AS with most fashion items, a handbag can suggest quite a bit about the person who’s carrying it. For instance, ones with labels that read Chanel or Hermes might suggest status (if you subscribe to that idea) or that the person wearing it values an iconic brand. But the most current bag trends aren’t speaking exclusively to price or luxury. Instead their shape, use of materials and size speak more to what women prioritize and which fashion rules no longer apply.

With high-fashion brands leading the charge in their runway collections, the fall 2019 handbag themes run the gamut. There are beaded confections perfect for someone who’s a maximalist dresser but minimalist in terms of what she walks around with each day. Prim top handles and sleek rectangular shapes suggest an appreciation for vintage over newfangled. Meanwhile, pail-shaped carryalls contrast soft, sacklike market bags. Both offer solutions for those who need a bit more storage. The following are the five styles you’ll soon spot everywhere.

Nothing but net

Fashion is forever inspired by the allure of effortless French style. And one of the most popular bags for fall embodies that casual and elegant aesthetic in several different ways with the net bag, which draws from the look of the totes you might see at a French market. The look was a favorite among designers at Vetements, Prada, and Rejina Pyo on the runway — and today it can be found in simple crocheted cotton totes priced well under your average It bag. More-dramatic takes on the trend include fringe, bold structures, and handles that resemble bangle bracelets.

Baguette

The rectangle seems like a pretty tame shape in comparison with all the wildly diverse handbag silhouettes seen in the last few seasons, but considering its nostalgic appeal, it’s sure to be everywhere this fall. You can blame it on the return of the Fendi baguette, every photo of Kendall Jenner or Bella Hadid sporting vintage ‘90s Louis Vuitton, or street style’s more recent obsession with Prada’s Sidonie bag. Thankfully, the look has also infiltrated contemporary and fast-fashion markets, in pared-back as well as playfully detailed versions.

Beaded confection

Thanks to brands like Shrimps, Loeffler Randall, and Susan Alexandra, the fashion world has totally changed the way we think about beaded bags. Once reserved for special evenings, these intricately detailed, and often handmade, styles offer something that feels special and glamorous.

Pail

The bucket bag’s popularity remains strong into fall 2019 with the pail silhouette. While it shares the same attractive concept of its predecessor — the bucket is a typically oversized bag with a cavernous interior for containing as much or as little baggage as you prefer to carry around — its structure is more defined. New York-based Staud makes one of the most recognizable pail options, but a range of brands have also interpreted the trend with woven leather, unique lantern shapes, and dramatically tied handles.

Retro structure

The structured top-handle bag trend brings ‘50s and ‘60s style to mind with its boxier shape and dainty grip. But as seen in the collections of Jacquemus, Mansur Gavriel, and Chloe, the vintage silhouette has been reenvisioned for a 2019 audience who eschew occasion and opt for statement silhouettes and details to accent an outfit, not blend into it.(SD-Agencies)