The Different Types of Bags Worth Knowing

Bags aren’t just for carrying your phone, keys, and emergency lip balm, they’re little time capsules. Every silhouette comes with baggage (pun intended): Prada’s ’90s nylon backpack that made “practical” look cool, Dior’s Saddle bag that defined the Sex and the City era, Bottega’s squishy Pouch that rewired how we think about clutches. Half the time, a bag tells the story of a whole decade before the clothes do.

And that’s the fun bit: none of these shapes are really new. The bucket bag was once designed to cart around champagne bottles (arguably the chicest origin story ever), the hobo bag was the slouchy badge of Y2K cool, and the top handle? Let’s just say Grace Kelly made sure that style was never going anywhere. What changes is the scale, and how we wear them.

Right now it’s all about turning the volume up. Totes's have gone XXL, metallics are stepping out in daylight, and mini bags are basically jewellery; you wear more than one and don’t worry about fitting a thing inside. So, let’s take a tour through the classics. These are the different types of handbags that have defined fashion, and how to wear them now.

Among all the types of bags for women, the backpack’s transformation is the most dramatic. Once strictly the domain of school runs and hiking trips, the backpack got its high-fashion glow-up when Miuccia Prada dropped her nylon version in the mid-’80s. Suddenly, something practical was the most wanted item in the room. And by the ’90s, it was slung over the shoulders of supermodels, stylists, and anyone who wanted to look like they weren’t trying too hard.

Fast-forward to now, and the backpack has circled right back into luxury. Sleek leather, quilted finishes, even technical nylon; the style has grown up without losing its easy, hands-free charm.

HOW TO STYLE IT
Treat it as part of your outfit, not an afterthought. A slim black leather style looks sharp with an oversized blazer and wide-leg trousers, while sportier nylon versions nail the utilitarian mood when worn with cargos, cropped bombers, and wraparound shades.

If there’s one style that’s always stuck around, it’s the top handle. Grace Kelly carried her Hermès Kelly so often in the 1950s that the bag ended up named after her, and since then the shape has never really left the fashion conversation. Over the years it’s shifted from “ladylike” staple to a design that brands keep reworking, think bold colours, glossy finishes, and mini versions that feel more playful than prim.

The top handle has a knack for making any outfit look considered, even if you’ve thrown it together in a rush.

HOW TO STYLE
A boxy leather version in a saturated shade works well with wide-leg trousers and a sharp blazer, while a mini top handle carried alongside a tote taps into the double-bag trend editors are backing this year. It’s a style with history, but it still feels current.

Boxy, compact, and with just enough space for the essentials; that’s the charm of the camera bag. It looks straightforward, but the shape actually comes from a practical place: photographers needed a sturdy crossbody for their kit. Fashion being fashion, the utility version was quickly elevated by houses like Gucci and Saint Laurent in the 2010s, who turned it into an everyday staple.

These days, it’s the kind of bag that slips into your routine without fuss. Big enough for your phone and lipstick, small enough to wear anywhere.

HOW TO STYLE
Style it crossbody over bomber jackets and baggy denim for off-duty days, or pick a quilted leather version and let it play against something dressier, think satin skirts or a sharp blazer. The point is ease: it’s the bag you don’t have to think about, but still looks good. 

Once upon a time, a laptop bag meant something bulky, black, and depressingly corporate. The kind of thing you’d shove under a desk and never think of as part of your look. Fast-forward to now, and it’s a whole different story, designers have caught on that tech is part of our daily kit, and the bag that carries it should earn its place in your outfit.

Brands like Prada, BOSS, and Tumi reworked the silhouette in the 2010s with slim leather finishes and hybrid tote-backpack shapes. Suddenly, the laptop bag wasn’t just practical - it was another accessory in rotation.

HOW TO STYLE IT
Sleek black leather laptop totes work with wide-leg tailoring and trainers for office-to-dinner ease. Or pick a crossbody version in technical nylon to wear with bomber jackets and boots. It’s less about hiding your work gear, more about letting it travel in style.