Best buddy, fashion piece, and object of desire. Bags are always more than just useful. Our favorite bag accompanies us on a first date, at work, and on trips. In everyday life and on special occasions, it becomes a beautiful part of ourselves. This also applies to men, who increasingly value the ultimate must-have.

Mobile phone, money, keys, sunglasses – everything? Sure. The eternal companion swings loosely over the shoulder and keeps the most important things at hand. One thing is clear: whether it’s a clutch, body bag, handle bag or weekender, it’s the bag that completes the outfit and is also an expression of the personal lifestyle. What is trendy is not determined by fashion alone. Contemporary and social trends also have an influence on the accessories we prefer to adorn ourselves with.

The handbag as an investment

Who doesn’t know the fuss about the season’s hottest designs? On the big catwalks, brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Hermès, Prada and Louis Vuitton inspire the fashionistas of the world with their fancy It-bags. At least as exciting as the new collections, however, is the development that luxury handbags, like watches and jewelry, are also being traded as investments. Fueled by social media hype, a market has developed here in which second-hand accessories sometimes record fantastic returns. If you bought a Louis Vuitton “Speedy” in 1980 for the equivalent of 130 euros, today you can demand up to 900 euros. And that is only the beginning. The top models of the big fashion houses now fetch prices of 5,000 to 350,000 euros and more.

Shop Latest bags

Favorite pieces in the cycle

“Preloved fashion” is less an investment than a countermovement to “fast fashion”. Here, trendy clothes and accessories are returned to the cycle of second-hand fashion. Individual pieces of sought-after luxury brands are traded as well as favorite parts of large fashion chains. According to the business magazine Brand Eins, brands such as Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci achieve the highest resale values. Those who always want to be up-to-date but attach less importance to possessions can also rent their favorite bag. The different concepts of the providers range from a single rental – for example for a special event – to a club membership with a monthly flat rate for the latest It-bags. Well-known online portals include FOBE (D), Me To You Bag (CH), RentYourLuxury (Lie), CocoonClub (UK ) and BagToBorrow (USA).

Current bag trends

As popular as the dazzling luxury pieces are for some, as dispensable are they for others. Be it because of the cost, because you simply don’t identify with them, or for some other reason. One thing is clear: in order to keep up with the current trends, we don’t necessarily have to fall back on the big names of the fashion and design world but can choose from a multitude of different suppliers.

It turns out that parts of the fashion world have started to turn a little slower. Changes, such as the noticeable move away from “fast fashion”, are making collections more sustainable and also fashionably durable. As a result, designers are carefully developing their novelties and making them versatile.