Tassels, Tears, and Timeless Bags: The Grad Gift Guide You Actually Need
Thea Elle
May 1, 2025
Graduation season is upon us, bringing with it an avalanche of sentimental speeches, extended family who can’t spell your major, and the smell of lukewarm catering wafting through airless gymnasiums. But while others are getting misty-eyed over caps and gowns, you have your sights set on something far more useful than a piece of embossed paper. You are ready for a luxury bag that says, “Thanks for the memories, I’ll take it from here.”
You survived endless group projects where only one person actually did the work. You wrote essays at 3:00 AM fueled by iced coffee and existential dread. You paid a fortune for textbooks you never opened. If that does not earn you the right to carry a CHANEL Classic Flap or a LOUIS VUITTON Speedy 25, what exactly was the point of higher education? Your diploma may get you through the door, but your handbag will get you seated at the table, ideally at a rooftop brunch with strong opinions and stronger cocktails.
Now comes the true rite of passage. Your first major post-college purchase. Not a car. Not an air fryer. Not a sensible pair of pumps. A bag. A stunning, iconic, soul-affirming handbag that will outlive your entry-level job, your lease, and probably several of your friendships. It is time to explore three classic luxury bags that define not only style, but also delusional post-grad confidence. Enter CHANEL, LOUIS VUITTON, and HERMÈS.
What to Carry While You Pretend to Be an Adult
The CHANEL Classic Flap Bag is not just a purse. It is an institution. With its signature quilting, structured shape, and instantly recognizable interlocking Cs, this bag does not merely accessorize your outfit. It speaks for you in a French accent and then politely suggests you should be treated better. It has presence. It has poise. It has absolutely no tolerance for polyester or indecisive men.
Whether you are stepping into your first corporate internship or simply heading to brunch to avoid making actual decisions, this bag is your ultimate wingwoman. It fits your phone, your wallet, and your overconfidence in the job market. It will not judge you for having no idea how taxes work. It will sit quietly on your lap while you fake your way through adulthood one mimosa at a time.
What makes the Classic Flap enduring is its refusal to change. Just like the internal panic that arrives at the end of every graduation ceremony, this bag is consistent. It was iconic in the eighties. It was iconic last Tuesday. It will still be iconic when your cousin tries to sell knockoffs on Instagram. This is not just a CHANEL bag. This is a forever bag. A trophy you award yourself for surviving academia without losing your sparkle or your will to accessorize.
The LOUIS VUITTON Speedy 25: For the Graduate Who’s Going Places, Emotionally or Otherwise
Now let us talk about the LOUIS VUITTON Speedy 25, a bag so effortlessly stylish it feels like cheating. Originally created for travel, the Speedy has been reimagined into the ultimate companion for the chaos of real life. Its top-handle structure, compact frame, and that legendary LV monogram make it a bag that works with every outfit and every crisis. It is just structured enough to make you look like you have your life together, even if you still eat cereal out of measuring cups.
The Speedy 25 is perfect for the graduate who wants to appear refined without losing the ability to panic-order Uber Eats at 11 PM. It is roomy enough to carry your essentials, but not so large that it implies you plan ahead. This is a bag for fast exits, fake smiles, and pretending you read the job description before the interview. The monogram canvas is water resistant, which is ideal for both spring showers and unexpected tears when your first paycheck arrives and it is exactly twelve dollars after taxes.
There is something undeniably satisfying about walking into a room with a LOUIS VUITTON in hand. You are no longer a student. You are a woman of mystery and strong Wi-Fi. This bag transforms even the most awkward of post-grad phases into a glamorous storyline. You are not lost. You are simply taking the scenic route, monogrammed and moisturized.
The HERMÈS Garden Party Tote: For When You Want to Look Rich Without Explaining Your Net Worth
The HERMÈS Garden Party Tote is the cool, understated sibling of the Birkin. It does not shout. It barely whispers. But somehow, everyone notices. Its simple, refined silhouette and subtle logo placement suggest you are already successful and do not need to prove anything to anyone. Which is impressive, considering you are currently living with your parents and Googling “how to get hired without knowing Excel.”
This tote is spacious, but never sloppy. It holds your laptop, your planner, your emotional baggage, and still has room for a snack and a questionable life decision. The Garden Party is not here for Instagram clout. It is here for the long game. It is your weekday workhorse and your weekend power move. When someone sees you carrying this bag, they assume you own property or at least know someone who does.
This is the perfect post-grad bag for those who aspire to soft luxury and hard boundaries. It is the fashion equivalent of replying to emails with “per my last message” while sipping green juice and not looking up. In a world obsessed with overbranding, the Garden Party is a lesson in restraint. It does not scream money. It calmly suggests generational wealth.
Bags That Do the Talking So You Don’t Have To
In the awkward in-between space that follows graduation, it is easy to feel like you are constantly auditioning for a life that has not quite started yet. These bags serve as shortcuts. They tell the world that even if you are unsure of your five-year plan, you are absolutely certain about your accessories. They provide a buffer between you and the chaos of your twenties.
The CHANEL says you are ready for a life of strategy, style, and sipping cocktails someone else paid for. The LV Speedy says you are booking meetings, even if it is just with your therapist. The HERMÈS Garden Party says you are already a woman of mystery and good taste. You just also happen to be deeply, cosmically tired.
These bags do not just match your outfit. They match your delusions, your ambitions, and your plans to take over the world one blurry calendar invite at a time.
