10 Best New Chanel Purses
Stephanie Patterson
Table of Contents
When you think of luxury designer brands, which of them comes to mind first? Surely Chanel, a heritage fashion house that has upheld the industry standards we know of today. Not to mention, its reputation as the maker of the most immutable handbag there is. Excitingly, some of the best new Chanel purses are now available ahead of next season, and we’re here to help you find your match.
This fall’s clutches and crossbodies are featured in the Métiers d’Art 2020/2021 campaign. Métiers d’Art is French for “Master of Art”, which indicates the brand’s annual collection that honours the small workshops Chanel began buying in 1984. This tradition has helped the company preserve the expertise and craftsmanship associated with French luxury on its journey to success.
Featuring intricate geometric motifs inspired by the site of the pre-fall 2021 collection, the Château de Chenonceau, the best new Chanel purses are decorated with oversized pearls, studs, and rhinestone patterns that ooze a mix of Parisian style and Old Hollywood glamour. Ready to shop? We give you all the details to consider before buying below.
How to Choose The Best New Chanel Purses
If you’re at all familiar with the brand, then you probably know that there’s no such thing as simply going out and buying a Chanel bag on a whim. Oftentimes, people are making a big decision when buying a new Chanel purse because they’re quite the investment.
The lowest priced bag from the pre-fall collection comes in at $3,300, and it’s also the smallest of the bunch. When you’re spending that much money, there’s a number of factors to consider, like how often you’re going to be wearing the bag and how durable the material is. You should also be asking yourself about the following:
Size
One of Chanel’s most popular styles is the Mini Flap Bag, which offers just enough room to fit your phone, wallet, keys, and maybe a tube of your favourite red lipstick. But how small is too small for you?
On average, the new Chanel purses range from a mini basketball-sized bucket bag to a medium-sized canvas tote bag. If you’re not willing to spend on a purse that will only be able to hold your phone or cut down on the number of items that you carry around, you might have to reconsider the style you choose.
Material
The bags in Chanel’s pre-fall collection are made from a diverse range of materials, including velvet, lambskin, tweed, and gold metal. The hardware and the fabric help determine the cost of the purse overall, as well as its durability.
If you’re constantly on the go and are afraid of snagging your purse on something, protruding studs and ropey velvet designs are things that you should stay away from. You also want your new Chanel purse to age well, so consider materials that won’t deteriorate or discolour overtime. Lambskin is a great option.
Resale Value
The value of Chanel bags continues to increase or in some cases, remain at purchase price. If you treat your purse well, you may be able to resell it or trade it in for something new (which can be great if you’re strapped for cash!).
When you’re investing in something as expensive as a Chanel bag, it’s important to question whether or not the style you like will retain its value. You may not know if you’ll want to put it on the market in the future, but at least you won’t have to worry about losing money on your purchase.
Timelessness
Which brings us to our final point: consider the timelessness of your bag. Although Chanel tends to design classically, there are colours, materials, and patterns that may not be as trendy in a couple of months or even weeks.
As we mentioned before, the more basic the style is, the more it’s likely to retain value over the years. Think about choosing a purse that’s a practical size, with neutral coloured leather, and gold or silver hardware.
The 10 Best New Chanel Purses to Shop for Fall
Now that you’ve mulled over all of the things to consider when purchasing a new Chanel purse, it’s time to find your perfect match. When you’re headed out for a day full of errands, a brisk walk with the dog, or a dinner date with someone special, there’s a clutch or crossbody to help you keep your hands free.
Better yet, there’s a bag that will help you accessorize your outfit, no matter the destination or event that you’re headed to. Why wear a string of pearls around your wrist when you can wear them over your shoulder? You won’t be asking yourself that question after peeking at our list of the best new Chanel purses below.
#1 – Chanel Shearling Lambskin Flap Bag
Chanel is no stranger to using shearling in its designs, particularly its purses. Layed overtop of smooth lambskin, this bag is so snuggly that you’ll never want to leave the house without it by your side.
Complete with the brand’s classic chain link shoulder strap, this new Chanel purse offers a unique twist on the textured cowhide trend. It’s also the perfect over the shoulder size.
Ringing in at $5,000, this furry flap bag is a pretty expensive place to store your wallet and your car keys, but it can transition from season to season and double as a crossbody bag too. How could you not love a multi-use carry all?
#2 – Chanel Velvet Mini Flap Bag
When the weekend comes around and all you want to carry on your shoulder is a small LBP (Little Black Purse), this chic new shoulder bag comes in handy. Similar to other Chanel crossbody purses, it comes with a gold chain link strap that adds a little bit of bling to any outfit.
Although this bag is a designated “mini”, it can fit all the necessities: phone, lipstick, keys, wallet… and anything else you might need. The sturdy leather/velvet construction comes with a jewel encrusted snap closure for easy access too.
Decked out with a silky red interior, this is the kind of bag you’ll want to take with you to the office in the morning and to the lounge at night. At $4,700, it’s an investment piece, but it’s well worth the spend for the amount of wear you’ll get out of it.
#3 – Chanel Mini 2.55 Handbag
Luxe black velvet, glass and crystal pearls… This new Chanel purse shines as bright as a starry night sky. It also spells g-l-a-m-o-u-r with a capital ‘G’, and it’s fit for any major event that life brings.
Adorned with a rope-like shoulder strap made out of gold, this mini handbag falls at the perfect length, around the torso. The vintage twist lock adds some extra charm and keeps all your belongings safe inside.
Though the $10,000 price tag may come as a shock to many, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that this new addition to Chanel’s Spring/Summer collection is made with only the finest materials. Call it a “keepsake”, if you will.
