The Accessory Micro-Trend Making a Big Comeback in Copenhagen, Paris, and NYC

It’s time to stop ignoring the signs. Bag charms are back, baby! Like it or not, we’ve seen this micro-trend stage a huge comeback on the runway, on the streets, and even online. While it might be easy to pass off bag charms as a silly way younger people can tap into nostalgia surrounding early ’00s fashion, there’s actually more to the story. You have to keep in mind that all trends exist in the context of everything that came before them, including bag charms. From a historical standpoint, purses have always acted as a visible indicator of social standing, social values, and personal style—that’s also true with bag charms.

Although small, bag charms have served as an indicator of society’s shifting relationship with luxury. There’s no better example of that than this current moment, which shows us that the return of this trend is a microcosm of what’s happening in culture. With the rise of the quiet luxury movement, we’ve seen a mass movement toward minimalism, which has been incredible to witness because we all should be investing in staples for the long term. In the silence, however, we’ve also come to feel that our focus on the basics has left our style feeling, well, basic. Luckily, the bag-charm trend is ready to fill that void. If you’re not sold on why you should be covering the surface of your purse with charms, keep reading.

From the Archives

Bag charms didn’t drop straight out of the coconut tree; they’ve existed for centuries. Historians have widely observed that in many ancient civilizations, it was common for people to attach trinkets and talismans to their bags. For many, bag charms were a way to signify their social class or even a means of spiritual protection. It wasn’t until the start of the 21st century that we began to see this trend change from its original cultural context. Bag charms shifted from being a footnote in the historical margins to being a significant part of the culture—primarily driven by runway collections and style icons.

More specifically, bag charms would not be nearly as popular as they are today without Jane Birkin. The late actress didn’t just inspire the Hermés Birkin bag; she turned accessorizing into a movement. Her signature way of styling her Hermés bag—often overstuffed and covered in silk scarfs, jewelry, stickers, and charms—became so infamous that it shifted society’s view of luxury then. Fashion became less about buying the buzziest bag of the season and more about personal style—which was most apparent, surprisingly, on the runways themselves.

On the Runway

The bag charm trend is shown in a collage showing runway images from Miu Miu, Burberry, Loewe, Coach, and Balenciaga

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight; PICTURED: Miu Miu S/S 24; Loewe S/S 23; Coach F/W 24; Balenciaga S/S 24; Burberry F/W 24)

One of the first brands to jump on the bag charm bandwagon was Hermés. The atelier released the equestrian-inspired Rodéo charm collection in 2005, which became widely popular overnight. Subsequently, other fashion houses followed suit, including Fendi, which released their furry “monsters” in their F/W 13 collection. Love them or hate them, there was a time when furry bag charms were inescapable—they were spotted on every star in the mid-teens, including Kendall Jenner, Olivia Palermo, and Jennifer Lopez. While we might be finally past that “awkward” stage in the trend, bag charms themselves aren’t done growing. In the last few years, we’ve seen bag charms slowly evolve into something that feels brand-new.

While most might attribute this micro-accessories massive growth to Miu Miu’s S/S 24 collection—their runway collection was brimming with overstuffed bags covered in charms—I’d argue that the seed was planted much sooner. Even before the release of this year’s collections, there were other designers embracing bag charms, most notably Loewe. In their S/S 23 collection, the iconic slouchy ‘Paseo’ bag was adorned with a life-like anthurium charm, foreshadowing this trend’s inevitable growth. Loewe inadvertently tapped into what defined this trend from the beginning: letting our lives inspire our luxury goods (rather than the other way around).

On the Streets

The bag charm trend is shown in a collage of street-style images with women carrying handbags covered in keychains and charms

That ethos has been embodied in even more recent examples of the trend, including in Coach’s F/W 24 collection. The show featured oversized leather carryalls and quilted shoulder bags adorned with coffee mugs and pretzel-shaped charms, all inspired by New York City. By drawing inspiration from the world around them to create their bag charms, designers have captured the attention of a global audience. Already, we’ve seen the style set in the real world (and digital one) rush to personalize their purses, as Pinterest has reported a 4900% jump in searches surrounding bag charms. While on TikTok, users have begun to refer to the trend as “Jane Birkin-ifying” their bags. And that’s all online; that’s not taking into account how we’ve already seen so many street-style images from Copenhagen, Paris, Milan, London, and New York featuring bag charms.