This season’s Tokyo bag trends

Here in Tokyo, bags are more like an obsession than an accessory.

Perhaps the handbag obsession stems partly from the style and polish of Japanese packaging. Amazingly, even a humble pastry from the bakery is usually wrapped, sealed and placed in a branded paper bag with ribbon or raffia — so literally everything Tokyo women carry around is chic and beautiful.

If you like bags and enjoy the idea of amassing a huge collection you’d love the selection here in Tokyo.

For more about Tokyo’s purse trends, read on.

Tokyo’s hot bag trends this season

Tokyo’s department stores and boutiques are currently full of:

• tote bags in metallic silver or bronze
• German, Italian, French and Japanese leather designs
• big name designer bags
• groovy colored and buckled imitations
• beaded, handmade fabric clutch bags
• snakeskin, crocodile, faux fur (quite possibly real too) and ponyskin
• vintage

Tokyo is a feast for the bag shopper!

I’m waiting for the sales in January to increase my collection, but in the meantime I’m enjoying looking at what would be fun this season.

How to spend your bag budget

I admit, I’m a bag girl… but there’s a good reason for that. In my everyday life, there isn’t much call for fashion variety, so I wear similar outfits each day and add a great bag to make me feel be inspired.

If you’re a bag girl too, you’ll know that smart shopping is needed, to buy bags without needing to take a second job.

Shopping for bags needs to go into two categories:

1. the classic, ‘treasure it for 15 years’ group
2. the trendy, ‘I wanna have fun with stripes and fake diamantes’ group

If you can work out what and when, you should end up with bags you can use for years, plus some trend-focused bags that are just for this season. The latter should be inexpensive, so that if they look tired after one season, you can either retire them or give away without too much grief. If you can afford to pay a bit more, save your money for the classic bags you’ll wear for years.

In short, if you have to have a yellow clutch that you know has a short life, then getting a cute one for $25 is fine!

The bags I’ll buy this season

Currently, I’m looking at bronze bags, as the metallic trend works well for winter. There are many different shapes with lots of hardware, but also more classic simpler styles, and all available in leather and also lookalike.

I’m also coveting a gorgeous leather and white bag that has just the right barrel shape, double straps and a zip across the top. A barrel bag has more than enough room for me, without looking bulky.

With all the fabulous bags around here, maybe I’ll buy myself an early Christmas present!