Selecting the right handbags for personal use or business purposes can sometimes be quite confusing due to the wide variety of handbag types available in the market. So, here's a handy guide to help you distinguish between 30 different handbag styles based on their shape and functionality.
Table of Contents
- #1 Satchel Bag
- #2 Messenger Bag
- #3 Briefcase
- #4 Tote
- #5 Bucket Bag
- #6 Barrel Bag
- #7 Duffel Bag
- #8 Doctor Bag
- #9 Clutch
- #10 Box Bag
- #11 Evening Bag
- #12 Wristlet
- #13 Wallet
- #14 Phone Bag
- #15 Baguette Bag
- #16 Hobo Bag
- #17 Saddle Handbag
- #18 Frame Handbag
- #19 Fanny Pack
- #20 Shell Bag
- #21 Crossbody bags
- #22 Flap Handbag
- #23 Round Handbag
- #24 Vanity Case
- #25 Bowling Bag
- #26 Pouch
- #27 Fold-over bags
- #28 Bindle
- #29 Water Bottle Bag
- #30 Coin Purse
# 1 Satchel Bag
Satchel bags, or Cambridge satchels, are handbags characterized by their horizontally rectangular shape. Their scholarly style makes them perfect for storing books, hence their popularity as school bags. Satchel bags have a flat base that allows them to stand upright, a short top handle, and a crossbody strap. They are often crafted from various types of leather.
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# 2 Messenger Bag
Messenger bags closely resemble satchels in form - a rectangular structure with a long strap, worn over the shoulder or across the body. However, traditionally, messenger bags are made of canvas instead of leather. Today, they're often crafted from more durable and water-resistant fabrics like leather, canvas, or nylon. They make for great business bags due to their less formal and more casual style.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Louis Vuitton Messenger Bag
- Gucci Messenger Bag
Waterproof Comfortable Casual Special Satchel Canvas messenger bag Vintage Messenger Bag
# 3 Briefcase
Briefcases are identifiable by their narrow shapes and hard sides. They usually have a handle and are commonly used by business people or lawyers to carry office supplies like laptops, documents, and so on. Sometimes, they can be designed as a handle-less case that can be carried in the hand or under the arm. They are made from a variety of materials including leather, canvas, and oxford.
Men's Famous Brand Genuine Leather Black BRIEFCASE with adjustbale strap
# 4 Tote
Totes have two handles and a wide-open top, making it easy to carry on the shoulder and find your belongings. They are usually made of soft leather fabrics like PU leather, but can also be made from other fabrics like canvas. Their large capacity and simple design make them widely popular, especially among people from the USA and Europe.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Louis Vuitton Neverfull Tote
- Dior’s Book Tote
Casual Women Canvas Tote Bag Large Capacity Embroidery Mom Travelling handbag
# 5 Bucket Bag
Bucket bags resemble small buckets. They usually have a hard bottom, a drawstring opening, and a snap button inside. Their roomy structure and practicality make them a favorite among many. They usually have a long crossbody strap or a short handle, allowing you to wear them both crossbody or over the shoulder.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Chanel Bucket Bag
- Louis Vuitton Bucket Bag
Fashion lola small Size quilted style lamb Pirona bucket bag handbags shoulder bags for women lady
# 6 Barrel Bag
Barrel bags are handbags shaped like a barrel, with pull strings at the top and a handle or a long strap. The main difference between barrel bags and bucket bags is that barrel bags always have two circular sides. They can be found in two types - the horizontal barrel and the small vertical barrel. They can be made in different sizes and from various materials, including leather and fabrics.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Gucci Barrel Bag
- Louis Vuitton Barrel Bag
Barrel Women's Duffel/Gym/Weekender Bag
# 7 Duffel Bag
Duffel bags have their roots in the military and are often used as travel bags or gym bags now because of their spacious interior. They are similar to barrel bags in structure but differ in that they don’t have circular sides and have a hard and flat bottom instead. They are always large bags made of cloth fabrics such as canvas, nylon, etc.
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# 8 Doctor Bag
Doctor bags were originally the handbags that doctors used to carry their medical supplies. Now, they can also be used for everyday purposes. They are characterized by their durable leather fabrics, simple design, and vintage style. They can also be designed in various sizes.
Fashion Classic Genuine Leather Doctor Bags Brand Design Luxury Cowhide Single Shoulder Handbag For Women Tote Bag
# 9 Clutch
Clutch bags are a type of small and flat handbag that lack handles or straps, meaning you can only hold them in the hand or carry them under your arm. They can be made in various shapes, such as rectangular, oval, or circular, and come in different sizes and materials. They can also be small enough to hold in a hand.
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# 10 Box Bag
Box bags, like satchels, are handbags with a horizontally rectangular shape. They are often used as school bags due to their academic style and ample storage for books. They have a flat bottom that allows them to stand upright, a short top handle, and a crossbody strap. They are usually made of leather.
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# 11 Evening Bag
Evening bags are compact and small handbags carried by women on formal occasions. They are usually beaded or ornamented with diamonds to complement dresses. They are usually designed to be handheld or be carried on the shoulder with a chain. Their compact structure makes them perfect for storing small items like cosmetics, keys, etc.
