Bag Charms Dominating the World of Accessories

From furry stuffed animals to shiny metal chains, bag charms are surely becoming the next best accessory. 

by Rachel Yu 

Image by Anh Huynh

While some rely on clothes to help them present their creativity and style, others have been transitioning to bag charms to exhibit their personal flair.

Throughout street style, there has been a rise in the use of bag charms. With minimalist trends surfacing throughout the fashion world, people are resorting to accessories, such as bag charms, to enhance their looks and provide an added sense of personalization.

Recently, people are elevating the mere simplicity of their bags by adding numerous keychains and trinkets, ultimately creating a more maximalist look to them. 

On campus, especially, students have been placing bag charms on their school bags and purses, exhibiting their different interests and stylistic preferences. The most popular charms and chains I’ve been seeing include: the Jellycat stuffed animal charms, the Labubu keychains, the Miu Miu braided cord chains, and dainty charm necklace chains. 

These bag charms have even appeared throughout the luxury fashion industry. In Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, creative director Miuccia Prada had models strut down the runway carrying leather handbags accessorized with leather key straps, silver link chains, and the brand’s iconic braided cord chains. While the handbags themselves were simple, the mere addition of bag charms helped instill a more creative, playful tone within each look. 

Some may view these bag charms as simply a microtrend, yet the idea of accessorizing and elevating our bags is not a new trend. For instance, Jane Birkin has always been renowned for dramatically accessorizing her Hermès Birkin bags, placing leather watches, chain necklaces, rosary beads, and mini trinkets all throughout her bags. Now, people take inspiration from Birkin, decorating their own Birkin bags with the classic vintage Hermès scarves and the brand’s Rodeo Pegase charms, as well as additional mini chains and trinkets.

Bag charms allow individuals to express themselves by means of accessories, accenting a sense of personalization and individuality to their bags. They ultimately carry stories of an individual. You can truly learn a lot about an individual’s interests and sense of style simply based on their bag charms, whether they’re styling a fluffy stuffed animal keychain or a dainty lace ribbon on their bags.