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22nd May 2017
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 at net-a-porter
Striped wicker basket, Sophie Anderson, €243 at matchesfashion.com
Cross body bag with pom poms, €25.95 at Zara
Embroidered cotton basket bag, €35.95 at Mango
Straw market tote, €58.41 at J.Crew
Small tote bag, €59 at Uterque
Leather-trimmed woven tote bag, Balenciaga, €745 at net-a-porter
WORDS BY NIAMH CRAWFORD-WALKER