Good bags don’t come cheap, and for most consumers, it’s important that a potential purchase is practical and usable for more than just a couple months a year. True, year-round versatility is hard to ask from any particular color, but if you don’t want to carry something dark when it’s warm outside or something inappropriately bright when it’s cold, there’s one way to make sure you don’t go wrong: get a metallic.
Silver, gold and bronze are all versatile shades, and the extra note of shine to their finishes makes the colors even easier to transfer between seasons. I’ve been aware of this versatility for some time, but the silver Mansur Gavriel bucket bag that I started carrying in February and that is currently sitting next to me on this 85-degree day made me appreciate it anew.
Metallics do have a particular risk, of course: if you don’t choose carefully, the wrong kind of shine can make your expensive bag look cheap. To get you started on the right foot, we’ve selected 20 metallic bags that are both versatile and expensive-looking, from a couple hundred bucks to five figures.