The Straw Bag: An Obsessive, Comprehensive Guide

As summer kicks into high gear, here’s everything women need to know about the carefree accessory with ancient roots. Plus: What if the Three Little Pigs had bags instead of houses?

BAGS WOVEN from natural, readily available materials—usually dried grasses—have been a practical staple for centuries. “Basket-weaving goes back forever,” said London fashion curator Shonagh Marshall. (Traces have been found in Egyptian pyramids.) Like today’s plastic bags, these baskets were cheap and lightweight—a utilitarian way to carry goods.

In the 1950s, straw clutches gained popularity among fashion-minded women. Many featured appliqué or embroidery, and functioned as souvenirs, noted Jill Brady, founder of the website Sackrider Museum of Handbags. The new demand created “pockets of cottage industry” in destinations like Miami, said Ms. Brady. Since only the wealthy could afford to travel widely, these colorful bags—though humbly constructed—became status symbols.

It wasn’t until the late ’60s when French singer Jane Birkin began carrying a wicker basket that the style acquired icon status. The basket, said Ms. Marshall, was central to Ms. Birkin’s Parisian glamour, but also expressed the rebellious and eccentric spirit that permeated the youthquake of the ’60s and ’70s. That idiosyncratic quality still resonates with designers. The straw bag “puts a nice twist on a look,” said French designer Vanessa Seward, who collaborated with artist Jason Glasser on a series of hand-painted circular straw bags for spring. “It’s a bit anti-It bag,” said Ms. Seward. “It shows taste versus money.”

Lasting Straws: Eight Great Moments

From fairy tales to Fashion Week, the straw tote has long been a mainstay in popular culture.

FAIRY TALE TOTE In variations on the 1812 Brothers Grimm story, Little Red Riding Hood grabbed a basket to carry wine and cake to her ailing grandmother. A cavalry sword might have been a wiser accessory choice given the dangers lurking in the woods.

CANINE CONTAINER Despite attacks from airborne monkeys and tranquilizing poppies, Dorothy Gale rarely lost hold of the picnic-style pack in which Toto, her Cairn terrier, rode.

HEPBURN’S HAUL What better way to finish off this unassumingly elegant, circa-1955 Audrey Hepburn look than a humble yet glamorous petite straw bag?

HEADS UP The woven basket is a longtime habitué of the south of France. Here Brigitte Bardot elevates one while staging the song “Markets of Provence” for a 1957 TV special.

THE EX-BIRKIN BAG Jane Birkin (here in 1970) carried carefree wicker bags before Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas famously convinced her to design her own luxe leather purse for his label.

HALL OF FAME When it comes to the influential get-ups Diane Keaton wore in Woody Allen’s 1977 film “Annie Hall,” her black bowler and menswear necktie may have gotten more attention, but her slouchy sisal tote was a coolly nonchalant supporting player.

RIPLEY EFFECT As the flawless ’50s-era rich girl Marge Sherwood in 1999’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” Gwyneth Paltrow accompanied her knotted shirts and flaring skirts with the ne plus ultra of holiday holdalls.

HAUTE PACK So much for the bag’s peasant roots: Karl Lagerfeld emblazoned this particularly structured version—carried by style star Alexa Chung in 2010—with Chanel’s logo.

Why You Should Carry Your Summer Straw Tote in the Fall

Jane Birkin knows best. In 1974, the style icon knew that a uniform as simple as a white tee and frayed jeans was a timeless one. And she also knew that carrying a wicker basket as her purse would not only serve as a reminder of the French Riviera, but was also a charming, effortlessly chic addition to any outfit—even when she was in the city. So who can blame today's street-style stars for picking up on Birkin's basket-carrying ways during Fashion Month (summer be damned)?

There they were, among the usual suspects of leather cross-bodies and ladylike top-handles, gripped in the clutches of editors, bloggers, and buyers all throughout September: straw totes in various shapes and sizes. Interestingly, they differ from the holdalls you lug to the beach. These ones are more structured in shape, ladylike in aesthetic, a touch more precious, and all reminiscent of Birkin's straw bags. The takeaway here: Yes, you can carry straw bags outside of warm-weather months, but we highly recommend adopting this trend sooner rather than later (because wintry elements will be the death of your wicker accessory). Scroll through to see how the street-style set have styled their straw purses for fall, and then shop a few of our favorites to get the look yourself.

1. With Playful Prints

Be a walking reminder of summer by styling your bamboo Gaia clutch with high-impact prints. But swap tasseled sandals for sleek platform brogues to bring your look into fall.

2. With Menswear Separates

Girl-ify an oversize striped menswear shirt by knotting it at your midriff and accessorizing with a darling circle-shaped straw purse and cheery canary yellow mules.

3. With a Statement Top

Ground an over-the-top top with familiar textiles, like denim and straw.

4. With Similar Textures

Match the open-work weave of your straw purse with a lacy dress. But for a really 'grammable moment? Finding a bestie with a matching tiny tote.

5. With Tonal Shades

Master monochromatism and find shades that neighbor the neutral straw textile, like beige and khaki.

6. With Slouchy Shapes

Add structure to a relaxed shirt (deliberately dragged down to reveal one shoulder) and a drape-y dress with a boxed straw purse.

7. With Your Fall Uniform

Straw totes and caftans are to be expected. Aim for unpredictability (and a cool off-season contrast) with an all-black look and velvet platforms.

8. With a Fall Trend

The hottest cold-weather textile? Velvet. Play up the contrast by styling a rich blazer with a summery woven bag.

9. With a Single Color

Let your structured tote stand out against a clean, one-color canvas, like this denim jumpsuit. Styling trick: Tie a coordinated bandana for a cohesive feel.

10. JEANNE BEATRICE

It's marketed as a storage basket, but it's perfect for toting all your belongings.

11. EDIE PARKER

With its gingham drawstring closure, this tiny purse is like a portable picnic that you can carry.

12. HEIDI WYNNE

This cool circular bag comes styled for you.

13. SENSI STUDIO

Anchor a silky shirtdress with this structured little thing.

14. CLARE V.

The detachable strap gives you the option to grip this cute canteen purse or sling it over your shoulder.

15. CULT GAIA

The bamboo clutch that, arguably, fueled the straw tote trend.

16. HAT ATTACK

A chunky woven purse that you can use to tote your produce from Farmers' Market or your everyday essentials to brunch.