First of all, I love a basket bag, so that line above is no dig. All I’m saying is that most ‘summer bag must-haves’ are basket bag after basket bag and sometimes, a little variety is more than a good thing.
I’m not a huge bag person. I have a few favourites that I use time after time — preferring bags that I can wear with multiple outfits than something that only ‘goes’ with a few things in my wardrobe. I also, mostly, only go for bags that are genuinely useful. My main rule of thumb when deciding to purchase a bag is that if I can’t fit my water bottle in it, there’s no point (exceptions made for events like weddings where pulling out my water bottle mid-ceremony would be a bit weird). So I’m not really one for going for a bag purely because it looks good — if I’m lugging that thing around, it’s got to put in some legwork too.
When I think about it, I probably use bags more in summer. Most of my winter coats have big, deep pockets, so I can often get away with stuffing a few things in them when I go out, but my summer wardrobe doesn’t lend itself to that so much. Throw in things like flights or road trips abroad, days at the beach, and weddings after weddings, and there’s a lot during summer that calls for a bag.
Here’s my round-up of 10 summer bags that can be worn with lots of different outfits to lots of different places, and that tick the boxes for everything this season brings. There are basket bags (of course) but there are also little bags you can take to a wedding (that still fit your phone and lippy in), hardy tote bags for the beach or the plane, and the perfect crossbody for the days you’re out and about and want to go hands-free.
The Classic Basket Bag
Like I said earlier in this piece, the raffia basket bag is a ubiquitous accessory in summer but there’s a good reason: they’re synonymous with everything great about these months. It’s the bag you take to mornings spent at the market in Mediterranean Europe, picking up punnets of fresh veg for your long lunch in the shade of the trees at your Airbnb, and soaps and linens to take home with. It’s the bag you pack your towel, book and suncream into when you want to appear as though you’ve put a bit of effort into your look when you sit at the beachside bar. It’s the bag that, when paired with pretty much anything, instantly takes your outfit into summer style territory.
I’ve had this bag for the past couple of years and it’s been used for everything: out to dinner on holiday, to the beach, and to the shops when I need to grab a few bits. There are lots of alternatives on the high street too — I particularly like the look of this market shopper from COS.
The Small, Versatile Bag
I like a clutch bag for weddings but sometimes I want something a bit different — especially when I’m wearing something as big-sleeved as this and tucking a bag under my armpit becomes a tad tricky. I wore this look to a wedding a couple of months ago and loved this bag — the taupe colour is an easy one to match with most things in my wardrobe, and makes a nice change to black, while the size is big enough to hold my phone, cards and lipstick without it being cumbersome. It can also be worn different ways: at the top handle, like I’ve done here, or as a shoulder or cross-body bag with the long strap.
The Wear-Everywhere Cross-Body
One of the many things I love about summer is the uptake in spontaneity. Meeting a pal for breakfast can lead to another coffee outside the cafe’s doors as you both relish a spot of sun. A ‘quick’ drink in your favourite beer garden inevitably turns into a couple of hours as you make the most of those long, light nights. And the “fancy an hour at the beach after work?” texts become all the more frequent.
On these days when anything could happen, the hands-free cross-body is your friend. It fits all your necessary bits in but it doesn’t weigh you down, so you’ll very happily move around the city from one spot to the next without feeling like you want to go home and dump your stuff first. This cross-body from COS is a great piece for that. It’s made from smooth leather, so it has a smartness to it that could be worn to multiple places, while the size is just right for holding all your bits and bobs.