Everyday clutches: beautiful handbag trends to know about for 2026

While there are plenty of top-tier trends to get excited about from the fall/winter 2026 runways, you may have noticed a subtle style shift happening with handbags this season, which designers from all four fashion capitals agree on. Clutches – once a narrow handbag category designed exclusively for weddings, red carpets and black-tie galas – are slowly evolving into silhouettes and shapes that go far beyond evening wear. In fact, the best clutches of the moment aim to look just as good with gowns and heels as they do with denim and flats.

In the collection, there were looks like a long eel-print clutch that Proenza Schouler styled with a polished skirt suit, a series of East-West frame clutches that Coach promptly sold out in its post-show “see now, buy now” release, and Celine models wearing oversized silhouettes in the fold of their arms. Overall, clutches are becoming the new handbag style of choice signaling elegant style both day and night, and several IT styles are already earning buzz this year, including The Row’s Peggy clutch and Bottega Veneta Lauren 1979.