I Hope Your Wallet is Cute, Because Clear Bags are Suddenly Everywhere

Another trend that can be traced back to Chanel

For Spring 2018, Chanel put approximately one million transparent PVC bags on the runway, which is either the harbinger of or inspiration behind the sudden glut of see-through bags hitting retailers, depending on your opinion. Either way, the trend is clearly (sorry) gaining ground, with indie designers and big bag brands alike sending bags that are at least partially clear to retailers for fall.

Other than the Chanel show, it first became clear (again, sorry) to me that these bags were going to be a real thing when my best friend became totally obsessed with the STAUD Shirley Tote, pictured above. This was several months ago, and her obsession was a problem because the bag was sold out—always an indication that something is afoot in the bag world, where most things are abundant and available from many sources.

She bought a cheap clear tote to tide her over and eventually got her hands on the STAUD version, and in the time since she first became obsessed, I’ve personally witnessed her receive compliments from strangers on both bags. And the STAUD version in particular deserves them—it’s a terrifically sharp, minimalist accessory, made still functional because of the smaller, opaque pouch that sits inside it, which matches the bag’s leather handles.

Some of the bags that fit this trend feature a work-around like this and others don’t, so if you like the look but don’t want your tampons floating around in front of the whole world, you still have some options. And some more good news: many of the indie versions of the trend are inexpensive, and even the designer ones are generally a lot less than the leather pieces from the same brands. We’ve listed some good examples of the trend below.