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Summer is the time to free yourself from a sweaty, weighty leather bag and try something lighter and more fun instead. The promise of finer weather gives you licence to gamble on different textiles, bright colours and artful textures — without worrying about how waterproof your bag is.
“Summer always feels like a happy, frivolous time that allows for something a bit more light-hearted,” says Anya Hindmarch, who is well known for her love of a quirky accessory. The British designer has previously made cult bags out of Walkers crisps packets and Perrier mineral water branding, and now enthuses about her paper raffia Perelló shoulder bag, created in homage to the Spanish olive brand (£595, anyahindmarch.com). “Mad,” she says, “but slung over a slightly brown shoulder on a warm day it’s always a conversation starter.”
Like the woven raffia summer accessories by Loewe’s seasonal sub-brand Paula’s Ibiza and Chloé, Hindmarch’s bags have vacation vibes sewn into them. But the everyday work bag has just as much right to a summer glow-up.
You don’t have to go wild. Kay Barron, fashion director at Net-a-Porter, recommends canvas as “a strong alternative for those looking for a slightly more understated approach to summer dressing”. Structured raffia styles are also suitable for the office. Loewe’s Paula’s Ibiza Puzzle Fold XL leather-trimmed raffia tote in a two-tone diamond pattern is a showstopper and roomy enough for a laptop (£2,450, net-a-porter.com).
At the start of May, luxury brand consultant Jess Christie swaps her black leather Park tote by The Row for a navy canvas style by Kassl Editions, the German brand known for its durable, functional outerwear and accessories (£310, kassleditions.com). “Black just feels too heavy on a sunny day,” she says. In a range of stone and earthy colours, big enough for a laptop and featuring an internal pocket for keys and phone, it has enough formality to be right for the workplace.
For travel, Christie is a fan of the canvas LL Bean Boat and Tote, introduced by the all-American outdoor brand in 1944 as a “car to ice-chest” ice carrier. Still manufactured in Maine, it is available in various styles, although the open-top white canvas with a contrast trim is the recognisable classic (from £32, global.llbean.com). Also in white canvas, but more iPad- than laptop-friendly, is Loeffler Randall’s Easton natural embroidered canvas tote ($330, loefflerrandall.com).
Toast, the British clothing and homewear brand, has been expanding its range of non-leather bags during the past two years, focusing on lower-impact fibres such as jute, linen and even strips of remnant fabrics from its own production. “We wanted our summer bags to feel joyful, but also considered,” says the brand’s buyer, Sophie Vent. “We have consciously avoided synthetics and faux leathers, choosing instead to work with materials that feel good in the hand and tread lightly on the planet.” The Garment dyed linen bag, a seasonal favourite for off-duty occasions, comes in two new colours, Black Pepper and Red Chilli, with a voluminous shape that feels current but is also practical (£110, toa.st).
I like a summer bag with colour and texture and ideally a bit of a story — something crafty, woven, crocheted, beaded or striped. A favourite is a woven neon bag by Among Equals, a not-for-profit that works with more than 3,000 female artisans in Papua New Guinea (£138, amongequals.com). This month, I picked up a brown, red and blue striped jute bag with plaited wool handles from Marni’s sub-brand Marni Market, which offers a collection of always colourful, one-off designs, crafted by a network of Colombian artisans.
Another option with a feelgood factor is Chloé’s Summer Banana range. It includes deliciously coloured raffia and leather-trimmed totes with a hand-drawn logo and gold banana charm made in collaboration with Made For A Woman, a social enterprise based in Madagascar (£890, chloe.com).
Jenny Sue Garcia is a former high-street fashion buyer who now sells eye-catching preloved fashion on her Instagram account @the.curatory. Garcia likes a certain tactility in her summer bags and points to the Italian artisanal brand Alienina, which make pleasingly chunky woven bags from surplus organic cotton ropes. Its clutches are a nice option for evening (from £170, alienina.com). She also favours the crocheted ribbon bags from the London-based Isla de Gar (from £50, isladegar.com).
Garcia looks for similarly textured styles for her online shop. She has an unbranded yellow wooden beaded handbag with a 1970s feel available for £39. “A summer bag is the perfect way to express a more unfurled mood,” she says, “even if the rest of your outfit means business.”
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