Rattan Roundup: Handbags that Feel Like An Eternal Holiday

In the midst of summer, the pressure to stay ahead of the style game and look towards fall is not uncommon. But living in the moment, you’ll find that there is plenty of long days and warm sunshine to bask in, along with the right bag to maintain that sense of an endless summer. Rattan has proven to be a durable, withstanding style of bag sought for the spring and summertime– and when we think of sand seeping out the bottom, or swinging rough bamboo handles like palms in the breeze, it only makes sense to do so. Rattan, and more commonly, straw bags, are seldom seen outside the warmer months because they’re sturdy enough, but lightweight; less fussy than a thick bag for winter and more ready to fling across the grass than in wet fallen leaves or snow. The summer bag isn’t meant to be meticulous or tough against the elements– and that’s what makes rattan so inviting for a time when all is carefree.

Seeing these bags all around Instagram and countless blogs from coast to coast, the straw bag may seem like a new sensation, despite the craft of weaving rattan and other dried grasses stretching back to ancient times from Egypt, to the early Americas, and the Philippines. This old world craft is only on the rise, with designs from Kate Spade and Prada to even the much acclaimed Cult Gaia clutch of last season spilling into each passing year, reused and reloved by every new generation who finds that ultimately, rattan is the way to go, when it comes to summer.

Our favorite finds in the rattan It bag are only below. From crossbody to even a backpack, the styling game of rattan and straw has only found a home in the future, moving beyond its years to embrace more sunny days.