20 Under $200: We Found the Chicest Bags on a Budget

No matter what your budget might be, one thing is probably true: the bags on your wish list cost more than you’d really like to pay for them. Handbag prices just keep going up, and often, it feels like accessibly priced options are few and far between. The Internet is vast, though, and we set out to take stock of things. As it turns out, it is possible to get a great bag that doesn’t cost as much as your rent.

There are certain limitations, of course. If you want real leather (which we know most of you do), the best options you’re going to find under $200 are generally going to be either very small or very simple–think mini crossbodies and soft leather totes with no exterior embellishment or interior organization. The majority of the bags we chose are all or partly leather, but we included a couple vegan options, too. To get the best leather bang for your buck, seek out specialty retailers; the most high-end looking bags we found in real leather under 200 bucks were from “mall” retailers like Madewell, Gap and Zara.

Below, check out the spoils of our expedition.