The Best of Saint Laurent Handbags to Add to Your Wardrobe

Sophisticated design and shiny materials, Saint Laurent handbags add elegance to almost every style, making these collections the real timeless and iconic products of craftsmanship.

Established in 1961 by designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé, today, Saint Laurent handbags are a must-have. Previously branded as Yves Saint Laurent, in 2012, the then creative director of the label, Hedi Slimane, changed its name to Saint Laurent Paris. However, most of the handbags still flaunt the celebrated YSL logo.

Timeless design and longevity add to the global appeal of Saint Laurent bags. And celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, have flaunted them on many occasions.

Made with materials like soft lambskin leather, swede, plexiglass, metal, canvas, linen and cotton, YSL bags come in various styling and colours as well. So, go ahead and accessorise your ensemble with these luxury handbags.

Loulou is perhaps the most recognisable and popular bag from the Saint Laurent family. Taking its name after Loulou de la Falaise, one of Yves Saint Laurent's muses, this soft, chevron-quilted boxy bag has a calfskin leather finish. The metal chain strap can be doubled up to wear on your shoulder or as a crossbody bag.

Loulou offers a neat and sophisticated look with a dash of Bohemian spirit. Embellished with the signature YSL hardware in a gold tone over the central flap, Loulou has two main compartments, a zip compartment and a flap pocket.

The bag comes in small, medium and large sizes, in finishes such as leather, cotton, denim and suede. It is available in colours of natural tan, dark green, dark cherry, greyish brown, storm, dark natural, dark beige, noir, blanc vintage, rouge legion and marine.

A relatively new addition to the Saint Laurent collection, Loulou was launched in 2017. Designer Anthony Vaccarello is the brain behind its iconic design. A sure-shot winner in the modern fashion game, you can invest in Loulou without a second thought.

Buy Saint Laurent Loulou here

In French, sac de jour means ‘day bag’. Featuring accordion sides, a snap-button compression tab closure and a detachable padlock in a leather case, Sac de Jour is particularly distinguishable from other Saint Laurent bags.

With a square body and round-top handles, it also has detachable and adjustable shoulder straps. The bag features bronze-toned or silver-toned hardware as well. You can use it as a formal accessory or pair it with a dress for a semi-casual look.

The main compartment is spacious enough to accommodate all your things. The keychain with padlock keys adds extra oomph. Sac de Jour comes in three sizes — nano, baby and small. The supple version of the bag is available in medium size as well. You can get this tote bag in many colours, like black, dark beige, loden green, brick and neon.

Buy Saint Laurent Sac de Jour here

Minimalism and grandeur blend in to create Saint Laurent Le 5 à 7 bags, aka the hobo bag. The curved design of this shoulder bag is inspired by the 90s.

While an iconic monogram plate on the front in gold hardware adds an extra charm, its neat buckle in just the perfect size helps adjust the strap length. Crafted in calfskin leather, this small bag has one main compartment and zip-pocket leather lining.

The Le 5 à 7 bag is available in varied colour options and leather finishes. It is sized perfectly to sit under your arms, and you can flaunt it comfortably all day and night.

Buy Saint Laurent le 5 à 7 here

If you are looking for a chic bag featuring sleek, structured and defined lines, then the Kate handbag is for you. With its iconic gold chain straps, gold-tone hardware on the front flap and a tassel, the bag's striking detailing will make your ensemble stand out in a crowd. You can also detach the straps to easily convert this into a clutch.

Like other bags from the brand, Kate also comes in different colours and leather and metal detailing. You can get them in storm, dark beige, black, blanc vintage and cannelle hues, as well as in crocodile-embossed shiny leather, shiny leather, chevron patent leather, metallised leather, canvas and suede variants.

Buy Saint Laurent Kate here

Saint Laurent Niki is a unique bag from the brand with its signature leather-covered logo, and not a gold-hued one.

Slouchy enough to accommodate your things, Niki features a fold-over top with a magnetic fastening, a chain-link shoulder strap, a main compartment and a slip pocket to the front.

Invest in this one if you are scouting for a versatile bag with a vintage touch. Niki is available in baby, medium and large sizes in a variety of colours like black, blanc vintage, loden green, storm and rouge legion. The crossbody bag is also available in crinkled vintage leather, raffia and leather, suede, stamped patented crocodile, studded, crinkled lambskin and ostrich leather fabric.

Buy Saint Laurent Niki here

The Kaia bag is named after American model Kaia Gerber (daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford) and was first introduced with the SS20 collection. A perfect bag for every occasion, this bag is embellished with the signature logo, which is its most remarkable feature. It has adjustable straps that let you use it like a shoulder bag or wear it across your body. Available in small sizes, you can get the bag in noir, brown gold, bone et noir, loden green and chocolate colours.

Buy Saint Laurent Kaia here

Utilitarian and large, this unstructured tote has got your back when you want to carry a lot of things and yet look stylish. With soft flat leather handles and a snap button, you can comfortably wear this bag all day. It also has a detachable purse in some models.

The sizes the bag is available in are toy, E/W, and N/S. Buyers can choose from a variety of colours like brick, navy, beige, dark storm, dark green, taupe, black and blanc vintage. Oversized totes are totally in since the 2000s, and we don't see them going away anytime soon. This is exactly why investing in one would be a wise choice.

Buy Saint Laurent Shopping tote here

With a bronze-toned chain-linked prominent hardware on the front, Le Maillon is a distinct handbag from the Saint Laurent collection. Featuring multiple compartments, La Maillon is perfect if you love keeping things organised within your bag. Made of lambskin, it has a magnetic closure and the interior features two gusseted main compartments, one zip pocket, one flat pocket and one dossier pocket at the front. It is available in a wide range of colours like dark green, dark beige, greyish brown, ivoire naturel, storm, black, brick and blanc vintage.

