“Granny’s attic bag” is a sweeping, generalised term for the characterful pouches on the fashion circuit right now, but all things considered, it’s quite fitting. Silk, satin and velvet purses and clutches, embellished with beads, tassels, fringing, feathers, a cross-stitched pattern (or nothing at all) – with a wristlet loop or a teeny-tiny handle – fall into this category. Those that echo traits of a reticule, a precursor to modern purses popularised in the late 18th and early 19th century, are the most on the nose.

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The mood? Antique and old, but (crucially) old-fashioned. These are bags that look as if they’ve been plucked from a bygone era, found nestled in the corner of a vintage store. Some may source theirs from a Portobello stall or a tiny shop in Belgium, but there are a wealth of new options designed with the same spirit.

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“Personal, playful and driven by self-expression, The Veil’s bags embrace and celebrate duality: modernity and nostalgia, timelessness and individuality, day and night,” reads the manifesto of The Veil, a brand co-founded by Adwoa Aboah and Georgie Wright, that specialises in vintage-looking companions festooned with beads and paillettes.

Prada’s Wish pouch, available in silk duchesse, Nappa leather, calf hair and Re-Nylon, embodies this “granny’s attic” mood in a minimalist way. Recently crowned the top product of Lyst’s “hottest product” Index, the Wish has the feeling of a vintage bag but is a distinctly contemporary accessory proposition, with a practical drawstring closure and interior pocket.

While the triangular logo stamps on Prada’s bags bestow them the same cultural currency and kudos as its “It” styles, other brands have leant into the “IYKYK” qualities that antique items possess, especially if they bear the label of an “unknown” brand – or no tag at all. “In a world in which everyone knows everything, there is something thrilling about an object that refuses easy identification,” contributing editor, Osman Ahmed, recently noted in an article on historic-leaning, anti-algorithmic dressing.

The influx of personality bags follows a broader movement (observed by Ahmed) that has seen belle epoch and Art Deco tropes penetrate the mainstream. This enthusiasm for antiquity – whether legitimate or cosplaying – has enrobed It-girls in opera coats rather than “quiet luxury” trenches and shifted silhouettes from ’90s high-risers to ’20s dropped-waists. Black envelope clutches have long dominated retailers’ evening bag offerings, but this season instead of a go-with-everything-bag, it’s about adding opulence with silk pouches and beaded Art Deco wristlets.

Shop the attic bag trend

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