I’ve been doing this long enough that my instincts are usually pretty good. No one trying to predict how a wide market will react to any particular thing has 100% accuracy, but talking with our readers every day for almost a decade gives me a better shot than most. I don’t mind admitting when I’m wrong, though, and I was wrong about backpacks. I thought they were a flash in the pan when they started flooding into stores in 2014, but here we are, watching early 2018 collections start to arrive in stores, and backpacks have quietly stuck around to become a staple of the accessories department. Color me surprised.
On a practical level, it’s easy to see why backpacks’ charms have sustained them beyond the trend stage. Fashion has taken a turn for the casual in recent years, with a particular emphasis on sporty details and materials, and backpacks have a naturally athletic implication to them that works perfectly for modern tastes. They’re also functionally convenient for activities in which the carrier benefits from having two completely free arms while maintaining a reasonable cargo capacity, which covers anything from taking the kids to the park to going shopping with friends.
Because backpacks have enjoyed continued popularity, the versions available now are some of the best we’ve seen in the past several year. Check out over two dozen of our favorites below.
Building Block Backpack
$595 via Shopbop
Burberry Leather Rucksack
$1,995 via Nordstrom
Chanel Metallic Backpack
$3,500 via Chanel
Chloé Faye Mini Backpack
$1,990 via Net-a-Porter
Fendi Santander Backpack
$2,750 via Bergdorf Goodman
Givenchy Star Backpack
$1,320 via Net-a-Porter
Gucci Marmont Backpack
$1,890 via Gucci
KARA Shearling Backpack
$495 via Shopbop
Kate Spade Hartley Backpack
$228 via Shopbop
Les Petits Joueurs Baby Mick Backpack
$810 via Bergdorf Goodman
Loeffler Randall Tassel Backpack
$650 via Net-a-Porter
Loewe Midnight Belt Backpack
$2,190 via Bergdorf Goodman
Louis Vuitton Palm Springs Backpack
$1,910 via Louis Vuitton
M2Malletier Floral Backpack
$1,520 via farfetch.com
Mansur Gavriel Suede Mini Backpack
$675 via SSENSE
Marni Small Backpack
$1,860 via farfetch.com
Miu Miu Velvet Backpack
$1,360 via Net-a-Porter
Prada Quilted Velvet Backpack
$1,970 via SSENSE
Rebecca Minkoff Julian Backpack
$245 via Rebecca Minkoff
Saint Laurent Loulou Small Backpack
$1,990 via Neiman Marcus
Stella McCartney Falabella Backpack
$750 via Neiman Marcus
Steven Alan Kate Convertible Bag
$395 via Nordstrom
The Row Knapsack
$2,850 via Bergdorf Goodman
Tod’s Wave Bag
$1,745 via Net-a-Porter
Valentino Twiny Backpack
$2,595 via Neiman Marcus
