We all have that one obsession that informs our personal style, and for me, it has always been jeans. Growing up as a fashion lover in rural Canada, with no access to the hottest new brands or covetable designer items, I developed a fascination around working with what I could find locally—denim—and making it feel avant-garde. Super-skinny jeans, ripped jeans that were splattered with paint; I took delight in finding the most off-kilter pairs, often DIY’ing them to make them even more weird. Today, my closet is still overflowing with jeans—from baggy to skinny to flared. They’re my kryptonite! And can you blame me? They’re a classic wardrobe staple for a reason: They go with virtually everything.
As a professional denimhead, I was naturally intrigued by all of the jeans bags on the fall 2024 runways. Clearly, I already love a denim pant, but why have I never considered denim accessories? At Loewe, the slouchy hobo bags came in a clean light-wash jean; At Diesel, the shoulder bags were more frayed and distressed, while Marine Serre showed a monogrammed style with leather straps. Paired against dressier pieces like sleek knits, leather trenches, and floral dresses, the jean bags gave each look a casual-cool nonchalance. I was instantly hooked.
Of course, denim bags are nothing new. They had a major moment back in the 2000s, when brands like Dior released denim Saddle bags. And remember the monogrammed Louis Vuitton jean styles that It girls like Paris Hilton used to carry during the height of the Y2K style era? These were fun, edgy going-out bags, which mirrored the chaos (and slight raunchiness) of the time. The new iterations, however, feel a little more sophisticated, and feature shapes that are just a tad more streamlined.
Still, even as an everyday denim wearer, I needed some help understanding how to style jean bags. Luckily, celebrities have styled them in a variety of ways over the years. On the inspiration board? Rihanna’s Balenciaga bag, worn with a sporty jersey and baggy denim, and Blake Lively’s Chanel bag, paired with a structured blazer and jeans. The takeaway here seems to be that one shouldn’t be afraid to pile on the denim; just like the appeal of a Canadian Tuxedo, pairing your bag to your pants can have a surprisingly polished end result.
Celebrity-approved denim bags
Stylish stars have proven that a jean bag can be added to virtually any outfit. Dua Lipa wore hers with a denim bra top and jeans (monochrome!), while Emma Chamberlain opted for a jean bag with a cropped denim jacket and high-waisted khaki trousers. Truly anything goes, which is why the denim bag is fast becoming my new fall obsession. Sorry, little black bag—I’m giving you a well-earned rest!
Shop an edit of denim handbags, below.
This story was originally published on Vogue.com.
