The beaded bags to elevate your summer look

(Image credit: Rex)

Call it a lust for all things nostalgic, but last summer's shell jewellery and beaded bags trends are still going strong for SS19. Whilst minimalist faux croc bags and practical shapes were the one for one for AW18, the transition into the new season is all about having fun.

Basket bags and beach bags will always have a place in our summer wardrobe, however for something altogether more dressy and fancy, it has to be the beaded bag,, which has a certain childish charm to it. It's obviously not the most practical bag, but it sure as hell is pretty and there's nothing wrong with that.

Beaded bag trend

On the catwalk, the likes of Shrimps, Rosantica, GANNI and Simone Rocha all put a modern twist on the vintage-inspired bags, much to the delight of the front row.

Over on Instagram, Pandora Sykes and Alexa Chung pioneered the trend with the now-cult Antonia bag by British brand Shrimps, followed by the likes of Parisian blogger Leia, Camille Charriere and Lorna Luxe. The pearl bag now comes in several colours, all of which keep selling out.

How you style them is up to you. You can go mega feminine buy pairing it with a pastel floral dress (look to GANNI and Kitri for this), or you can dress it down with a denim boilersuit.

Handmade beaded bags

Then came the wonderfully colourful creations of New York-based Susan Alexandra, which are essentially happiness in a bag. Think rainbow see-through beads, and fun fruit-shaped designs, including a retro cherry bag that's about to hit your Instagram hard. For more purse-friendly options, you must check out Etsy for some rather brilliant finds.

High street beaded bags

Obviously, the high-street has been quick off the mark, with Topshop, Mango and Zara all serving up the perfect finishing touch to a wedding guest outfit, whether you're going down the pastel and neutral route, or a more statement and colourful one.

Do yourself a favour and shop these addictive bags below. Your wardrobe will thank you.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.