#4 – Chanel Classic Handbag
Chanel is extremely well known for its line of quilted tweed bags, which have been seen on virtually every celebrity and model. To say that this cult classic is a status symbol is an understatement; it’s the standard in luxury fashion.
At close to the same size as the Shearling Lambskin Flap Bag, this rhinestone encrusted version is ideal for slinging over the shoulder. Keeping with the traditional design of the Classic Handbag, it’s adorned with a vintage twist lock that’s secured by a silver metal Chanel logo.
The $9,100 “bourse” is totally suitable for the daytime, though its glimmering strands of multi-coloured sparkles make it a standout at nightime. Take it out for a spin as your new evening bag or pair it with your favourite jeans for an ultra-chic streetwear look.
#5 – Chanel Shopping Bag
Chanel has always been an innovator in the fashion industry, and the heritage house shows no sign of slowing down in that regard. Just take a look at the brand’s reiteration of the “shopping bag”, with a classic Mini Flap Bag fastened to the outside.
Let’s face it: This is probably the fanciest shopping bag to ever exist, but that wouldn’t deter us from taking it to our local Whole Foods for a spin. Thankfully, Chanel thought to make this bag big enough to fit a full bottle of wine inside (not that you’d actually want to try that, but still).
Sutured together by braided velvet, premium lambskin, and a tough gold chain, the Shopping Bag seems like a must-have for everyday wear. It comes in black and burgundy for versatility between seasons, and it weighs in at $7,900, respectively.
#6 – Chanel Clutch with Imitation Pearls
Pearls could not be more in for summer, and this lambskin clutch is anchored by a whole ring of them. If you’re a fan of the quilted pattern on the brand’s Classic Handbag, this style will allow you to add some seasonal flair to your outfit rotation.
The clutch can be carried by its pearl and gold handle, and it’s just big enough to fit the necessities like your phone, lip gloss, card holder, and so on. For $4,100, it offers an effortlessly stylish solution to accessory indecision.
#7 – Chanel Mini Flap Bag with Top Handle
No matter how new a Chanel bag is, it possesses an inherently vintage look. That’s because the brand has been crafting new variations of its most beloved styles for over a century, just like this crumpled version of the Flap Bag.
Made from buttery soft lambskin, it features a convenient top handle and shoulder strap so that you can carry it in a number of ways. Think: Over the shoulder, gripped by the handle, across the body… You name it.
Even better, it comes in a stark white colour and true black, which means you can wear this new Chanel purse through the spring, summer, fall, and winter for $4,600. It’s versatile, timeless, and we’re going to bet that you’ll never get tired of looking at it.
#8 – Chanel Small Hobo Bag
We’re calling it: the Small Hobo Bag is about to be a big hit. Why? Well, it comes in four functional colours – white, black, beige, and the ever-trendy baby pink – and the whole shoulder strap is strung together by pearls.
Plus, Chanel achieved something big by pulling all of this bag’s elements together: it made something that’s unbelievably cute, as classy as ever. And yes, the quilted calfskin leather has everything to do with it.
Listed at $4,300, the “small” Hobo Bag offers enough room for you to keep all of your essentials in one place, as well as a small back pocket for easy access to credit cards or your phone.
#9 – Chanel Mini Drawstring Bag
You can think of the Mini Drawstring Bag as a little sister to the Small Hobo Bag, pictured above. It has similar features to the Hobo Bag, (pearl shoulder strap, quilted calfskin leather and gold Chanel logo), but it’s much smaller in size.
Most notably, the Mini Drawstring Bag is different in shape. This style resembles that of a small bucket bag and comes in three different colours: white, black, and baby pink. It also has a large Chanel logo stitched on the base and rings in at $3,300.
#10 – Chanel Evening Bag
If you’re looking for a Chanel bag that will last you a lifetime, look no further. This exquisite gold metal Evening Bag has an eccentric, Old World charm that is hard to ignore, especially on your shoulder.
The metal body can be thought of as a cage for the black lambskin carrying case that nestles inside. It has just enough room to fit everything you’d normally take with you on a night out, including your favourite pack of mints.
There’s currently no price available for this new Chanel purse, but as you can imagine, it’s probably worth its weight in gold.
How can you style a Chanel purse?
Fortunately, Chanel’s “dressier” styles (like the Shearling Lambskin Flap Bag and the Shopping Bag) can be dressed up or down for any occasion. Celebrities like Kiera Knightly and Alexa Chung have shown us time and time again that the brand’s Mini Flap Bag can be paired with jeans or even a flannel shirt.
No matter the ensemble, a Chanel bag’s signature logo and quality materials make it look put together. On days where you want to get a little fancy, try carrying your favourite style as a clutch.
Where can you buy new Chanel purses?
If you’re not purchasing your purse directly from Chanel’s website or a Chanel boutique, you can search luxury e-tailers like Shopbop for newer styles. For pre-owned bags, you can check out Farfetch and The RealReal.
For the newest styles though, you’ll want to shop Chanel’s website or boutiques. Since Chanel’s latest releases are exclusive to the brand’s retail platforms, shopping from them directly will help you to avoid buying counterfeit items.
Which new Chanel purse is the best for everyday wear?
The short answer: It all depends on your personal style. If diamonds and pearls are not something you wear everyday, then it’s probably better to stick with a neutral-coloured style that has versatile hardware (in silver, black or gold).
At the end of the day, this question really translates to: Which Chanel purse is the most valuable? And the best answer we have to that is: whichever bag you consider the most timeless. If you can’t see it ever going out of style and you can wear it with anything in your closet, then it’s a safe bet. Happy shopping!
In need of more inspiration or even a few accessories to go with your purse? Look no further, fashionista:
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