The best lightweight bags to take on summer

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Summer is a great time to get rid of your sweaty, heavy leather bag for something lighter. The promise of finer weather gives you licence to gamble on different textiles, bright colours and artful textures — without worrying about how waterproof your bag is.

Anya Hindmarch is known for her quirky accessories. “Summer feels like a happy and frivolous season that allows for something more lighthearted,” she says. The British designer has previously made cult bags out of Walkers crisps packets and Perrier mineral water branding, and now enthuses about her paper raffia Perelló shoulder bag, created in homage to the Spanish olive brand (£595, anyahindmarch.com). “Mad,” says she, “but it is always a conversation opener if you sling it over a slightly brune shoulder on a hot day.”

Like the woven raffia summer accessories by Loewe’s seasonal sub-brand Paula’s Ibiza and Chloé, Hindmarch’s bags have vacation vibes sewn into them. But even the work bag that you use every day can benefit from a little summer glitz.

You don’t need to go crazy. Kay Barron recommends canvas for “those looking for an understated summer look”. Raffia structured styles can be worn to the office. Loewe’s Paula’s Ibiza Puzzle Fold XL leather-trimmed raffia tote in a two-tone diamond pattern is a showstopper and roomy enough for a laptop (£2,450, net-a-porter.com).

At the start of May, luxury brand consultant Jess Christie swaps her black leather Park tote by The Row for a navy canvas style by Kassl Editions, the German brand known for its durable, functional outerwear and accessories (£310, kassleditions.com). She says that black feels heavy on a sunny morning. This bag comes in stone and earthy colors, is big enough to hold a laptop but also has an internal pocket that can be used for keys or a phone.

Christie loves the canvas LL Bean Boat and Tote. Introduced by the American outdoor brand as a “car-to-ice-chest”, ice carrier in 1944. Still manufactured in Maine, it is available in various styles, although the open-top white canvas with a contrast trim is the recognisable classic (from £32, global.llbean.com). Loeffler Randall also offers a natural embroidered canvas bag in white canvas ($330), but it’s more iPad than laptop friendly. loefflerrandall.com). 

Toast, a British clothing and homewear company, has expanded its non-leather bag range over the last two years. It has focused on fibres with lower impact, such as jute and linen, and even remnants of its own production. Sophie Vent, brand buyer, says that they wanted their summer bags to be joyful but also thoughtful. We have chosen to use materials that are both comfortable and eco-friendly. The Garment dyed linen bag, a seasonal favourite for off-duty occasions, comes in two new colours, Black Pepper and Red Chilli, with a voluminous shape that feels current but is also practical (£110, toa.st).

I like a summer bag with colour and texture and ideally a bit of a story — something crafty, woven, crocheted, beaded or striped. A favourite is a woven neon bag by Among Equals, a not-for-profit that works with more than 3,000 female artisans in Papua New Guinea (£138, amongequals.com). This month, I picked up a brown, red and blue striped jute bag with plaited wool handles from Marni’s sub-brand Marni Market, which offers a collection of always colourful, one-off designs, crafted by a network of Colombian artisans.

Another option with a feelgood factor is Chloé’s Summer Banana range. It includes deliciously coloured raffia and leather-trimmed totes with a hand-drawn logo and gold banana charm made in collaboration with Made For A Woman, a social enterprise based in Madagascar (£890, chloe.com).

Jenny Sue Garcia was a high-street buyer before she started selling eye-catching, pre-loved clothing on Instagram. @the.curatory. Garcia is a fan of the Italian brand artisanal for its summer bags. AlieninaThe bags are made from organic cotton ropes that have been left over. Its clutches are a nice option for evening (from £170, alienina.com). She also favours the crocheted ribbon bags from the London-based Isla de Gar (from £50, isladegar.com).

Garcia is looking for styles with similar textures to sell in her online shop. She has an unbranded yellow wooden beaded handbag with a 1970s feel available for £39. She says a summer handbag is the best way to show a more relaxed attitude, even if you are wearing slick business attire.

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