Micro purses and massive bags are in an endless tug-of-war trend cycle. Season after season, the bags get big, the bags get small.
But it’s not just about scale for Spring/Summer 2025. Many of the new-season bags are sizeable, yes, but these bags aren’t merely big: They’re thicc.
These bags have some heft but it’s filled out by plush leather and plump textiles that make them so incredibly squishy that the wearer is almost forced to squeeze them into their hands.
Acne Studios’ SS25 presentation, for instance, featured oversized textured clutches with a pillowy build. It also featured some fashionable bag charms because, much like clothes, trends can be layered.
Bottega Venetta, a master of marvelously mushy bags, utilized a bouquet of knit flowers to show off its latest entry into the floppy bag hall of fame.
And Dries Van Noten added animalistic flair to softened top-handle bags while Balmain took malleable purses corporate.
There are almost too many examples to name! Deliciously squooshy bags also surfaced at Ferragamo, Paco Rabanne and Chloé.
The essence of these thique bags lies in their softness, rounded edges, and filled-out shapes.
SS25’s bags are bodaciously stacked with thick yet pliable materials, a stark contrast to previously trendy structured bags in the vein of Miu Miu’s Arcadie Matelassé bag. (She still cute though!)
It’s important to note that that these new bags are not necessarily ludicrously capacious, especially compared to examples like Rihanna’s recent Fur-ay with Saint Laurent’s extra large Niki shoulder bag.
In fact, many of the new handbags are only slightly above average in size. Plenty are quite hefty, to be sure, but it’s less about the size and more about what designers are doing with them.
These bags instead stand out with touchably amorphous builds, especially on urbane runways filled with sharp silhouettes and precise hems.
These plush bags contrast against the rigid luxury of SS25’s runway shows, offering a soft place to land amidst a sea of sartorial chaos.