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As a woman in her early 20s, I have become fixated on bags and purses, to the point that I have decorated my apartment walls with hooks just to hang the new additions to my outfits. Furthermore, as someone who will soon graduate from university, I want to dress more maturely without straying from my current fashion aesthetic. This led me to investigate a variety of bags that will allow me to continue to dress as I currently do while giving me that aura of professionalism, sexiness, and maturity that comes from experiencing your twenties.
Here’s a list ranking them from least expensive to most, allowing you to envision your future outfits and where to purchase your new accessory.
- Leather effect maxi bag (Berskha)
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Retail Price: $45.90
Berskha bags are extremely underrated, even though most can uplift an outfit without requiring a three-figure purchase.
The Leather effect maxi bag is for any woman who wants to achieve the sexiness of pairing a beautiful going-out outfit with the perfect bag that will match her energy. If you visit the Berskha website and click on the bag, the brand will allow you to observe the bag utilized to its best potential by sharing pictures buyers shared.
After scrolling through a couple of the product photos, I realized that regardless of how different their outfits were, they still achieved the perfect look for a night out with friends or a date night with a potential partner. I knew this bag must be one I own.
If you want to make your outfits appear as if you were born to party in the streets of New York but are on a budget, allow the maxi bag to mesmerize you.
- QUILTED MINI BAG (Cos)
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Retail Price: $60
For the second bag on this list and perhaps the most casual, the Quilted Mini Bag from COS is a mini bag that can uplift your outfits even through its softness.
This COS bag has been popping up on my FYP on TikTok since last year, and I always found it interesting how good it made people look, especially when it’s not a bag that one would consider made for “a night out.”
I have seen numerous people decorate it on Instagram and TikTok, and it complements all sorts of fashion styles regardless of how simplistic the bag is. If you’re familiar with Baggu bags, especially the Crescent bag, COS’s quilted mini bag will suit you.
COS offers a variety of shades for this mini bag, allowing you to decide which one will give you the look you’re striving to achieve. Similarly to Baggu, this COS bag is extremely spacious and will not look bulky if you stuff it to the max.
The Quilted Mini Bag is definitely one item everyone needs in their closet.
COS via TikTok - Chubby bag (Stand Oil)
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Retail Price: $130
Introducing my most recent obsession and the bag on my Christmas wishlist: the Korean bag, which will upgrade your outfits with its beauty.
The Chubby Bag has been circulating for a while on TikTok and Instagram, where it has been popularized by K-pop idols such as Huh Yunjin from Le Sserafim, which led the bag to be labeled as “the Yunjin bag.” Other Korean women have also attributed to its popularity by posting themselves decorating it. It’s the cutest bag to adorn with keychains, photocard holders of your favorite celebrity or K-pop bias, and still look elegant regardless of how casual your clothes for the day might be.
The Chubby Bag comes in a fuzzy version, as seen in Yunjin’s post, and in leather with multiple shade options. It is currently sold out, but I emailed the company, and they shared that the bags will be restocked by early November. So, if you want to treat yourself, now is the time!
Stand Oil via YouTube - Swing Zip Bag (Coach)
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Retail Price: $395
Now, we have reached one of the two most expensive bags on this list. Although its price might make you do a double take, the Coach Swing Zip Bag is worth every penny.
I first encountered it this summer when my cousin came to visit the U.S. with my uncle. It was a Christmas gift from her parents, and she hasn’t worn another bag since. When I met with her and saw the bag, I was immediately mesmerized by how chic it made her look. Even when she was wearing a pair of jorts and a baby tee, she gave the ambiance of being dressed up.
If you have just entered your 20s and desire to be seen as more mature and elegant, or you have just graduated college and are about to start your big girl job, this bag is the one you wish to go for. It’s the best for going out to bars, like my cousin and I did, going to restaurants, or walking around downtown Miami. It is a bag for every occasion, and its material is durable and easy to clean.
I believe this Coach bag is timeless. Regardless of how much you wear it, it will never make your outfits look repetitive.
Coach via TikTok - Medium leather handbag (Prada)
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Retail Price: $2,850
For our last bag, I agree that most regular college students can’t afford it without the aid of their parents. But I chose to add it because I have been interested in it for quite some time and believe it will have you looking as expensive and classy as that price tag.
I originally loved the brown bag for this, but it’s currently sold out. So, out of the various shades Prada offers, the black Medium leather handbag is the only one that I find worthy of spending a paycheck on.
It’s a handbag that reminds me of Phoebe Dynevor in the movie Fair Play. It’s a bag that one would wear in their late 20s, when their career is already taking place, with a desire to appear grown, professional, and even sexy.
Even when Charli D’Amelio is wearing a more “Back in the City” look, the Prada bag makes her appear fashionable, chic, and grown—something I desire to achieve.
Prada via TikTok
I implemented a variety of bags on this list that will be a great fit regardless of a person’s fashion style or aesthetic. Hopefully, one of these will become your newest IT bag of the year and make you feel stylish and mature in your day-to-day life.