What is an East-West Bag and Is it a Good Buy?
If you have perused bags for sale on any online boutique or done any window shopping in the past couple of months, you may have seen a certain silhouette virtually everywhere. A smaller, slightly structured to rigid bag with elongated shoulder straps. Known as an east-west bag, this bag trend is going to be big in 2025. Let me share what I know about it and if it's a good buy and worth adding to your wardrobe.
What is an East-West Bag?
The east-west bag gets its name for being a horizontally shaped bag that spans from east to west. A bag silhouette that has been in and out of fashion since the 1950s, but has gained popularity in recent months and will continue to reign supreme through 2025.
How to Style an East-West Bag
The reason the east-west bag is so popular is because it's pretty darn versatile. Structured and polished with a vintage vibe but with practical elongated straps that will fit over your shoulder even when wearing a coat.
Shop East West Bags: one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight
The east-west bag is somehow both ladylike and tough, appropriate with jeans and a pair of sneakers or your most elegant cocktail dress. We've been through many very casual or very over the top fashion trends in the past few years and the east-west bag is one that feels timeless yet modern, while being practical and versatile.
Is an East-West Bag a Good Buy?
I don't care how popular a trend is, or what celebrity or influencer owns one, nothing is a good buy if you won't want to wear it after a season or even a year. The overarching fashion trend of 2025 is adding to your wardrobe with intention, and a focus on longevity.
Shop Statement East West Bags: one | two | three | four | five | six
The east-west bag is a good choice if you are the type who goes to events where a clutch purse makes sense, but you wish you had a hands-free option. It is a good choice for professionals who desire a purse in addition to their work bag. It's a great bag for those who gravitate towards ladylike and classic pieces. It's also great for those who wish to use a bag to elevate a rocker or casual vintage aesthetic.
This is not a good bag for those who do not want to give up their crossbodies or hand clutches. It is not a good bag for those who need to carry a lot in their purse. If you have a baguette and/or a bowler bag, you don't also need an east-west bag. And if you already have a collection of bags that fit your every need, you don't need to buy any new bags, including an east-west bag.
The Perks to an East-West Bag
As previously mentioned, the east-west bag is versatile. You can carry it to the grocery store as well as a gala. This is a rarity, especially in the past decade or two. In fact, I think the last bag that was so versatile was the Y2K baguette, which is like the flamboyant younger sister of the east-west bag.
Shop Colorful East West Bags: one | two | three | four | five | six
An east-west bag is popular due to silhouette, not label. You can buy one at pretty much any pricepoint and in any color that appeals to you and works with your closet. I appreciate when fashion trends are less about the brand and more about the design.
Shop East West Bags Under $100: pink for $99 | black for $65 | black for $60 | black for $70 | white for $52 | red for $25
Since the east-west bag has been around since the 1950s, there is a very good chance to find a great one secondhand. Whether it's a vintage piece, a thrift score, or a nice price on Poshmark, I recommend checking there before shopping any collages throughout this article.
And since the east-west bag has been in and out of fashion for 70+ years, this means that if you do acquire one and change your mind, you will have more success reselling it at a good price.
My Tips for Shopping for an East-West Bag
- The more neutral the color, the more versatile and timeless. I love me a statement color bag, but when it comes to an east-west bag, if you want to be able to wear it to a cocktail party and a trip to the mall, I recommend going with a neutral color like black, cream, brown, or taupe.
- Play with silhouettes. The majority of east-west bags look like a baguette bag with long shoulder straps. But you will find east-west bags in really cool architectural silhouettes that may prove more timeless. I believe quirkiness transcends trends, and this especially holds true with well-made bags.
- The lower the price, the less you want logos. The east-west bag is a trend that looks really chic without any hardware, embellishment, or branding. Your sleek black east-west bag could be under $100 and made from pleather, or cost close to $1K and be made from the finest Italian leather. It's hard to tell from far away if there aren't any logos. Sure, if you're buying a designer bag with a designer bag price, go ahead and let the world know who created it. But if you're buying a bag under $350, I recommend choosing bags where the branding is subtle to nonexistent on the exterior.
- Go vintage. This is a great bag that you likely can find used, though possibly not in the best condition. Search TikTok and YouTube for bag restoring instructions. You will be amazed how much you can restore a leather bag at home with a few reasonably-priced products and tools!
Did you like what you just read?
Consider tapping here to buy me a coffee in thanks. The best gift you can give a content creator is the gift of sharing. Consider sharing this article on Facebook or Pinterest. Thank you so much for your support!
This unlocked a memory for me. In the 2000s when these were popular I discovered that a long bag can hold a bottle of wine – without looking like I was bringing a bottle of wine to a party. Thanks for a chuckle this brought me, being all stealth bringing wine to a college party with no one on the bus/train being the wiser.
OMG that is so funny, and if I knew that I likely would have gotten one back then too!
I think it looks like a fun bag to have for wearing with lighter weight jackets/coats. Doesn’t look like one I could easily wear with a parka. I’m leaning towards one in an accent color i/o of a neutral and buying it in faux leather. Wondering if anyone will do one in a straw type of material–I am still trying to find a warm weather straw like bag that has a little structure.
I just purchased an East West bag in taupe suede from a British company called Flattered. They actually call it a tuna bag, whatever that means, but they call barrel jeans carrot jeans over there, too.
Anyway, it has a really clean look I like, and it doesn’t hang out too far from the straps – that always bugs my eye a bit. I really am a north-south girl at heart, liking my bags to be longer than wider, but I figured I’d give this a try and pick a classic color at a price I could live with.
Good article! Would you consider expanding on how to restore a vintage bag…good products, etc…
Have you ever watched Miss Scarlet on PBS? Takes place in Victorian England. She carries an East-West bag too!
No I haven’t I’ll have to check it out!
I love east-west bags (small letters), not necessarily East-West bags (the bag of the moment). I appreciate and agree with your comment that they are timeless! For me, they are very functional, as everything I put into a bag is rectangular in shape — phone, wallet, pouch. It all fits perfectly and stays where I want it. This is opposed to a demilune or half-moon bag, which I love the appearance of, but which causes my stuff to become ridiculously jumbled.