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# 12 Wristlet
A wristlet is a type of bag that has a long handle designed to be worn around your wrist. They have similar features to clutches, but they can not only be held in the hand but also hang from the wrist.
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# 13 Wallet
Wallets, like satchels, are handbags with a horizontally rectangular shape. They are often used as school bags due to their academic style and ample storage for books. They have a flat bottom that allows them to stand upright, a short top handle, and a crossbody strap. They are usually made of leather.
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# 14 Phone Bag
Phone pouches are small rectangular bags with specific compartments for storing mobile phones. Usually, they come equipped with a long strap to wear across the body or hang on the neck. The main materials for phone pouches are commonly leather or other waterproof fabrics. Some of the phone pouches can be designed transparent and touch-friendly, which can be used in water.
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# 15 Baguette Bag
A baguette bag is a kind of small and slender bag with a short shoulder strap to wear right beneath the underarm. They were named baguette bags because of the same way that the French usually carry the long and thin bread.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Fendi Baguette
- Prada Sidonie
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# 16 Hobo Bag
The strap and the top body of hobo handbags can almost form a circle. There are many different sizes of bags, but one thing in common is that they are characterized by a crescent shape and a slouchy posture.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Louis Vuitton Hobo Bag
- Gucci Hobo Bag
Wholesale Fashion Hobo bags Handbag for lady
# 17 Saddle Handbag
The saddle handbag resembles the kit bag used by the horse rider. It features a curved bottom edge with a flap. Saddle handbags are always designed with a buckle latch. But now, people also use a snap fastener to replace buckles for convenience or use a fake buckle as decoration.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Chloe Darryl Saddle Bag
- Dior Saddle Bag
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# 18 Frame Handbag
Frame handbags are designed with a metal or wooden frame on the top closure. They are typically rectangle or trapezoid in shape and come with a kissing lock. They always look vintage and unique. They are usually made of leather, cotton, and canvas.
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# 19 Fanny Pack
Fanny packs are fashion accessories that can be worn by both men and women. There are two typical styles of the fanny pack: belt bags and waist packs. You can either wear them like a crossbody bag or also snap them around your waist. They are used in different ways because of their convenience.
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# 20 Shell Bag
Shell bags have a structure similar to that of a shell, with curves at the top. They are usually made of hard leather so that the shape of the bags will not change basically, even if there is something inside. They are generally designed with a short top handle. Their simple design makes them practical for various occasions.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Michael Kors Shell Bag
- Coach Splicing Shell Bag
Hot selling travel waterproof portable storage shell cosmetic bag
# 21 Crossbody Bags
Crossbody bags are designed with long straps that can be worn over one shoulder or across your body diagonally. The bag styles can fall at the hip with long straps or fall at the waist with short straps. The materials of the long straps include leather straps, canvas straps, or metal chains.
Women's Cylindrical-shaped Crossbody Bag
# 22 Flap Handbag
Flap handbags feature a flap in the front to cover the zip closure. The flap often has a snap button closure on its underside. Flap bags are often designed in various structures, such as sling bags, clutches, or crossbody.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Hermes Flap Bag
- Chanel Classic Flap Bag
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# 23 Round Handbag
Round handbags, also known as circle bags, are handbags shaped like a circle. They are usually designed to be worn across the body or held in the hand. The most commonly seen materials for round handbags are leather and rattan, which are good for maintaining their structure.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Gucci Mini Round Bag
- Louis Vuitton Round Bag
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# 24 Vanity Case
Vanity cases are small solid bags, usually with a top handle or a long strap. They have small compartments inside to separate different items like makeup. They are often hard-cased and leather-bound. Sometimes, these types of bags also have mirrors installed on the inside of the lid, which can be used for doing makeup.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Chanel Vanity Case
- Dior Micro Vanity Case
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# 25 Bowling Bag
Bowling bags are medium-sized bags with a distinct shape of a dome and short handles on the top. The name is inspired by the bowling ball bags
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Saint Laurent Bowling Bag
- Prada Bowling Bag
Fashion Women PU Leather Bowling Handbag Crossbody Bag
# 26 Pouch
Pouches are small drawstring bags meant to carry small and light stuff. They are usually made of canvas or nylon. Now, you can also find some other pouches with a zippered opening.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Chanel Drawstring Pouch
- Fendi Mon Tresor
Promotion PU small pouch with carabiner and shoulder strap, passed SMETA, WCA, BSCI audit
# 27 Fold-over bags
Fold-over bags have the top of the bag folds over onto itself like a flap. The advantage of this kind of bag is that they can be expanded at will, or you can fold the bag to let them smaller if there are not so many belongings.
Iconic Designer Brands:
- Chanel Timeless Foldover Bag
- Yves Saint Laurent Letter Foldover
Wholesale high quality fashion chain webbing retro fold handbags for lady
# 28 Bindle
Bindles were inspired by the packages that the poor hobos carry. They are fabric bags that can be tied around the end of the bag to make them available to carry over the shoulder.
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# 29 Water Bottle Bag
Water bottle bags have the same structure as water bottles. They are usually designed with the main compartment for putting the water bottle. They may have long straps that can be worn across the body or hung on the neck.
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# 30 Coin Purse
Coin purses are specific in storing coins or other small valuable items, as they usually have only one compartment. They are always small and cute enough to be put in another bag, or you can also hold them in your hand.
