kate Moss and Nicole Richie in the early aughts to Dua Lipa and Daisy Edgar-Jones after its 2025 revitalization. Nothing could be a better purchase than the Paddington for those dealing with Y2K nostalgia, as the bag’s chunky padlock, satchel style, and grained leather have all carried over from its original look two decades prior. Even the edgy studs have been spared — blessing the Italian-made bag with even more flair. Its instantly recognizable silhouette will make you the star of every setting this fall, and if the millions of views under the #chloepaddington TikTok tag are any indication, you better hurry if you want to call the luxury, vintage-leaning handbag yours.
Price upon publish date of this article: $2,750
Coach Twin Turnlock Bag
Need proof of this bag’s chokehold on all the It-girls right now? Its Loved Leather variation is fully sold out on Coach’s site, and we have no doubt that this Toffee hue, too, will soon go the way of the Dodo. The ideal fusion of preppiness and wearability, this Coach top hit takes a page from the label’s archive and is fueled by its New York heritage (something that’s been an emphasis under the direction of creative director Stuart Vevers). More spacious than it looks and equipped with a handy zip pocket for your peace of mind, you can also make use of the bag’s double front pockets with turnlock closure: storing your lipsticks, compact mirror, and emergency press-on nail replacements in the most darling way.
The waxed leather of this handbag has an easy-on-the-eyes and fall-appropriate shade that will pair well with your faux-fur coats and dark-wash denim favorites. It’s an item you can easily take from the nine-to-five to the five-to-nine, being versatile enough to work with casual ‘fits and formal ones both. Want to treat the handbag to some added personality? Explore Coach’s vast collection of bag straps, released this spring and already calling your name.
Price upon publish date of this article: $450
Marc Jacobs The Dakota Satchel
Having debuted in Marc Jacobs‘ fall 2025 collection, The Dakota Satchel hits all the high notes in regards to its suede materiality, central buckle, and top-handle silhouette. It has already generated ample hype on Reddit (“Love it! The size is just right for everyday use. Plus, the buckle detail is a nice touch,” a user shares) and TikTok alike, with content creators on the latter platform particularly obsessing over its dark plum iteration. If you haven’t already been seeing this baby out and about everywhere you go, trust us: You’re about to.
Not only is the bag a nod to the brand’s rich history (peep that “J” logo hardware on the belt, which references the Marc by Marc Jacobs archival belt collection), but it doles out utility and chic style in equal measure. The two interior compartments, joined by a central zip compartment and a smaller zip pocket, can hold the novel you’re reading, the sunglasses you’ve just purchased for the new season, and beyond. Magnetic closure keeps your valuables safe, metal feet prevent the bag from getting dirty on subway floors, and the sculptural nature of the shoulder strap is an apt contrast to the body’s subtle slouch. What’s not to adore?
Price upon publish date of this article: $595
Tory Burch Kira Diamond Quilt Shoulder Bag
Quilted bags are perennially en vogue, since the fashion-forward bunch is always on the lookout for accessories that can add visual interest to their ensembles without overdoing it. This is evident in the always-trending nature of more casual puffy tote bag picks on Amazon but has also extended to the realm of the luxury — spearheaded by designers from Balmain to Chanel, whose intricately crafted handbag exteriors are as tactile-friendly as they are attractive.
Tory Burch’s Kira Diamond Quilt Shoulder Bag, deemed “trending” by the brand itself, joins a multitude of other hot-right-now front-flap bag styles and adds the label’s signature touch of sophistication to the mix. Its Napa leather is as soft as they come, the gilded, adjustable shoulder strap works with your height, and the diamond quilting absolutely steals the show by dishing out dimension. Wear it with your starched white button-ups and jeans or take to fancy dinners, cocktail dress in tow. Mark our words: You won’t want to part with this Tory Burch go-to once the calendar turns to a new year.
Price upon publish date of this article: $595
Jacquemus Le Turismo Leather Bowling Bag
Bowling bags — flat-bottomed, capacious, and elegant enough to use as both a travel essential and a going-out must-have — are having a large-scale resurgence, fueled in no small part by celebrities like Bad Bunny (at the 2025 Met Gala, no less) taking this style for a spin. It’s the ultimate throwback, too, given that the world first fell in love with bowling bags in 2000: at Prada’s runway show, during which one was carried by Gisele Bündchen while reinterpreting what was, in the before times, strictly used for hauling bowling balls to and from the alley. Modern and sleek, these kinds of handbags are more than capable of storing all the tchotchkes we can’t leave the house without, and, if you haven’t yet indulged in a bowling bag of your own, Jacquemus’ take is the best way into the trend.
The mid-sized duffle, crafted out of 100-percent calfskin leather, channels the kind of high quality that Jacquemus prides itself in: right down to that artful bow detail adorning one of the straps. As for the butter-yellow color, rest assured that its influence is still being felt (and embraced with open arms) across both fashion and interior design. While the yellow spotlighted on fall 2025 runways, from Saint Laurent‘s high-shine outerwear to Burberry‘s velvet coordinates, leaned more “mustard” than “butter,” other fashion houses proved that pastels shouldn’t just be reserved for the spring season exclusively. Go ahead, let this bag carry with it a whiff of warm weather as you sport it with all your moodier, jewel-toned clothing pieces during fall.
Price upon publish date of this article: $1,490
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Meet the Author
Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on fashion trends worth investing in, buzzy designer handbags included.