The Four Ultimate ‘It’ Bags That Will Never Go Out of Style
Thea Elle
Feb 12, 2025
Trends come and go, but a true ‘It’ bag never loses its charm. In the ever-changing world of fashion, only a select few handbags have transcended the seasons, becoming as relevant today as they were decades ago. These are the designs that signal status, craftsmanship, and timeless appeal—pieces that don’t just sit in your closet but define your personal style.
For fashion lovers and collectors alike, investing in a forever bag is more than just a purchase—it’s a legacy. Whether passed down through generations or cherished as a lifelong statement piece, these bags carry more than just essentials; they carry history, prestige, and a whisper of exclusivity. From the structured sophistication of the HERMÈS Birkin to the effortless elegance of the CHANEL Flap Bag, these four handbags remain at the pinnacle of luxury. If you’re looking for an investment that will never go out of style, these are the ultimate must-haves.
The CHANEL FLAP BAG: A Symbol of Parisian Chic
No handbag collection is complete without the CHANELFlap Bag. First introduced by Coco CHANEL in 1955, the bag revolutionized women’s accessories by introducing a hands-free shoulder strap—a bold departure from the clutches of the time.
Its signature quilted leather, double-C clasp, and elegant chain strap make it instantly recognizable, while its versatility ensures it complements both casual and formal ensembles. Whether you opt for the classic black lambskin or a modern iteration in tweed or patent leather, this bag remains a timeless investment.
Even decades later, the CHANEL Flap Bag continues to command high resale value, proving that elegance and craftsmanship never go out of fashion.
The LOUIS VUITTON SPEEDY: The Everyday Icon
Originally designed as a travel bag, the LOUIS VUITTONSpeedy has become the ultimate everyday luxury handbag. With its lightweight design, iconic monogram canvas, and structured yet practical shape, it’s a must-have for anyone who values both style and function.
Made famous by Audrey Hepburn, who requested a smaller, more handbag-friendly version of the original, the Speedy remains one of LOUIS VUITTON’s most enduring designs. Whether in classic Monogram, Damier Ebene, or Epi leather, this bag is a staple for every fashion-forward wardrobe.
The HERMÈS BIRKIN: The Pinnacle of Luxury
The HERMÈS Birkin is more than just a handbag—it’s a status symbol. Created for actress Jane Birkin in the 1980s, this exclusive tote is meticulously handcrafted and often requires years on a waitlist before securing one.
With its structured silhouette, premium leather, and gold or palladium hardware, the BIRKIN is designed for those who appreciate the finer things in life. Each piece is made by a single artisan, ensuring that no two bags are exactly alike.
For collectors, the BIRKIN isn’t just an accessory—it’s an asset. Some of the rarest editions have sold for hundreds of thousands at auction, making it a better investment than gold.
The DIOR LADY DIOR: A Royal Favorite
Named after Princess Diana, the Lady DIOR bag is synonymous with grace and sophistication. First introduced in 1995, it became an instant classic when the Princess of Wales was spotted carrying it at numerous public events.
With its structured shape, quilted Cannage stitching, and dangling DIOR charms, the Lady Dior is the perfect blend of elegance and femininity. Whether carried by hand or worn crossbody, this bag is as timeless as the woman it was named after.
The Ultimate Investment in Style
Some handbags may capture a moment in fashion, but only a select few define it. The CHANEL Flap Bag, HERMÈS Birkin, Lady DIOR, and LOUIS VUITTON Speedy are more than just accessories—they are pieces of fashion history.
Choosing one of these forever bags isn’t just about luxury; it’s about investing in a piece that will stand the test of time. Whether you’re starting your collection or adding to an existing one, these four handbags remain the ultimate symbols of timeless style and sophistication.
The Alluring Glitz of the Luxury Industrial Complex.
In the labyrinth of the film industry, an intriguing new synergy has emerged – a vivid intersection of cinema and fashion, where the audience is entranced by the plot and lured into an all-consuming world of glamor and luxury.
No better example of this can be found than in the recent Barbie film directed by Greta Gerwig. The movie surreptitiously morphs into an elaborate, glorified commercial for the luxury brand CHANEL, ensnaring its audience in the throes of the Luxury Industrial Complex.
The Barbie film transcends these parameters, ingeniously morphing into a grand advertisement for CHANEL.
Fashion has always played a pivotal role in cinema, enhancing narratives, conveying character nuances, and contributing to visual aesthetics. However, the Barbie film transcends these parameters, ingeniously morphing into a grand advertisement for CHANEL. The viewers are artfully guided through Barbie’s extensive CHANEL wardrobe, the bags acting as a glittering, captivating protagonist of their own.
