Cross body bags are having a hot, hot moment in the sun right now. Let us count the ways we love them so – they’re stylish, practical, transeasonal and quite simply, the best.
If you’re not familiar with the style, it’s basically a type of handbag that hangs across your body instead of on one shoulder. You’ve probably seen it everywhere from high-end fashion to every major tourist hotspot (we told you it was multifunctional). It’s been around for a while but it’s having a major resurgence at the moment – so naturally we want to jump aboard the trend train.
As with anything fashion-related, there’s no hard and fast rules or rights and wrongs. Fashion, much like art, is interpretative, which means you can usually get away with doing whatever the hell you want. There are however, a few things you can do to really get the bag popping if you’re keen to make it the focal point of your outfit.
So without further ado, here’s four chic ways to style a cross body bag.
Get playful with placement
Ok, so we know it’s called a cross body bag but we’re here to tell you it’s actually more than acceptable to wear it at the front. Yep, you can have it styled to look more like a necklace than a handbag and you can do it with the knowledge that it looks divine. When the bag looks as good as this (and by this I mean this cross body number) then why wouldn’t you want to have it on show 24/7?
If displaying it at the front isn’t really your jam, you can sling it right round the back too. You can rotate it 10 degrees every hour if you please – you can do whatever feels right to you.
Let’s be real, handbags are a statement in and of themselves. If we wanted to carry our belongings around in our pockets, we would, so if you’ve gone to the effort of getting a handbag then you’ll want to make sure it’s getting the attention it deserves. The beauty of the cross body bag is that it moves with your body as you walk around, it’s not designed to stay static. This makes it a lot of fun to wear, so just go with the flow.
Go totally tonal
Cassia Texture Medium Shoulder Bag ($649)
A lot of people think their handbag needs to be a drastically different colour to the rest of their outfit in order to create contrast. While this definitely works, sometimes the biggest statement can be a bag that’s the exact same (or very similar) colour as your outfit. Yep, it’s bolder to be monotoned than it is to be every colour of the rainbow – you heard it here first.
The classics become the classics for a reason, right? There’s nothing sleeker than an all-black ensemble with a Black Cross Body Bag to match – plus it’s a colour that goes with quite literally everything so you never have to worry that it won’t work with an outfit. We love a bit of versatility around here.
Try it on for size
When it comes to cross body bags – size really is everything. Contrary to what you might think, big doesn’t always mean better and a mini bag can be the ultimate statement piece (especially when we’re going for the over-the-body look). Nobody wants to be lugging a giant bag around all day so something big enough to hold our keys, cards and lippy is really all that’s required.
This cross body bag is so petite but still manages to be a focal point in every look. No, it’s not sorcery, it’s just clever styling. If you’re keen to make the bag pop even more, you can match the colour with another part of your outfit. Think a dark coloured outfit with a light coloured bag as a contrast – a colour match made in heaven.
Layer it, baby
Matteo Satchel in Black ($499) and Double Breasted Blazer with Belt ($599)
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that cross body bags look incredible with coats – don’t try to fight it. Sure, it might feel a little unnatural to sling a handbag over a coat but trust us when we say it looks better than you could ever dream.
There’s two ways you can really do this look justice. The first is by pairing it with, yep you guessed it, a sleek trench coat. Block colours usually work best because they really ramp up that contrast, especially when you pair a darker coloured coat and a lighter coloured bag. That being said, if you’re a pattern kinda person and something like houndstooth is more your speed, by all means go for it.
If you’re looking for something you can wear all day (especially as we move into summer), then a blazer is your go-to. It’s the perfect outerwear choice because dreams it’s sleek and streamline, meaning it won’t detract from the bag – which is obviously the hero of the look.
By now you’re probably raring to strap a cross body bag around you and hit the streets – and so you should be. Remember that alongside a stunning handbag, your confidence is your best accessory so strut it like it’s nobody’s business.