Buy Saint Laurent Le Maillon here

With the Saint Laurent Joe backpack, you need not compromise on comfort for fashion. While accommodating plenty of room in the design, the Joe backpack has not ditched the iconic envelope pocket with the signature logo on it. The interior features one main compartment, a zip-pocket exterior and a front pocket with magnetic snap closure on the flap. It is available in colours like black, blanc vintage and vert foncé. Made of lambskin, its bucket shape, the grosgrain lining and the drawcord closure style make it timeless.

Buy Saint Laurent Joe backpack here

Click, goes one's heart at the Saint Laurent Lou camera bag. A clean design that can be amped up with the tassel detail if needed, Lou showcases a vintage look. The placement of the iconic YSL monogram is just perfect. The bag features a zip closure, one main compartment and a flat pocket. It comes in varied colours, including dark beige, vert foncé, storm and taupe.

Buy Saint Laurent Lou camera bag here

Sophistication is at its best in the Saint Laurent College bag. With a classic rectangular silhouette, the bag is made of lambskin and is decorated with chevron-quilted overstitching and the renowned logo. It also features a top handle and removable chain and leather shoulder strap. This model best combines all the striking features of Saint Laurent bags, like the quilted texture, the metal monogram logo and the chain strap. The college bag is available in colours like dark beige, blanc vintage, greyish brown, black, cinnamon, loden green and taupe.

Buy Saint Laurent College here

The design of the Rive Gauche tote bag encompasses the true heritage of the French fashion house. Featuring the brand's name on the silhouette, this bag is everything functional and chic. It has tubular leather handles, one spacious main compartment, an interior zip pocket and three Saint Laurent-engraved snap button closures. You can use this as your office bag or shopping bag or even take it to the beach. It is available in small and N/S sizes and colours like military green and black vintage, white linen and black. A timeless design, the Rive Gauche tote is made of linen and leather.

Buy Saint Laurent Rive Gauche bag here

Yet another structured bag from the Saint Laurent family, the Sunset bag is a dream for anyone who loves to keep their stuff organised. The bag has side gussets that help hold its shape, and a chain and leather shoulder strap allows you to wear it across the body or on the shoulder.

The front flap of the bag features the bronze-toned logo, and a leather-encased key ring serves as an added functionality. While the exterior comprises one open pocket on the back the interior features two central compartments, one open pocket on the front and one slot pocket. The bag is available in small, medium and large sizes. It comes in some stunning colours like blanc vintage, rosy sand, greyish brown, dark beige, noir, vert d’eau and light eggplant. Get going with this perfect bag, which is a sure head-turner.

Buy Saint Laurent Sunset here

Proudly taking its name from the city that never sleeps, the Manhattan shoulder bag is very different from the typical designs produced by the brand. Designed by the label's Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello, this bag is the epitome of modernity and elegance.

The bronze-toned metal hardware on the silhouette is aptly placed to exude a minimalist yet bold look. The bag features a magnetic clip buckle compression closure. It has one main compartment and a flat pocket. Manhattan bag is available in small, medium and large sizes. It comes in colours like black, blanc vintage, charron blue, rosy sand, rouge legion, dark green and dusty grey. The Manhattan should be your pick if you want a unique Saint Laurent bag with an unconventional design.

Buy Saint Laurent Manhattan here

As the name goes, this shoulder bag features an envelope-like silhouette and is ideal when you want to carry just a few items. Made of textured calfskin leather, it features a leather and chain strap that can be worn in two ways. The interior has one main compartment and one flat pocket, and the exterior has one flat pocket at the back.

The envelope bag comes in small, medium and large sizes. It has a wide range of colours, including vert foncé, rouge legion, marine, blanc vintage, taupe, dark natural, dark beige and noir. Adorning the YSL logo, this classy bag has a mix of vertical, chevron and diamond-quilted overstitching. This bag is just perfect for all-day use.

Buy Saint Laurent Envelope here

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(Prices of the products mentioned in the story are subject to change.)

(Main image: Sebastian Coman Travel/Unsplash; Featured image: Saint Laurent)

Answer: Unique models of the Saint Laurent bags can fetch good resale value.

Answer: Saint Laurent is popular for its leather goods, exquisitely designed clothing, footwear and accessories.

Answer: The bag is named after English jewellery designer Loulou de la Falaise, a muse of Yves Saint Laurent. Since its release in 2017, Loulou has been the choice of famous women across the globe. Made from extra fine calfskin leather in Italy, Loulou features a cross-body strap and has two main compartments. The style is chic and can be carried with your daywear.

Answer: The brand was most popular in the 60s when it produced some of its iconic tuxedos, jackets and trousers. Yves Saint Laurent was instrumental in infusing art into his creations and transforming the way fashion and people connected.

Answer: Saint Laurent and Gucci are both owned by global fashion house Kering.

Answer: Creative Director Hedi Slimane renamed the brand as a fitting tribute to the brand's first iconic ready-to-wear clothing line from 1966 — Saint Laurent Rive Gauche.

A journalist with a penchant for lifestyle stories, Amrutha particularly loves writing about fashion, beauty, and wellness. She has worked as a Digital Content Producer with Onmanorama, Malayala Manorama, and as a Content Writer with Tata Consultancy Services. A Geminian, Amrutha loves juggling a variety of passions. A trained Carnatic singer, she loves dwelling in the world of music. When not working, she loves painting, cooking, travel, and cinema. A diehard pluviophile, Amrutha loves everything about the monsoon.