The CHANEL brand subtly and yet overtly infiltrates Barbie’s world, constructing a narrative where the luxury label is integral to Barbie’s identity.
But let’s take a moment to untangle the layers. Margot Robbie, an accomplished actress, and a well-known CHANEL ambassador, portrays Barbie, an iconic doll that epitomizes Western consumer culture. It’s an ingenious example of brand partnership. The CHANEL brand subtly and yet overtly infiltrates Barbie’s world, constructing a narrative where the luxury label is integral to Barbie’s identity.
Margot Robbie actress, and a well-known CHANEL ambassador.
We find ourselves under the relentless influence of a luxury label deeply embedded into the childhood icon’s universe, becoming an inherent part of her identity.
CHANEL’s omnipresence in Barbie’s world extends beyond a wardrobe narrative, reaching an astonishing level of product placement. The nostalgic trip through CHANEL’s timeless bags, from the 1990s vintage bags to Karl Lagerfeld’s designs, is mesmerizing yet jarring. We find ourselves under the relentless influence of a luxury label deeply embedded into the childhood icon’s universe, becoming an inherent part of her identity. The film subtly steers viewers towards the idea that Barbie, a doll revered by millions of children, cannot do without her CHANEL bags. Is this what we want to convey to our children and teenagers, the movie’s primary target audience?
While Margot Robbie shines on screen as Barbie, the film blurs the line between cinema and branding, constructing an aspirational world where luxury brands are essential to one’s identity.
The movie is unapologetically a celluloid advertisement for CHANEL’s luxurious line of handbags, intricately woven into the Barbie narrative. While Margot Robbie shines on screen as Barbie, the film blurs the line between cinema and branding, constructing an aspirational world where luxury brands are essential to one’s identity.
View it critically as a glaring example of how the Luxury Industrial Complex can subtly yet dramatically influence our perceptions and aspirations.
Undoubtedly, this strategy reflects a new reality of branding, as more luxury brands use narrative arcs in popular culture to infiltrate our consciousness. But it also serves as a potent reminder that consumers should be aware of this coalescence between entertainment and consumerism. Let’s celebrate the film for its aesthetic brilliance and powerful narrative and view it critically as a glaring example of how the Luxury Industrial Complex can subtly yet dramatically influence our perceptions and aspirations.
You can be sure these timeless luxury icons will never go out of style.
The luxury handbag world is vast, with both new handbag brands and new designs from storied luxury houses popping up season after season. Each year, there are countless silhouettes on the market, and consumers are blessed with more options than ever.
While consumers often pay attention to what’s new and trendy, demand will always remain for the tried and true classics – the ones that have stood the test of time. It’s those classics that have helped to shape fashion history contributing to the luxury accessory world we know (and love) today.
So whether you’re new to the world of designer bags and looking to purchase your first one, or are making it your goal to collect all of the classics, today we thought it would be fun to break day the 5 most luxury classic handbags in all of modern handbag history.
The HERMÈS Birkin
We’re kicking it off with one of the most elusive bags of handbag history, the unmistakeable HERMÈS Birkin.
If you love luxury handbags, you likely know the story of the Birkin’s creation, whether you own one or not. In the early 1980s, HERMÈS CEO Jean-Louis Dumas sat next to Jane Birkin on an airplane. In-flight, the duo discussed what would make a good carry-on bag after Jane Birkin was seen fumbling with hers.
One sketch on an airplane sick bag, and in 1984, the HERMÈS Birkin was born. To this day, it spawns waitlists and sells at a premium on the secondary market. It is still widely considered the world’s ultimate luxury bag.
LOUIS VUITTON Speedy
Like it or not, the LOUIS VUITTON Speedy will forever be classified as one of the most classic bags in handbag history, as well as one of the most recognisable. Dating back to the 1930s, the Speedy was conceptualized as LOUIS VUITTON’s first daily hauler and was largely based on another one of the brand’s classics: The Keepall. First introduced in the 30 size, the Speedy 25 was later added in 1959 at the request of none other than Audrey Hepburn. The actress was then photographed carrying her Speedy time and time again.
The Speedy’s range is vast, offering multiple sizes from ultra-petite to extra-large and a wide array of materials and colors. Of course, the brand’s monogram is ubiquitous and has an important history. The LOUIS VUITTON Monogram was already copyrighted in 1896 when it was invented by Louis Vuitton’s son Georges.
Combining Louis Vuitton’s initials with abstract floral shapes, the creation of LV Monogram was a radical move, as prior to this creation any initials typically seen on a trunk were usually the carrier’s own.
