Autumn 2026 handbag trends are set to feature oversized shoulder bags, elongated baguette styles, croc-effect leather and crescent shapes, according to a roundup of standout designs for the season.
Oversized Shoulder Bags
While shoulder bags have traditionally been small, a new crop of styles has been scaled up into oversized designs that are much more functional for fitting items like a laptop. Chanel's new Maxi Flap Bag, a softer, slouchier, oversized version of its classic design without the signature quilting, has become the it bag of the season and spurred many similar iterations on the high street.
Examples include the COS Pavilion Tote Bag, an investment piece with a slouchy silhouette, two thin straps, roomy interior compartments and a glossy patent finish. JW Pei's Hilary Shoulder Bag is a vegan leather option with gold hardware and a rich red palette, while Mango offers a Leather Shoulder Bag with Flap in grey suede with a single adjustable strap. H&M's affordable Shoulder Bag rivals Chanel's £6,780 version.
Elongated Baguette Bags
The famous Fendi baguette bag remains a classic shape. Vogue describes it as an “east-to-west silhouette”, where a bag is wider than it is tall, typically with double skinny straps. These bags are surprisingly spacious for evening wear and tuck neatly under the arm.
Top picks include JW PEI's Nova Shoulder Bag in olive green suede, & Other Stories' minimalist Cylindrical Leather Shoulder Bag, and Anthropologie's Zebra Print Barrel Bag, which offers a pop of colour and texture.
Crocodile Skins and Crescent Shapes
Croc-effect leather works well in warm, autumnal shades like green, burgundy and chocolate brown. Options include the Topshop Sophie Medium Angular Shoulder Bag in a chocolatey red shade, the Pull&Bear Textured Shoulder Bag, and the ASOS DESIGN Elongated Clutch Bag in olive green for nights out.
Crescent, curved silhouettes have stuck around with a softer approach for 2026, with slouchier designs in suedes and leathers. Favourites include the H&M Curved Shoulder Bag in dark khaki, burgundy or beige, M&S's larger Suede Top Handle Shoulder Bag, & Other Stories' Curved Shoulder Bag in blue, and the Topshop Annabel Snake Effect Faux Leather Shoulder Bag, which combines animal print with a half-moon shape.
