Why a Basket Bag Is the Only New Accessory You Need this Summer

Jane Birkin may be most famously associated with one particular, the extremely covetable Hermes bag, but it is another one of the style icon's totes of choice that is making major waves in the fashion world this season: the basket bag.

In the '70s, Birkin was photographed all around Paris, toting her woven basket, paired with perfectly slouchy jeans, a classic t-shirt, and, of course, rumpled bedhead that many mere mortals have tried, and failed, to recreate. The bag itself was structured, open at the top, and, frankly, barely different than a typical basket that your mother might have used to store discarded magazines in your childhood home.

This season's iterations of the trend have captured the essence of Birkin's look—summery, carefree, playful—and adopted it to 2026's style standards: a bit smaller, a bit more whimsical, and altogether more practical.

Follow Pippa Middleton and Alexa Chung's Lead and Carry a Wicker Purse this Summer

Arguably the most popular take on the trend, and the pièce de résistance of this renaissance, is Cult Gaia's Ark bag, a structured, half-moon shaped bag that has quickly become a must-have with the Instagram set. The Los Angeles-based brand struck gold with the silhouette, done in bamboo, which has already been carried by celebrities such as Jessica Alba. The brand is now offering the piece in several variations beyond the natural original, including several acrylic versions, and even a tortoise shell take. To capture the wood aesthetic of the original, Cult Gaia is also offering two new shapes in the material: the Lilleth, a handmade, duffel-bag shaped piece that is completely collapsable, and the Babe, a woven straw purse in the shape of a pig.

Cult Gaia is not the only brand to offer chic iterations of the trend, however. Mark Cross has several styles of bags done in rattan, a woven palm, including it's ever popular Box bag and a special collaboration with Harley Viera Newton, which pairs a classic shape done primarily in the natural material with pebble grain leather in assorted colors. Edie Parker's Brett Heyman has also branched out—no pun intended—from her popular acrylic minaudières with the Jane, a shoulder bad inspired by Birkin, while Brazillian designer Marcia Kemp of Nannacay has created an endless array of whimsical hand-woven bags, incorporating fun details such as neon coloring and pom-pom tassels. Even major fashion houses like Prada and Balenciaga have gotten on the trend, proving this summer is truly all about the woven bag.

Best Basket Bags to Try, According to Your Horoscope

Basket bags? For Summer? Groundbreaking, we know. But seriously, these bags couldn't be cuter — or more practical. What's more, it definitely doesn't hurt that we've been spotting them non-stop on the arms of all of our favorite fashion It-girls (looking at you, Alexa Chung). From the beach to the street, the basket bag is the perfect summer accessory for just about every occasion we can think of. But, with all the different varieties of the summer staple on the market right now, how can you pick just one? That's where your horoscope comes in, of course.

To help you decide whether you're a classic Jane Birkin kind of girl or the type to mix it up with architectural shapes, pompoms and stripes, why not turn to the stars for guidance and let your astrological sign dictate your choice? That's right, my friends, your perfect summer basket bag awaits. Find out which one fits your fancy — and your horoscope — ahead.

7 Basket Bags To Shop Now

My first memories of basket bags aren’t fond ones. As a child, I remember being dragged around various French markets by my mother who was on a very determined mission to get her hands on the perfect, authentic basket bag. At the time, while wriggling my way through crowds of tourists and impatient locals, consistently getting lost, I struggled to appreciate why my mum went to so much trouble, all for the sake of bringing home what I saw as just an old woven basket.

Clearly, this was before my time as the trends sheep that I am today. All of a sudden I’ve found myself surrounded by basket bags in all shapes and sizes, and as I press ‘add to cart’ during my many net-a-porter daydreams, I’ve realised that I’ve finally come to appreciate the value of the basket bag.

Practical for holiday wear, easy to keep clean, versatile in its styling options and an alternative way to indulge in vintage fashion, the basket bag has suddenly found itself as a serious contender for summer’s most essential bag.

• Large leather trimmed canvas and wicker tote, Prada €1,300
• Striped wicker basket, Sophie Anderson, €243
• Cross body bag with pom poms, €25.95
• Embroidered cotton basket bag, €35.95
• Straw market tote, €58.41
• Small tote bag, €59
• Leather-trimmed woven tote bag, Balenciaga, €745

The best basket bags to wear on holiday or in the office

There’s no getting around one of this summer’s biggest bag trends: the basket bag. That’s right, the humble wicker basket has had a high fashion makeover, and become the must-have accessory spotted on any fashion influencer and celebrity worth their salt.

Celebrity fans include Alexa Chung, Kate Moss, Emma Roberts, Maisie Williams and Olivia Palermo, while influencers like Tanya Burr, Laura Fantacci and Jenny Cipoletti all approve.

But if you thought this was a trend best kept to beach holidays, you’d be sorely mistaken. This accessory is one to proudly show off in the office as well as on the beach, as there’s a style to suit every occasion.

On the more pared-back side of things, you have simple round woven bags or wicker bucket baskets with minimal embellishments. These are ideal if paired with a statement dress, or even jeans and a striped shirt for effortless off-duty cool.

But if you’re looking to have a bit more fun (it is a fun trend after all), then the sky’s the limit. We have clutch style adorned with pom pomps, ribbons or gems in a plethora colours, the brighter ones being your ultimate holiday companion.

There are also slogan bags, which let’s face it, are Instagram gold. If cutesy details aren’t your bag (pun intended), then we suggest you focus on an intricate pattern instead. Think the Cult Gaia bamboo bag with its cool design.

Pick the right design and it’ll be wearable long after summer has gone, like Alexa above pairing hers with a white shirt dress, black tights and coat during London Fashion Week.

The key is make sure it’s in a neutral colour palette suitable for winter, and in a larger size to counter-balance the bigger winter clothes.

Whether you’re on a champagne or a prosecco budget, we’ve found the best designer and high street basket bags available to buy now.