30 Iconic It Bags

The Most Covetable Arm Candy Ever

A killer handbag has the power to transform and elevate even the most simple of outfits, it’ll also last your for life and if you’re lucky, get better with age. That’s why we’re firm believers of investing in a classic, iconic bag. Unlike clothes or shoes, bags generally stand the test of time so it’s worth spending a bit more on something that’ll be a status symbol for years. In fact, a study by NPD group states that handbag sales have increased in the U.S. by 5 percent since 2014, totaling a whopping $11.5 billion in 2015!  To help you find your bag soul mate we’ve compiled a list of 30 of the most iconic bags ever. Salivating over the Gucci Dionysus? Lusting after a Givenchy Antigona? Dreaming of a Birkin? They’re all in there! Credit cards at the ready!

Classic Handbags

A bag is for life not just for Christmas and these classic handbags prove that very sentiment. The Speedy Louis Vuitton was created in 1930 and still remains a style stalwart; originally crafted in a 30cm size a smaller bespoke 25cm size was created for actress Audrey Hepburn in 1965. Vuitton’s competitor Goyard was then founded a year later and it’s Saint Louis tote is still as popular today as it was when created without doing any advertisement or promotion whatsoever. And how could we forget the ultimate lustworthy classic bag, Chanel’s 2.55?! As one of the chicest bags of all time, it actually owes it’s name to its date of fabrication back in February 1955. Due to its celebrity notoriety the classic flap bag goes up in price every year and now comes in a variety of colourways and fabrics. If a 2.55 is a little out of budget you can pick up Karl Lagerfeld handbags for a fraction of the price. The Fendi Baguette undoubtedly earned it’s It Bag status after being worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in hit TV show Sex in the City. Released in 2007, Vogue reported that 100,000 baguettes were sold in the first year alone! Fashion house Gucci started using bamboo during the second world war as an alternative material to craft their products. The bag catapulted to success and was worn by Elizabeth Taylor and Lady Diana to name a few. Today’s hand-made Neo-Bamboo bag is composed of 140 components! If you're into Gucci why not get your arm candy to match you in Gucci men's trainers?!

French fashion house Hermès practically invented the It Bag! Their classic Kelly bag was created in 1930 and actually found ‘fame’ after being worn by The Princess of Monaco (Grace Kelly) after it turned out that she used it to hide her pregnancy bump! Speaking of celebrities, many of the most popular bags were actually named after the ladies who inspired them… take the Gucci ‘Jackie’ bag, named after the US first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy. Or, take the the Lady Dior bag by Dior, named after Lady Diana in 1995 after she instantly fell in love with it. Another muse is Ricky Lauren, Ralph Lauren’s wife and inspiration behind Ralph Lauren’s Ricky bag, she represents the stylish, classic American woman. In 2013, the American house redesigned the bag and renamed it the ‘Soft Ricky’. Speaking of American designers there's also a great range of DKNY bags available to shop on Stylight.

Bags With History

The Birkin

We can’t talk about It Bags without referring to the most acclaimed, iconic, and priciest of them all: The Birkin. The story of the Birkin began in 1981 when English doyenne Jane Birkin met Robert Dumas-Hermès' son Jean-Louis Dumas on a plane; the two exchanged ideas on how to make a bag that was more functional and practical and some first designs were even sketched on a sick bag! By 1984 the Birkin was created and the rest is history! It’s been seen on the arms of Lady Gaga (who scrawled in Japanese 'I Love Little Monsters, Tokyo Love' on her white one); Victoria Beckham (who has a collection worth in the region of £1.5 million) and Clint Eastwood’s daughter who gave a $100,000 crocodile skin Birkin to her boyfriend, Tyler Shields, so he could destroy it in the name of art. The Birkin is now understood to be the most expensive resold bag in the world! Just last month a 35cm Birkin from 2008 in rouge crocodile skin and 18-karat diamond hardware was sold for a phenomenal $298,000!

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Undoubtedly the trend for It Bags as a status symbol really became a ‘thing’ in the 2000’s. Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga City bag really kickstarted the trend as it was seen on the likes of Kate Moss and Sienna Miller, and has since been widely imitated. In 2003, Mulberry launches the Bayswater, named after the area of West London, and designed by Nicholas Knightly who had joined Mulberry in 2002. It became quickly a bestseller despite its £600 price tag. Shortly after, the PS1 Proenza Schouler satchel was created as the ‘anti-It Bag’ as it was minimalistic and without any obvious logos. 2009 was a great year for bags as it witnessed the birth of Celine’s infamous Luggage Tote, it’s structural design has been seen on the arms of the likes of Nicky Hilton, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and even Leighton Meester wore a giant sized version of it. Business of Fashion reported that Céline’s revenues are said to have doubled between 2010 and 2013, and surpassed €400 million in 2012, with the tote being one of the ‘pillars’ of that growth. In the same year, Alexander Wang’s hit bag the Rocco was released, as well as Stella McCartney’s Falabella bag with its unstructured silhouette and trademark silver chains, which it is still today one of the brand’s best sellers.

The 2000’s and Beyond