5 Summer Bag Trends I'm Buying Into Because of the Cool Girls I See in My Brooklyn Neighborhood

My Brooklyn neighborhood's theme song is Erykah Badu’s “Bag Lady.” The cool girls I see grabbing milky matcha lattes while they work at cafés or walking down my block are always wearing a summer bag trend that grabs my attention.

Before I moved to New York, the majority of influencers I followed lived in Brooklyn, and I would save their posts for outfit details. Now, I can just ask Brooklyn girls IRL. When it comes to a summer carry, these girls regularly swoon over their bags, sharing all kinds of facts about how long they had saved up for them, if they’d gotten a good deal, how the bag wore, and whether it was truly worth it.

This summer, I’m letting the Brooklyn girls define what the It bags of the season are. Every time I step out of my apartment building, I’m met with the same few bag trends over and over again. So I thought I’d share with you which ones I’ve seen the most on my daily commutes and hot girl walks around my block. Ahead, dive into my Brooklyn neighborhood’s top five summer bag trends to try before the end of the season. (And don't worry—many of these will still be It bags in the fall.)

Slouchy Leather Bags

The slouchy leather bag trend was everywhere last summer, and I’m happy to share that it survived the incredibly fast trend cycle. Cool Brooklyn girls wear these with just about every look imaginable. I’ve seen slouchy bags worn with everything from a dress and pointed-toe pumps to long denim shorts and cropped tank tops. While these bags are laid-back, they still add an elegant and fresh touch to an outfit. They're versatile enough to wear on a night out after work and relaxed enough for a day of running errands.

Roomy Baguette Bags

The Brooklyn girls love a '90/early aughts moment. The baguette was such a popular silhouette back then that it even got a callout in a Sex and the City episode, when Carrie Bradshaw was robbed of her Fendi. The iconic line, “It’s a baguette!” still has relevant meme value. Fendi relaunched the baguette in 2019, and other brands have since followed suit with their takes on the trendy silhouette. Well, about six years later, the baguette still holds its rightful place as an It bag shape to the cool Brooklynites. Recently, I've been seeing people wear them for nights out with kitten-heel sandals and capri leggings.

A Classic Tote

The trend cycle can't touch the classic tote bag. The shape holds relevance for any and every type of dresser. This might be specific to the neighborhood, but non-canvas tote bags have been all the rage on my block. I’ve seen girls from different generations (early 20s, older, and younger Gen Z included) carrying sleek leather totes while running errands that require a big bag. This tactic of wearing an expensive-looking tote bag for adulting activities like grocery shopping and picking up pieces from the tailor is by far my favorite for looking chic while on the go.

Novelty Bags

Fashionable people in Brooklyn can also be quite funny. Sometimes, I’ll see an outfit that you'd categorize as quiet luxury, but then the bag is something whimsical like the below. Novelty bags made waves on the S/S 25 runways of Moschino, Bottega Veneta, and Valentino, where each fashion house sent models down the runway holding bags in unlikely and outlandish silhouettes. Stylish Brooklynites have caught on, and now, I’m seeing novelty bags styled with chic everyday looks.

Cargo Bags

I love a cargo bag. It’s the physical manifestation of cool and functional. They made appearances on many F/W 25 runways, including Tory Burch and Coach, and Chanel’s S/S 25 runway introduced the wildly popular Chanel 25 bag to the world. This is the bag that takes the cake for the most frequently spotted in my neighborhood. You don’t have to bring a wallet with you for every outing—it’s a wallet and bag in one. What I enjoy about seeing it so often are the different ways it’s styled by the cool residents of Brooklyn, from basic outfits to elaborate, dressy ensembles. It's as versatile as it is convenient.