In January 2023, I was standing on a corner in Shoreditch, London, waiting for an Uber that was ‘4 minutes away’ for twenty minutes. It was that specific kind of English sleet that feels like being pelted with tiny, frozen needles. I was carrying a Staud Tommy bag—the one with the gorgeous beading—and I watched, in slow motion, as the salt from the sidewalk slush began to crust into the delicate fabric. By the time I got home, the bag looked like a drowned rat. I spent forty-five minutes with a damp cloth trying to save it, crying slightly because I’d spent a month’s grocery budget on it. It was a total disaster.
That was the moment I realized that ‘winter style’ is usually a lie sold to us by people who live in Los Angeles. If you actually live in a place where the sun sets at 4:00 PM and the wind tries to steal your soul, you need a bag that acts like a tank, not a piece of jewelry. For winter 2025, the vibe is shifting back to reality. Finally.
The ‘East-West’ thing is actually practical for once
Everyone is talking about the ‘East-West’ silhouette—basically bags that are wider than they are tall. Think the Alaïa Le Teckel or the Coach Swing Zip. I used to think these were stupid. I thought they looked like stretched-out baguettes that wouldn’t fit anything. I was completely wrong. I bought a vintage Coach one recently and realized that because they’re shallow, you don’t have to go ‘deep sea diving’ to find your keys with frozen fingers.
What I mean is—actually, let me put it differently. Most tote bags are just dark abysses where lipsticks go to die. The East-West shape keeps everything on one level. It’s efficient. I might be wrong about this, but I think the Coach Swing Zip ($395) is going to be the only bag people actually use this winter. It fits under a puffer coat sleeve without making you look like you’re smuggling a ham. It’s simple. It works.
The best bag for winter is the one you don’t have to take your gloves off to open.
I am done with Polène and I don’t care who knows it
I know, I know. Every girl on TikTok treats Polène like a religious experience. But I’m calling it. I refuse to recommend them anymore. I bought the Numéro Dix last year, and the glazing on the edges started peeling after three months of ‘normal’ use. When I emailed their customer service, they ignored me for 14 days and then told me it was ‘wear and tear.’ For $400+? No. I’m petty, and I don’t forget.
The quality has dipped as they’ve scaled. It happens to every ‘it’ brand, but it’s annoying when people keep pretending it’s still 2019. If you want that architectural look for 2025, go find an old Lemaire or even a secondhand Jil Sander. Don’t buy the hype just because an influencer got a free box. It’s just a leather sack.
The 1.2kg threshold (Why your shoulder hurts)
I did a little experiment last month because my left shoulder was starting to feel like it belonged to a 90-year-old coal miner. I weighed my ‘everyday’ winter carry. Between the portable charger, the heavy wool scarf I keep stuffing inside, the Kindle, and the three different lip balms (because winter), my bag weighed exactly 1.2kg before I even added my wallet.
Most trendy bags for winter 2025, especially those massive ‘slouchy’ totes like the Bottega Veneta Hop, weigh nearly 800g empty. You’re carrying a kilo of leather before you even put a phone in it. This is why I’m pivotting to nylon or very thin, high-quality calfskin. If the bag weighs more than a loaf of bread when it’s empty, put it back. Your spine will thank you in February.
- Avoid: Heavy chain straps (they get freezing cold and hurt your shoulder).
- Seek: Wide leather straps that distribute weight over your heavy coat.
- Ignore: Anything without a zipper. Snow gets inside. It’s gross.
Suede is a trap you should probably fall into
Suede is everywhere for 2025. Chocolate brown suede, olive suede, burgundy suede. It looks expensive. It feels like a hug. It is also a death wish if you live anywhere with rain. But here’s my toxic trait: I’m going to buy one anyway.
I’ve been looking at the Madewell Essential Bucket Tote in that ‘Chocolate Raisin’ color. It’s $178, which is cheap enough that if I ruin it in a snowstorm like I did the Staud bag, I won’t have a mental breakdown, but expensive enough to feel like an adult. Anyway, I saw a woman on the subway yesterday with a suede bag that was so scuffed it looked like she’d used it to sand a floor, and she still looked cooler than me. Maybe the ‘worn-in’ look is the real trend. Or maybe I’m just justifying my poor decisions.
Actually, speaking of the subway—did I tell you about the time my cat, Barnaby, peed on my favorite Longchamp? I tried to wash it in the machine (big mistake) and the leather handles shriveled up like raisins. I still haven’t forgiven him. But I digress.
The verdict for 2025
Don’t buy a micro-bag. You can’t fit a pair of emergency gloves in a bag the size of a Pop-Tart. It’s a ridiculous trend that needs to stay in 2022. Go for something wide, something with a zipper, and maybe something in a deep burgundy—not because it’s ‘on trend,’ but because burgundy hides coffee stains better than beige does.
I honestly don’t know if we’ll all be wearing giant bin-bag-sized totes by March, but for now, I’m sticking to my 1.2kg limit and avoiding Polène like the plague.
Buy the Coach. Skip the suede if you’re sensible. I am not sensible.