Designer Handbags to Buy in 2022
There are a lot of classic designer handbags out there — the Louis Vuitton Speedy, the Chanel flap bag, the Hermes Birkin bag — but what if you want something brand-new? What if you want to invest in a luxury handbag that’s fresh off the assembly line, so to speak? Luckily, these days, you’re not stuck with the same luxury handbags your mother was shopping for, decades ago. Designers are churning out a bevy of new designs each season, so you can take your pick of the best of the best.
But how do you know which handbags truly are the best of the best? To help you with your shopping, here are some of the best designer handbags to buy this year, according to the experts.
Balenciaga’s La Cagole XS Shoulder Bag
According to a buyer at Nordstrom, who spoke with Who What Wear, Balenciaga’s line of La Cagole shoulder bags are a mixture of contemporary and classic — and just the thing to buy this season. While the more highly-coveted Le Cagole Metallic Croc Embossed Leather Shoulder Bag is sold out just about everywhere you look, from Nordstrom to Saks Fifth, you can still find the XS version linked above. Sure, it might look a little like a flashback to the 2000s, but isn’t that exactly what’s in style now?
Coach Mini Cashin Tote
If you’re looking for something that’s a little more budget-friendly (think less than 10% of the cost of the Balenciaga bag above), you might want to consider the Coach Mini Cashin Tote. While it’s not a designer-designer bag, it is still a popular brand that’s a step above what you’ll buy at your favorite fast-fashion store.
Again, according to an expert who spoke to Who What Wear, these mini totes are seeing a renaissance — and maybe the pandemic is to blame? After all, if you’re not lugging a lot to the office every day and just chillin’ at home for your work commute, you might not need a huge, normal-sized tote.
Louis Vuitton Vintage Monogram Denim Mini Pleaty
Much like Balenciaga’s La Cagole line, these Louis Vuitton bags are a sure throwback to a simpler time. This denim bag would look amazing with that one particular Britney and Justin ensemble (we know you know the one we’re talking about). You get the early 2000s look, but at a price that’s slightly more agreeable than what you’d get from Balenciaga.
Prada Cleo Logo-Plaque Crossbody Bag
The Prada Cleo bag is nothing new, but the recently released smaller Cleo bag is a newcomer on the fashion scene. Crossbody and easy to wear, it’s a sure hit for nights out or even traveling, as it’s just way more convenient than anything else you might find in the Prada closet.
Signature Bags to Buy
But what if you’re looking to buy a more classic bag this season? If you’re not finding anything you particularly like among designers’ new and/or trending offerings, you might just want to go with a classic designer bag that you just so happen to not have in your closet at the moment. If you’re looking for a solid investment, we have a few suggestions.
The Neverfull MM from Louis Vuitton is a safe bet if you’re looking for a standard-sized tote versus the mini tote from Coach mentioned above. It comes in multiple colors with multiple interior lining options and, as always, Louis Vuitton is one of your more affordable designer brands to buy. You could easily fit your laptop and all your files or notebooks in this bag, and it even comes with an inner pouch that’s detachable, which you can also use as a stand-alone clutch in a pinch.
If you’re looking for a cross-body bag that’s more classic than the new Cleo release from Prada, you might want to consider the Lou Camera Bag from Yves Saint Laurent, which is just about as classic as it gets. Available in multiple colors and quilted leather made from 100% calfskin, it’s another budget-friendly option that comes at a price like the Louis Vuitton Neverfull.
Making a Bag Investment
But what if you’re looking to purchase a designer bag purely with the intention of reselling it later? What’s going to be the best investment for you?
If you’re looking at your designer bag shopping options simply from an investment standpoint versus a shopping-for-enjoyment standpoint, then you may want to go a different route. There are some bags and designers that just simply hold their value over time greater than others, or that even increase in value.
These brands include Hermes (especially Kelly and Birkin bags), Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Fendi, Balenciaga, Prada, Stella McCartney and others, according to Pop Sugar.
If you’re looking for specific bags to invest in, again, go with the Hermes Birkin or even the Chanel Quilted Classic Flap. As one Fashionphile expert told Women’s Wear Daily, “Their unique yet simple silhouettes designed in durable, luxurious textiles make them so desirable and challenging to acquire at times, making them quite the hot topic as of late. These factors affect their resale value on the secondary luxury market, as the merchandise is not necessarily accessible to all. These gems are worth a lot, especially when they come out of our customers’ closets in immaculate condition.”
Budget-Friendly Not Quite Budget-Friendly Enough for You?
You may have noticed that we mentioned a few so-called “budget-friendly” bags above — and included among these ranks bags like the Louis Vuitton Neverfull and the Yves Saint Laurent Lou Camera Bag, both of which go for well over a thousand dollars. Sure, you can get the Coach miniature tote bag new for only a few hundred dollars, but then Coach just doesn’t have the same clout as Louis Vuitton or Yves Saint Laurent.
So, if you’re looking for something that’s even more budget-friendly, you may want to consider purchasing a pre-owned designer bag. Doing so can allow you to buy bags that may have been well out of range of your budget if you were to shop exclusively for new bags only. At Luxury in Reach, we have a broad selection of top designer handbags from Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and more, all at a fraction of their original cost, all authenticated and all in pristine condition.
Whether you’re lusting over a Louis Vuitton GM Musette Crossbody bag or a Chanel Calfskin wallet or a Gucci Disco Soho bag, you may just be surprised at what you can find starting at under $1,000. Check out our full lineup of designer bags today and see what’s waiting for you.