The Handbag Everyone Was Obsessed With the Year You Were Born (2024)

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (i.e. Liz and Dick) were spotted leaving their hotel in Paris, but her quilted bag really stole the show. The pattern was widely popular and seen on practically every purse.

More bohemian and casual styles gained traction in the '70s, like shoulder bags with wider, longer straps. They were also larger and usually featured buckles, like this one on Candice Bergen.

Princess Margaret—and every other member of the royal family, TBH—always brought a purse with her whenever she went out, and this patent-leather number was no exception. The material was a prominent part of British fashion trends in the '60s and became even more popular in the following decade.

Rectangular briefcases weren't just for work; it became the accessory women brought with them everywhere, and it was more practical than a tiny handbag for stashing all your stuff.

A year later, larger bags were still in style, this time in the form of weekenders. They were the ultimate accessory if you wanted to be stylish while traveling—after all, who doesn't want to look like a jet-setter?

Exactly like the name implies, these purses resembled clams but came in suede, reptilian patterns, and any other material you could think of.

Queen Elizabeth really made the case for bright white purses in '75—she was often spotted with this bag and similar ones when traveling and attending official events. Here, she brought the accessory with her on a visit to Mexico.

Beige and neutral bags hit the scene next, and keeping it in the royal sphere, Queen Fabiola of Belgium toted this one with her while on official duty with King Baudouin. She even matched it to her leather gloves.

She was beauty, she was Grace...and she had her own Hermès bag named for her. The Kelly bag is still around today and remains one of the brand's most popular silhouettes.

For a more casual bag, straw was a go-to material. The textured purses made a huge comeback during the summer of 2018, but they also were the *thing* in '78. This woman looked beachside chic as she paired her tote with equally cute espadrilles.

Woven leather purses followed suit after straw bags, as seen here on Valerie Velardi, Robin Williams' then-wife.

By the time the '80s rolled around, it was all about loud and flashy fashion. For handbags, that manifested itself in the form of metallics, as seen on this gold crossbody on a club-goer at New York City's infamous hotspot Studio 54.

Gucci named this shoulder bag for the iconic former First Lady Jackie Onassis, and it was just as effortless and as sophisticated as she was.

Bamboo top handles were super durable, and the vintage-looking accessory has made quite the comeback in recent years thanks to Gucci, as seen on the runway in this image.

Ever heard of a little TV show called Cheers? Diane Chambers, played by Shelley Long, had the best style (she really loved a good blazer) and was often seen carrying an envelope clutch.

A Louis Vuitton bag is often the go-to airport carry-on for celebrities, but it was particularly chic when Audrey Hepburn did it in '84.

No matter the shape or silhouette, 1985 was the year of the LBB, or the little black bag. Here, Sigourney Weaver paired hers with an LBD and matching gloves at the Tony Awards.

In 1981, Dooney & Bourke branched out of making belts and suspenders and moved onto handbags, and just a couple years later everyone was wearing the brand's leather purses, like this beige and tan cross-body.

Prada's classic black backpack (pictured here in a pink mini version) was so utilitarian with its buckles and waterproof material that it became an accessory staple for years.

Chainmail became the trendy thing to wear in '88, and the slinky, heavy material found its way onto bags, like this little drawstring pouch. It wasn't as flashy as rhinestones in the '80s but was eye-catching nonetheless.