So Long, Shoulder Bags—Everyone I Know Is Opting for This Sophisticated ’60s Style

Just when my shoulder bags and I were finding our rhythm, spring 2025 is coming in hot with its own ideas. Don’t get wrong, there will always be a place in my closet for an easy-to-wear ’90s style that tucks right under the shoulder, but this season marks the arrival of a handbag with even more polish, elegance, and sophistication than any shoulder style ever could (sorry!). Inspired by the 1960s, kisslock bags are arriving en masse right now and their retro appeal feels as nostalgic as it does “now”.

The prim-and-proper mood of the 1960s is everywhere I look in fashion this year, from the cropped pedal pushers everyone is styling to the bandanas they’re wearing in their hair and their oversize sunglasses that nod Jackie O. The decade’s dominance is powerful, and that’s saying a lot given that elements of the ’70s and ’90s are also creeping back in these days. With icons like Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly inspiring a new class of nostalgic downtown fashion people, it was only a matter of time until these kisslock bags reared their heads again.

Coach, Jacquemus, Khaite—every important handbag designer of the moment is backing this trend, proving that it’s the only one that matters this season. Ahead see the kisslock styles that arrived on the runways and how celebrities and fashion people are carrying them on the street, then shop our favorites.

(Image credit: Aeon/GC Images/Getty Images)

On Naomi Watts: Celine jacket, belt, and Antoinette Bag in Bordeaux ($4150)

Naomi Watts was the first celeb to wear Celine’s Antoinette Bag, a now-sold-out top-handle style with a thin frame and kisslock closure. Watts carried a burgundy version of the bag that made her jeans and suede jacket look immediately so elegant.

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Coach)

Coach took the idea of a coin purse and supersized it into something altogether more playful. Models held the oversize clutches from underneath, but once produced for sale, they arrived in stores with an optional shoulder strap.

(Image credit: Christian Vierig/Getty Images)

Supermodel Paloma Elsesser has some of the best personal style in the business. Here, she carried an embossed frame bag with a layered midi skirt and red sandals to the Proenza Schouler show.

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Jacquemus)

Simon Porte Jacquemus has long held a fascination with a certain retro aesthetic, and that came through more than ever on his spring 2025 runway where models carried elongated clutches that were finished with a custom sphere-and-cube-shaped closure.

Sylvie Mus has one of the most understated and chic wardrobes around, and she can often be seen carrying a kisslock bag with anything from jeans to a silk gown.

(Image credit: Launchmetrics Spotlight/Khaite)

There’s no question that Catherine Holstein knows how make an It bag, and the latest to join the Khaite lineup came in the form of an ultra-polished top-handle bag with a slightly curved body. Called the Cate, the bag debuted on the spring/summer 2025 runway and features a roomy shape, thicker strap, and custom hardware closure that lend the retro silhouette a fresh feel.

Coach’s supersized coin purses are starting to appear in the wild, and I can’t get enough of them.

A closer look at the Jil Sander Goji Bag, a kisslock style that’s equal parts minimalist as it is loaded with personality.

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