I Tried the 3 Cult Designer It Bags Everyone’s Talking About

There’s no doubt that the lineup of handbags for fall 2024 is made for people on the go. Whether they come in the form of supersize carryalls designed to hold a jam-packed day’s worth of essentials or convertible clutches that offer four-plus ways to wear them, luxury handbags have never been better at mirroring our ever-busier lives. Thankfully this season, we don’t have to sacrifice function for fashion.

Yes, shoulder bags are still the leading silhouette, but the styles on offer range from petite and structured to oversize and roomy, so there’s really something for everyone. Of course, deciding to invest in a designer bag is far from a casual affair, what with the endless parade of options in the market and the increasingly high price tags they come with. As a fashion editor, I consider it my duty to scrutinize everything from size and shape to versatility and function when recommending a luxury handbag, but today, I’m taking it one step further by lending the season’s top three styles my personal review.

Here, discover my short list of the most-talked-about bags of fall 2024—the Saint Laurent Le 5 à 7 Shoulder Bag, Chloé Bracelet Hobo Bag, and Bottega Veneta Liberta Bag—complete with details on their fit, function, and how much really fits inside each.

I won’t beat around the bush: the Chloé Bracelet Hobo Bag is more than just a handbag. It’s actually a work of art. The first handbag released under the creative direction of Chemena Kamali, it made its runway debut in the fall/winter 2024 collection during Paris fashion week and was one of the many reasons why the collection went viral, including the wedge clogs worn by all the front-row attendees including Sienna Miller and the overall excitement that Kamali brought back to the Parisian house which left many heralding the great boho style renaissance. All in all, the bag signifies much more than the materials its made of. It’s the origins of the “new Chloé” era and the marker of Kamali’s already-successful tenure that we’ll no doubt look back on as an era as iconic as any of her predecessors.

While the significance of this bag lies in the context of the fall 2024 collection, its beauty lies in the details. Mixed-metal hardware. Horseshoe-inspired hooks. Subtle brand-name embossing. The singular large ring handle. Many brands will claim that the addition of a crossbody or shoulder strap means that you’re getting two bags in one, but Chloé takes this idea to another level entirely. The bracelet bag is one thing—unique, charming, artful—but remove the circular ring handle and replace it with the coordinating leather strap and you truly do have an entirely new handbag in front of you.

What fits inside: The ultimate evening or smaller day bag, this fits just enough essentials to make it utterly practical while not being spacious enough to become too heavy to carry. I was able to comfortably fit a card case, my digital camera, a box of Altoids, hand sanitizer, compact mirror, and two lip glosses—in other words, my going-out starter pack—but I could easily have squeezed in a few more items wearing by swapping the ring handle for the shoulder strap.

Specs: 17.5-21.5-inch convertible strap drop | 1.6 lbs | removable top ring handle | zip closure | interior wall pocket

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There are handbags, and then there are Bottega Veneta handbags. No matter the style, a leather creation affixed with the Italian label is as impressive in person as it is in photos, and that’s especially true for the Liberta. If you ask me, any addition to the Bottega handbag family is worthy of front-page news, and I found the latest introduction to more than live up to its hype.

In its winter 2024 collection, the brand released one new handbag, the Liberta, in addition to a number of updated iterations on the Hop, Andiamo, and Cabat styles. It’s a fold-over clutch that’s inspired by an archival style from the 1970s and while beautiful on its own, also comes with an interior strap for crossbody and shoulder possibilities. What differentiates it the most from past Bottegas isn’t what it is but rather what it isn’t. The Liberta is notoriously lacking the signature intrecciato leather that has come to be synonymous with Bottega bags. Instead, it’s defined by a smooth leather fabrication that the brand says is carefully selected to feel as silky and soft as possible, a description I wholeheartedly agree with after taking it for a test-run myself.

I may be biased here but a Bottega bag is the ultimate investment piece. I contemplated close to ten designer bags last year when I was looking to make a larger bag purchase and ended up landing on the small Andiamo in barolo which I’ve worn nearly daily for the last 12 months. All that is to say, I’ve been impressed with Bottega’s quality and craftsmanship and would gladly spend at the brand again because I know I’m getting a beautiful and long-lasting bag.

Getting down to the details, it’s all about one main detail: the woven looped closure that affixes around a sculptural brass hook. The intrecciato texture of the closure is a nod to Bottega’s signature woven texture and it contrasts nicely against the smooth leather, immediately drawing your eye there upon first glance. Inside, its lined with suede that nicely contrasts the smooth calf leather of the exterior. I styled the medium size though it also comes in a small size that would be ideal as an evening bag.

What fits inside: This would be a great day-to-night bag because it fits items like a journal, pair of sunglasses, and fold-over waller in addition to smaller beauty products. It’s not large enough to categorize as a work bag, but would be ideal for weekdays where a laptop isn’t needed and can transition seamlessly into the evening by simply tucking the shoulder strap inside and wearing it as a clutch.

Specs: 21-inch shoulder strap drop | 1.2 lbs | interior zip pocket | suede lining

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For a designer accessory to go viral and start to sell out, it often needs to have a novelty to it or be somehow controversial to get people talking, but the beauty of Saint Laurent’s Le 5 à 7 Shoulder Bag is in its practicality. The north-south tote bag features details like a wider shoulder strap, logo hardware closure, and luxe suede finish that makes it the kind of bag you want to reach for on repeat. Perhaps that’s why it’s earned a coveted spot in the closets of the trend-setting celebrity set including Hailey Bieber and Laura Harrier who both wear theirs near-daily whether it be heading to a Pilates class or out to dinner with friends. Though the classic colors like black and cream leather will always be smart buys, the chestnut and olive-hued suede iterations are what Saint Laurent shoppers are narrowed in on, especially given the surge in popularity that suede bags are having this season. It’s a bag that fits in seamlessly with a quintessential fall wardrobe of denim and knits.

It may be experiencing a season in the spotlight, but ultimately this is a timeless bag that will remain a cornerstone of the Le 5 À 7 family alongside the baguette-bag shape and newer Bea tote.

The brassy hardware contrasted flawlessly with the warm tones of the suede. The buckle that adjusts the length of the shoulder strap and the “YSL” clasp that serves as the bag’s closure both felt substantial and weighty, making the somewhat minimalistic bag feel so elevated and special.

What fits inside: I test-drove the larger size which I was pleasantly surprised to find fit all my daily essentials for work and the weekend, most excitingly my 13-inch Macbook Pro although I did had to stand it up vertically and the tab closure didn’t close on top of it. But whenever I can skip an extra plain canvas tote to carry my laptop in is a win in my book. During the workweek I also managed to fit a paperback book, zip-around wallet, sunglasses and eyeglasses cases, and other odds and ends like a few tubes of lipsticks, keys, and a lighter.

Specs: 11.8-inch strap drop | adjustable shoulder strap | bronze-toned hardware | suede lining | interior zip and wall pockets

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