This Once-Dated Handbag Style Is En Route to a Comeback

There’s nothing we love more in fashion than an unexpected comeback, which is why the recent influx of clutch-purse sightings has us so excited. Ever since Bottega Veneta’s creative director, Daniel Lee,

released his now-ubiquitous Pouch bag in the S/S 19 collection, brands have slowly begun testing out the handbag style that went out of vogue years ago. (Remember wristlets?) Now, similarly pillow-like clutches are everywhere, as are other clutch styles like mini drawstring sacks, lunch-bag look-alikes, and even standard-issue black envelope shapes. However odd it is to think that the purses we so often brought with us to middle school dances are cool again, it’s true: The clutch bag is back. 

We can’t give all the credit to Lee. Other beloved handbag designers such as Mansur Gavriel, Loewe, and Staud have also played a role in the return of the clutch purse, as have Cult Gaia, Simon Miller, and Little Liffner. Essentially, every brand that’s regularly spotted on Instagram has tossed its clutches into the ring, making it next to impossible for us to avoid getting a style of our own any longer. If you’re ready to welcome clutches back into your regular rotation, keep scrolling. 

Ahead, we rounded up the best designer clutch bags on the market right now, all of which feel surprisingly at home in 2021.