The Lady DIOR
The youngest handbag on our list, few other new handbag designs of the last 30 years have been able to stand the test of time in the way that the Lady DIOR has. However, it was basically destined to become handbag royalty since it was named after British royalty herself, the late Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. Few bags boast the versatility of the Lady DIOR, and its classic shape makes it an ageless icon.
Unmistakably DIOR, the Lady DIOR pays homage to the history of the House. While the bag’s charms are an ode to the lucky charms Christian Dior always kept with him, the staple Cannage motif traces back to the Napoleon III seats the House used to set up for guests at fashion shows. Reinvented season after season and forever a beloved choice for handbag lovers of any age, the Lady DIOR has cemented its place among other revered bags of its caliber.
Known by most as the CHANEL Classic Flap, the bag also goes by the CHANEL 11.12 and is one of the most widely recognizable handbags of all time. The name 11.12 comes from the original style code given by CHANEL to the Medium Classic Flap (A01112), the OG of the Classic Flap family. The original was derived from the CHANEL 2.55 bag and came to be what we know it as today in 1983, when Karl Lagerfeld added the now-signature interwoven CC turn lock to the bag.
Despite hefty price increases, the demand for the CHANEL Classic Flap shows no signs of slowing down. It has remained one of the handbag world’s most sought-after shapes thanks to its status, reinvented repeatedly.
GUCCI Bamboo
While not a specific bag exactly, GUCCI Bamboo deserves a place on this list as few elements of handbag history are as recognizable and inventive as the curved handles of Gucci Bamboo.
The patented method of creation was developed in 1947 by GUCCI craftsmen who realized there was a specific process to heat and bend bamboo in such a way that it would retain its shape once cooled.
The process is detailed and thorough, and you can be sure that each and every Bamboo piece used for a handbag has been hand-chosen by a specially trained artisan who will then mold the bamboo over a fire to bend it into shape. As the bamboo heats up, it softens, making it malleable.
Artisans have meticulously crafted GUCCI’s Bamboo Handles this way for generations. And while GUCCI Bamboo is easily one of the House’s most emblematic symbols, it also happens to be one of the handbag world’s most classic bags, remaining a mainstay for the House since the 1940s. A GUCCI Bamboo bag is one of the most timeless bags a handbag lover can buy.
10 reasons why you should get the new CHANEL 19 flap bag.
If there’s just one bag that you would have to get from CHANEL’s current collection, it should be the high-quality CHANEL 19. Its charm and appeal lie in the fact that the bag embodies the very essence of the French luxury house and all its codes, but with a contemporary twist that makes it a modern-day favorite, one’s that perfect for the woman of today.
01 – The 19 Bag was created by Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard, and besides being in the current F/W19 collection, more variations of it will be launched in the upcoming Cruise 2020 collection as well.
02 – Not only is 19 an important number for Chanel (it’s the birth date of the founder, after all), it marks the year (2019) which the bag was introduced. Another bag that was named after the same year it was launched? The now iconic 2.55 Bag that was launched in February 1955 by Gabrielle Chanel herself.
03 – You will spot all the beloved house codes in one single bag, only this time it has been given the XL treatment. This is evident in the oversized CC clasp, enlarged quilting pattern and long (and so thick) chainlink straps that come in a trio of finishes from aged gold to ruthenium to silver.
04 – Spotted an extra curb chain sitting directly above the top flap? Well, that’s meant for you to carry the 19 Bag like a chic top handle handbag.
05 – You could carry it in one of many ways. From carrying the bag under the arm like an oversized clutch, or by slinging the leather-interlaced metallic chain over the shoulder or across the body.
06 – The bag is rendered in ultra-supple materials like soft goatskin/lambskin or wool tweed, which intentionally gives it a relaxed silhouette that’s quite different from the other bag icons within Chanel.
07 – For now, colours for the new bag include classic Chanel shades of Beige, Black and White, along with seasonal hues of Dark Pink, Deep Red, Green and Turquoise crafted in soft supple leather.
08 – Available in 3 sizes for now, it comes in ‘Regular’, Large and Maxi, along with a belt bag version that’s meant to be worn casually around the waist.
09 – Need the exact measurements? Well, the Chanel 19 Maxi Flap comes in at 36 cm by 24 cm by 11 cm, while the Chanel 19 Large Flap is 30 cm by 20 cm by 10 cm. The ‘baby’ of the family? The Chanel 19 ‘Regular’ Flap measures some 26 cm by 16 cm by 9 cm,
10 – How much? If you buy our authentic quality replicas you save up to 90% off retail.
